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DKA

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Curleous

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Hi all

have been reading on here about dka and how quick it come on. I have a good hb1ac of 5.7 but have a really nasty cold and cough at the moment thta has made my levels go a bit haywire. How long does it take for this to come on as i had this when i was diagnosed. If i have a good level of 5.7 is it unlikely to get this quickly. I thought that it only came on with prolonged levels of high sugar and not say just 1 week or a few days?. Please can someone clarify. I would have to be consistently high for a few weeks to raise my hb1ac to danger levels and what levels do bring it on.?

Many Thanks

Curleous
 
At what level a diabetic starts to go into DKA is particular to the individual, as different diabetics will have a slightly different tollerance level before problems arraise, but one they start then DKA can quickly turn into major problems, if not treated or handled correctly...

Your diabetic clinic should have given sick day rules (what to do when unwell to help prevent DKA)

If you are unwell, then problems can start around the 12/14mmol/l range, it is advisable even when not unwell, to check whether there is any ketones present in the urine.. You can get ketones testing sticks on prescription (alongside buying them at the chemist around £4 for 50)

When I am unwell, I test blood and ketones, at least every 2 hours, depending if I find and how many ketones present I will work out a correction dose of either 10 or 20% of my previous total daily dose then repeat every 2 hours if necessary to bring the bg down this normally reduces the ketones as well, you do need to keep fluids up to flush out the ketones...

Signs such as stomach pains, vomiting, rapid pulse, shallow breathing or even if you are concerned/worried you need to get medical advice/help as this could mean that DKA is becoming very dangerous quickly.. Better to seek medical help sooner than later..
 
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