High BG Levels while unwell

Hi Tom

Welcome to group its great place here lots of help and info

Yes it seems steroids do push it up I had chest infection last week I'm asmatic too treatment steroids antibiotics and my bg shot up to 14 and had too increase my insulatard
But yours seem very high I would contact your hcp if there running constantly high above ur normal levels u normaly run at

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Infection pushes BG up. i had an upper respiratory infection around Easter, which I'm having trouble recovering from. { my dentist's receptionist says there's a lot of it about!] I've been finding it harder to keep BG down, since then. Steroids won't help either!
Still with controlled carbs, you should be able to keep in single figures. 20+ seems awfully high even for dealing with an infection
Hana

Tom Jenkins 1408 said:

Thank you for your comments.
I am under Doctor every 4 days at present. I normally suffer high BG but this current attack is concerning me.
Since this morning I have had 2 egg on toast and just now a chicken sandwich.
Bloods Vs Insulin

Wake up 10.9
Insulin 18
Eat then test 20.6
Insulin 18
Eat then test 19.3
Insulin 18
Test 22.0 just now.
And another 18 just taken

72 units Novo Rapid so far today defo not working against these Steroids.

Any more comments ? Suggestions. Thanks


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Click to expand...

Hi Tom

Wow that's a lot of insulin if I remember right when I was diagnosed I was on insulin for 6 months and I think the max dose for day was less than 18 units I'm back on insulatard now after bad turn month ago 12 units a night long action stuff I'm type 2

Well can't really help anymore but wish u luck in getting levels down and getting better having 2 health issues can be real pain I know it just been for flexible sigmoidscopy today after last times hospital stay indicated I needed it not fun today but all clear on results :grin:

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Apparently steroids really create insulin resistance so you will need a huge increase until you are feeling better so just test and test and be ready to adjust when you feel better. It's ghastly though when you are already feeling **** but no other answer really, be careful about insulin stacking (as if you hadn't enough to cope with), it can lead to severe lows at some stage. Good luck.


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I can only suggest going really low-carb while you are on the steroids and have the infection to try to combat the known problems with steroids and infection. For example perhaps you can ditch the eggs on toast and have egg & bacon etc. For sandwiches have multigrain bread, thin slices and so on. It's not easy but should help a bit. Set yourself a target of, say, 100gm/day max carbs or less.

The best thing to do is get some ketone test strips and check your ketones if you have ketones present then check online for diebetic sick day rules follow those and you should be absolutely fine


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You'd think that the docs would warn you that steroids & infection pushes bgl up wouldnt you!?

I had steroid injections to develop my daughter's lungs at 34 weeks pregnant...my levels shot up and I was bewildered at the time. I had spent much of the pregnancy with tight as possible control and a1c was in the 5s. These levels in the 20s were frightening, and it went on for the whole stay in hosp. By the time my diabetes team got involved I was very worried (for the health of my baby) and they said 'oh yeh, steroids will increase your bgl, you need extra insulin' - total lack of communication! No one thought to tell me!

Are you confident to increase & adjust your insulin? For the duration of your steroid use & infection, I would say close monitoring is needed. Or like suggested, lower your carb intake? Do you carb/insulin count? (administer the required amount of insulin for the amount of carbs you intake) or do you have set amounts of both as discussed with dsn?




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