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Flu and diabetes

C

Cd-astro

Member
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Hi all,

So maybe a stupid question but if you have a sore throat/flu are there any over the counter medications you should avoid if you have type 1? Thinking along the lines of things like throat lozenges and lemsip.

Thanks in advance!
 
Cd-astro said:
Hi all,

So maybe a stupid question but if you have a sore throat/flu are there any over the counter medications you should avoid if you have type 1? Thinking along the lines of things like throat lozenges and lemsip.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Honestly, the first thing to do is get a flu jab so that you get a bad cold rather than full fledged flu. Unfortunately, flu innoculations don't always work so if you do get it ----

Lemsip, apparently it's got 20g per sachet? Given that the active ingredient is paracetamol you might do better just to take that.

But if you've got "true" flu, then carb intake will be the least of your issues, keep testing and keep injecting. Illness will make your insulin needs rocket up.
 
Best to ask your friendly pharmacist before taking anything.
Although assuming you are type 1...? You may have more leeway with carb intake.

as an example, when i catch something, I reach for the Night Nurse capsules. They have no carbs and work well for me so I can get a good night’s sleep.
In contrast, the Night Nurse syrup has sugars in it, so I avoid.

There’s a vast difference between a cold and real flu, and the flu jab only works on some of the flu strains around on any given year, so it is no guarantee you won’t come down with real flu.

Take care of yourself, and check with the pharmacist. They are the experts.
 
Hello @Cd-astro All type 1's should get a flu jab each year when the clinic offers it, contact yours if you haven't already had it. The worst part of flu for a type 1 is the associated complications such as DKA from uncontrolled blood glucose levels which could land you in hospital for a few days as well as pneumonia which again can cause uncontrolled bg levels, it's not a risk I take nowadays after having had flu once upon a time.
 
Hi @Cd-astro nothing really to add to whats already been suggested BUT full on flu is really not nice, i was hospitalised with it a long time ago. I get the flu jab every year now
 
Cd-astro said:
Hi all,

So maybe a stupid question but if you have a sore throat/flu are there any over the counter medications you should avoid if you have type 1? Thinking along the lines of things like throat lozenges and lemsip.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
I recently had a virus that included a sore throat (as well as the usual flu-like symptoms). Reluctant to use sugar-containing medication, I used Ultra Chloraseptic with good results, so I can recommend that.
One thing I did notice was that my fasting bs was elevated by about 1 mmol/l for the duration of the virus; inflammation, I suspect.
 
Juicyj said:
pneumonia which again can cause uncontrolled bg levels
Click to expand...

When I lived in the UK (20 years ago) I was offered a pneumonia vaccine. I think it works for 5 years? I haven't been offered it since.... But given the prevalence of pneumonia I'd take it if it was available....
 
As T2 we are eligible for a pneumonia jab as well as the flu jab. Definitely ask at the surgery.
 
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