High sugar levels and Amoxillin? Help

[TineBovingFoster]

My daughter is 12 and currently on amoxicillin for sinusitis, but she is experiencing high BG (17 - 20) that are very difficult to get down, apart from the night where she stabilises. There are no ketones, and she is drinking and injecting as much as she can.
She occasionally have unexplained highs, about 1 every three months, but this happened on this Friday, Monday, and today Tuesday, and we can't find an explanation. Her breakfasts have been well tested and tried meals, there have been no particularly stress occurrences at school, she is at a 40% higher basal rate covering the sickness (which works during the night). All I can think of is the amoxicillin?? She was very active over the weekend, and didn't have a problem then.
Anyone had any similar experiences?

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @TineBovingFoster Amoxicillin on it's own won't be causing the high levels, however the inflammation from the sinusitis will be. Any inflammation or infection will cause a stress reaction in the body meaning hormones are released to fight it and in turn will cause the BG levels to increase.

It's wise to check your correction dose with your nurse if this isn't bringing the levels down, also lots of testing and fluids too to help flush out the extra glucose.

Illness can play havoc with control so hopefully she's feeling better soon.

 

[TineBovingFoster]

Hi @TineBovingFoster Amoxicillin on it's own won't be causing the high levels, however the inflammation from the sinusitis will be. Any inflammation or infection will cause a stress reaction in the body meaning hormones are released to fight it and in turn will cause the BG levels to increase.

It's wise to check your correction dose with your nurse if this isn't bringing the levels down, also lots of testing and fluids too to help flush out the extra glucose.

Illness can play havoc with control so hopefully she's feeling better soon.

Thanks for getting back to me. She has had sinusitis for a while, and that has so far been managed with the higher basal rate. When it didn't go away by itself, the doctor tried antibiotic, and that is when she has started going really high, but only in the day. The correction dose works fine usually, she regularly get's to 11 - 13 BG, and a correction dose brings her to the right level. And she is drinking lots..... that is why I think there must be something else because it's the third day it is happening.

 

[Juicyj]

Hi @TineBovingFoster I can understand why your thinking it's the antibiotics then, I had a course a month or so ago and my levels were only slightly raised but this was after surgery so put it down to the body reacting from the surgery. How many days are left on the amoxicillin ? Also is her sinusitis improving ? As long as the correction is working to bring levels back down then try and stick with it.

 

[kewgirl]

Hi @TineBovingFoster

Just a thought - is your daughter taking amoxicillin tablets or liquid?

If liquid is it definitely the sugar free one?

 

[TineBovingFoster]

Hi @TineBovingFoster

Just a thought - is your daughter taking amoxicillin tablets or liquid?

If liquid is it definitely the sugar free one?

Good thought, but it is tablets.

 

[TineBovingFoster]

Hi @TineBovingFoster I can understand why your thinking it's the antibiotics then, I had a course a month or so ago and my levels were only slightly raised but this was after surgery so put it down to the body reacting from the surgery. How many days are left on the amoxicillin ? Also is her sinusitis improving ? As long as the correction is working to bring levels back down then try and stick with it.

She will be finishing tomorrow with her dosage, so hopefully that will give us an answer one way or the other. Apart from wanting her to be well here and now, I'm also thinking of the future, since she seems to catch any bug or virus there is around. She has been diagnosed for 10 months now, so I'm hoping she will get back to her normal resilience soon.

 

[NicoleC1971]

Hope she is feeling better since being ill and having high blood sugars is draining (for you both). I am amazed at how much extra I need ro take to cover illness or pmt. If she is eating less that could also cause a bg spike because her body will produce glucose via the liver.
Once better it might be useful to see if yiu can boost her immunity ( vitamin C, light exercise and good gut health via lots of veg and sleep) If she has had more than 3 courses of antibiotics this may have made her gut health worse and therefore made her more vulnerable to the next bug ironically!

 

[CarbsRok]

Have you also checked and changed her vials of insulin just to see if there's a problem in that dept?
Just a suggestion for the sinus problems are they caused by allergy if so perhaps ask for a antihistamine nasal spray to see if that helps.

 

[TheBigNewt]

Amoxicillin tablets will not raise one's blood sugar.

 

[TineBovingFoster]

Have you also checked and changed her vials of insulin just to see if there's a problem in that dept?
Just a suggestion for the sinus problems are they caused by allergy if so perhaps ask for a antihistamine nasal spray to see if that helps.

It's happened on two different infusion sets (she is on Medtronic 640G pump), but with insulin from the same vial... will keep that in mind. We are going to try the nasal spray, since the sinusitis is only partly better, so maybe that is the way forward another time.

 

[TineBovingFoster]

Hope she is feeling better since being ill and having high blood sugars is draining (for you both). I am amazed at how much extra I need ro take to cover illness or pmt. If she is eating less that could also cause a bg spike because her body will produce glucose via the liver.
Once better it might be useful to see if yiu can boost her immunity ( vitamin C, light exercise and good gut health via lots of veg and sleep) If she has had more than 3 courses of antibiotics this may have made her gut health worse and therefore made her more vulnerable to the next bug ironically!

I was already thinking more Vitamin C, but will go with lots of veg as well, that can never harm

 

[TheBigNewt]

It's happened on two different infusion sets (she is on Medtronic 640G pump), but with insulin from the same vial... will keep that in mind. We are going to try the nasal spray, since the sinusitis is only partly better, so maybe that is the way forward another time.

Sinusitis is often times caused by a virus, like a cold. Antibiotics are useless treating viral infections. But doctors usually prescribe them anyway (just in case). My wife used to work for a pediatrician, she used to say the parents come here for the "pink medicine" a lot!

 

[TineBovingFoster]

My daughter is 12 and currently on amoxicillin for sinusitis, but she is experiencing high BG (17 - 20) that are very difficult to get down, apart from the night where she stabilises. There are no ketones, and she is drinking and injecting as much as she can.
She occasionally have unexplained highs, about 1 every three months, but this happened on this Friday, Monday, and today Tuesday, and we can't find an explanation. Her breakfasts have been well tested and tried meals, there have been no particularly stress occurrences at school, she is at a 40% higher basal rate covering the sickness (which works during the night). All I can think of is the amoxicillin?? She was very active over the weekend, and didn't have a problem then.
Anyone had any similar experiences?

Update: She is off Amoxicillin, had a break without medicine, now on another antibiotic - and it's still really difficult to control her blood sugar levels. So conclusion is that amoxicillin is not the "villain".

 

[ann34+]

My daughter is 12 and currently on amoxicillin for sinusitis, but she is experiencing high BG (17 - 20) that are very difficult to get down, apart from the night where she stabilises. There are no ketones, and she is drinking and injecting as much as she can.
She occasionally have unexplained highs, about 1 every three months, but this happened on this Friday, Monday, and today Tuesday, and we can't find an explanation. Her breakfasts have been well tested and tried meals, there have been no particularly stress occurrences at school, she is at a 40% higher basal rate covering the sickness (which works during the night). All I can think of is the amoxicillin?? She was very active over the weekend, and didn't have a problem then.
Anyone had any similar experiences?

Sadly, sinusitis can make Type one more difficult, and it can often be linked to a tedency to rhinitis with nasal polyps, It does not sound as if it is chronic in your daughter's case?.....Infections in the sinuses are not easy to shift, but, if you look on the internet the simple methods are often advised as a first choice, or sometimes they can be an adjunct to antibiotic use. Sometimes an inhaler is prescribed as well - you don't mention this , so i imagine not. Inhalers are often low dose steroid, and any steroid may affect blood glucoses, dependent on sensitivity.
Your daughter may simply have a virus which has inflamed the sinuses, and that will take time to go. A good idea is steam inhaling, with some drops of whatever oil suits, could be olbas, though some cannot use that. And on top of that, daily sinus washes with saline. (see internet for instructions), Sinus washes can, according to research, be as effective as antibiotics, also, sprays of Sterimar 3 x day, to stop dryness (which will make everything worse and will encourage further infections to take hold) are a good idea. Hopefully she is nearly better now.....

 

[CarbsRok]

Update: She is off Amoxicillin, had a break without medicine, now on another antibiotic - and it's still really difficult to control her blood sugar levels. So conclusion is that amoxicillin is not the "villain".

It's just a thought, any chance it's her hormones? Teenagers tend to have very difficult blood sugars due to hormones, If her periods haven't started they could be on the way and this can cause havoc with blood sugars as well.