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Extremely HIGH levels of blood/glucose

Ramrod

Newbie
Messages
1
We all know what the low levels of blood/glucose are and the effects it can and will cause to health....... But I can not find any documentation anywhere on what is considered a dangerously high level when driving a car. I have been on just about every conceivable website only to find data on low level blood/glucose levels.
My father was recently admitted to hospital with a reading of 43 (no that's not a mistake the figure was 43) with added problems of dangerous levels of potassium. He was hospitalised fo 7days and discharged with a blood/glucose reading of 18 /22ish as he still drives his car I wanted to know what is considered to be a SAFE HIGH blood/glucose reading before he even considers contemplates his driving again.
 
phew 43 :shock: that is high. Was he very poorly with a virus or something to go as high as that?

I could not drive with a BG up into the 20's. My eyesight is shocking when I get into mid double figures. So I would hate to put anyone at any risk and drive with sugars any higher than 10.
I hope things settle for your Dad, it must have been a worrying time for all of you.

Welcome to the forum
 
Im very much a newbie here but I have had high readings for the last month, 15 to 25, up and down,
Im starting on insulin this week as oral medications havent lowered my blood glucose.

The nurse told me not to drive if I was over 15, and to be honest I wouldnt have wanted to, poor concentration, tiredness, and vision problems.

Im so sorry you must be very worried about your father, maybe an idea to suggest to him that until he can reduce the present readings a bit, that driving could wait? Or maybe get him to ask his gp for advice,?

welcome to this forum, there is such a lot of good advice on here.

Take care
 
Ramrod,

Hyperglycemia can effect the vision and also make you sleepy and less alert to the dangers on the road, I know if I am high my ability to think straight is impaired as much as it is when I am low.

Ask your father to get back in touch with his diabetes team to discuss ways to get his bg down as 18/22 is not a good place to be, they'll more than likely tell him also that driving for the time being isn't advisable until he has better control of his diabetes.

Good luck!
 
Hi,

During my long experience...and varying degrees of control of my T1 diabetes, I have found that high BG is like anything else. If you are used to running high..say 13, you can actually tolerate it quite well as you are used toit. this doesn't mean thatit is not doing you lots of damage though...as it is. Now a days, my levels are much better, and if my BG creeps up to say 13, I would eb unlikely to drive, as like others have said, my eyes go fuzzy!


I guess, you could view it like driving if you had beeing drinking alcohol. A seasoned drinker, would say, thatthey were fine after a couple of glasses of wine, where as an occasional drinker ike me, would not even get behind the wheel after taking a sip...as I know the effects would make me unsafe. Unlike alcohol though, I am not sure that there is a limit...I think there should be. I guess when they worked out teh safe to drive alcohol limit they could look at millions of pieces of data, and asses the variations and confidence in the data. Not sure that data exists for hyperglycemia.


Agree with Nigel, your Dad needs to conact his medical team and discuss.
 
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