Help My Dad

Helpme45 · Aug 28, 2018

hi, my dad has type 2 diabetes and he struggles with diabetic seizures. I live alone with him as my parents are divorced. Alot of the time at night he gets seizures and im alone and have to save him,due to this constantly happening i get very bad anxiety and dont sleep. I have tried telling him many times but he is not careful and tends to never eat meals. On weekends i stay at my moms so i get very worried when i leave him alone there. I have called the ambulance too many times. Recently he had a seizure infront of his parents and its the first time my family has seen it and now everyone is worried but he doesnt listen to anyone, he tells us that we are crazy and this doesnt happen. Im always scared pls help.

EllieM · Aug 28, 2018

Helpme45 said:
hi, my dad has type 2 diabetes and he struggles with diabetic seizures. I live alone with him as my parents are divorced. Alot of the time at night he gets seizures and im alone and have to save him,due to this constantly happening i get very bad anxiety and dont sleep. I have tried telling him many times but he is not careful and tends to never eat meals. On weekends i stay at my moms so i get very worried when i leave him alone there. I have called the ambulance too many times. Recently he had a seizure infront of his parents and its the first time my family has seen it and now everyone is worried but he doesnt listen to anyone, he tells us that we are crazy and this doesnt happen. Im always scared pls help.

Do you mean that your Dad is on insulin (injections) and he's having bad hypos (low blood sugar) that give him seizures?

Alison54321 · Aug 28, 2018

Is he having very low blood sugars? which are called hypos. Is he taking insulin, or something else, as as I understand it, there are some type 2 diabetes drugs that can cause hypos?

It would be helpful to know more about what medication he is taking.

Hypos can be dangerous, when blood sugar goes very low, but they can also be dealt with. Having things like sugary drinks available would help, do you have anything like that. It would be useful for you to know how to treat a hypo, if this is what the problem is.

Though even better would be for him to have better control over his blood sugar. Is there anyone, maybe, who can talk to him, as it's not right that you should be so worried about it.

Are there any reasons why he is having trouble managing his diabetes? does he have any issues that are a problem, how long has he had it, maybe he needs advice on his medication.

There are lots of questions here, if you can give us more information that would be helpful.

Antje77 · Aug 28, 2018

He urgently needs to get in contact with his endo or whoever treats him. Diabetics shouldn't have seizures all the time or even some of the time. If it's seizures because of hypo he needs an urgent medication/diet review.
Is your father on twice a day injections with a mixed insulin? That means he needs a certain amount of carbs at certain times of the day. If he doesn't eat he'll go hypo.
Or is your father on long acting insulin once or twice a day plus short acting insulin before meals? Than he'll need to be able to count carbs to match his insulin to what he eats.
I wish you and your father all the best and I hope things will get better for the both of you! Let us know how you get on please.

JoKalsbeek · Aug 29, 2018

Helpme45 said:
hi, my dad has type 2 diabetes and he struggles with diabetic seizures. I live alone with him as my parents are divorced. Alot of the time at night he gets seizures and im alone and have to save him,due to this constantly happening i get very bad anxiety and dont sleep. I have tried telling him many times but he is not careful and tends to never eat meals. On weekends i stay at my moms so i get very worried when i leave him alone there. I have called the ambulance too many times. Recently he had a seizure infront of his parents and its the first time my family has seen it and now everyone is worried but he doesnt listen to anyone, he tells us that we are crazy and this doesnt happen. Im always scared pls help.

He shouldn't be putting you in this position... If he is in denial about this, maybe film an episode on your phone, IF it is safe to do so? (Big if!!!) Show him exactly what he is putting you and himself through by being careless with his diabetes. Might be a bit of a shock to him to see himself like that, might set him straight. In any case, talk to your family doctor; his diabetes is now messing up YOUR well-being, causing undue stress, anxiety and insomnia. Time to get people/pro's seriously involved. He's a risk to himself, what he's going through is dangerous. And just so you know, should something happen on the weekend when you're away; it is NOT your responsibility. You're not your dad's keeper. He's an adult. Even if he's not acting like one.

Phylliscook · Oct 2, 2018

Hi, New to this site.
My father has type 2 diabetes, recent chest infection, on antibiotics, blood sugar stayed low (normally high with an infection) finished antibiotics, then blood sugar went low, called doctor out, he reduced his insulin (injection once a day) from 18 units to 14 units per day. it stayed low, my father started talking nonsense, called doctor out again thinking that he had another infection, but did not. I took my father for a diabetic review, blood done, doctor said to reduce his insulin again to 10 units. My father has been calling me in the night saying that he had wet the bed, but also has been getting out of bed during the night and going on his commode. This has been happening over the last week, but now he is phoning me saying that he's fallen out of bed, getting me across there and he hasn't at all. What is wrong with him, he's talking a lot of nonsense just lately.It is not normal at all. Is it something to do with the reduced insulin intake the doctor has advised ?? please help I am taking my father back to doctors 4 oct for blood results, but i'm really concerned as I feel that the doctor I not advising correctly. He was okay on 18 units.
Phyllis Cook

Alison54321 · Oct 2, 2018

Phylliscook said:
Hi, New to this site.
My father has type 2 diabetes, recent chest infection, on antibiotics, blood sugar stayed low (normally high with an infection) finished antibiotics, then blood sugar went low, called doctor out, he reduced his insulin (injection once a day) from 18 units to 14 units per day. it stayed low, my father started talking nonsense, called doctor out again thinking that he had another infection, but did not. I took my father for a diabetic review, blood done, doctor said to reduce his insulin again to 10 units. My father has been calling me in the night saying that he had wet the bed, but also has been getting out of bed during the night and going on his commode. This has been happening over the last week, but now he is phoning me saying that he's fallen out of bed, getting me across there and he hasn't at all. What is wrong with him, he's talking a lot of nonsense just lately.It is not normal at all. Is it something to do with the reduced insulin intake the doctor has advised ?? please help I am taking my father back to doctors 4 oct for blood results, but i'm really concerned as I feel that the doctor I not advising correctly. He was okay on 18 units.
Phyllis Cook

Hello Phyllis, welcome to the forum. Normally too high insulin might cause confusion, if someone has a hypo, and too low blood sugar, but I can't see why reducing the insulin would cause him to be confused.

I googled confusion and infection, just to see if it might be that, in the elderly an infection can, apparently, cause delirium, but also, and this seems more likely, according to google, some antibiotics can sometimes cause delirium, or confusion.

That might be a more likely cause than lowering the insulin, I would guess, but I'm only guessing. It might be worth checking to see if the antibiotics he took might cause temporary confusion.

Guzzler · Oct 2, 2018

Phylliscook said:
Hi, New to this site.
My father has type 2 diabetes, recent chest infection, on antibiotics, blood sugar stayed low (normally high with an infection) finished antibiotics, then blood sugar went low, called doctor out, he reduced his insulin (injection once a day) from 18 units to 14 units per day. it stayed low, my father started talking nonsense, called doctor out again thinking that he had another infection, but did not. I took my father for a diabetic review, blood done, doctor said to reduce his insulin again to 10 units. My father has been calling me in the night saying that he had wet the bed, but also has been getting out of bed during the night and going on his commode. This has been happening over the last week, but now he is phoning me saying that he's fallen out of bed, getting me across there and he hasn't at all. What is wrong with him, he's talking a lot of nonsense just lately.It is not normal at all. Is it something to do with the reduced insulin intake the doctor has advised ?? please help I am taking my father back to doctors 4 oct for blood results, but i'm really concerned as I feel that the doctor I not advising correctly. He was okay on 18 units.
Phyllis Cook

Hi there Phyllis. You may get more advice and support by posting a stand alone thread in the 'Ask a Question' or 'Type 2 Diabetes' sections of the forum. This will bring your query to the notice of far more members. Sorry to hear about your Dad, I am not on insulin so can't advise but hopefully other members can be of assistance.

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