Illness and ketones

[LoisCoxx]

Hi everyone,
Just a quick worry. I'm a 17 year old type one diabetic of five years. I've been ill for a couple of days, fluey type ill cold and achey joints.. my sugars haven't been running any higher than normal, 10 max. last night i was horribley sick, around five times in two hours. i still feel rotten today but haven't been sick again, thank goodness! this morning at around nine my ketones were on max from my test strips with my suagrs around 4 and i put this down to throwing up everything i ate yesterday with little insulin. i went out for a meal, low carb and took normal insulin, now, at five, my ketones are still on 4+ which is the maximun on my test strips... :thumbdown:
Can anyone help, me out with whether this is normal and what i should do next?!!
Thanks in advance,
Lois

 

[Riri]

I was always told to see a doc / a&e if ill with ongoing high ketones - even if my blood sugars were normal. Are you drinking loads of water to try and flush them out?

 

[maxies-mom]

We have a quick protocol to follow for ketones and it seems a little confusing at first but will make sense once it drops the ketones and flushes them out.

TEST
if BG is LESS that 10mmol/L then have insulin at 1u/10kg body weight and a fast sugar (glucose rich) something to eat
BUT
if BG is MORE that 10mmol/L then have insulin at 1u/10kg body weight and water by the bucket load
Test Ketones again in an hour - if normal, you are fine
IF NOT
TEST BG
and repeat the protocol
If you repeat 3 times and you still have not cleared the ketones, go into your unit or phone your Endo or your DB Nurse

Our Endo insists, no sleep if there are Ketones. Flush em as a priority

Good luck and hang in there. My heart is with you as we tonight are merrily flushing ketones with a little one who has terrible nausea and cramps... sending a big love from the forest
Philly

 

[LoisCoxx]

Philly, this is excellent advice thankyou! i shall do this and try to flush them out, i've got leg and stomach cramps and no energy but my blood sugars aren't sky high (10) just such a pain!!

Thanks everyone for your help!

Lois

 

[maxies-mom]

Lois run it by your unit - have you got a 24/7 call line where you are? our protocol is the standard one issued to all "patients" at our endo clinic and works but you really should double check - can you give your A&E a ring?
If your ketones are off the test strip, as a parent i would be pooping myself and if you were my kid, we would be at A&E already :crazy:
Worried about you.
I would drive over if i wasn't a continent away!
Prolonged ketones is high risk for DKA so please don't mess around - get a professional opinion honey.

 

[LoisCoxx]

Hi, just as an update, rang the specialist registrar on call when my mum got home last might as ketones would not flush. Had to go into a&e for blood gases, acidity and sugars, doc said my blood levels weren't normal but were nothing dangerous so sent us home with instructions about insulin, fluid and sleep. Still feel rubbish today, been up in the night checking sugars, so exhausted on top of the pain, cramps and slight nausea that I can't seem to shift. No college for me today! Still got urine ketones this morning... But hoping to just continue to flush them out today

Such a pain being diabetic!!
Thanks so much for your help and concern,
Lois

 

[maxies-mom]

Big kisses. hang in there.

 

[volvicwater22]

Remember you are quite open to illness with diabetes. I remember I had the same symptoms a few years ago and in the end it was food poisoning. Hope you feel better in a few days

 

[mazza.hunter]

I had exactly the same over Christmas and couldn't even get up I ached so much it's a strain of novo virus and it will go only water helped as I cldnt eat much and nothing was getting rid of ketones it was just water and patience xx hang in there I know how **** it makes you feel x


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