Hi everyone
Apologies - I rarely ask questions on the forums (always nervous of people saying I'm asking stupid questions) but I had such a bizarre experience on Thursday I thought I'd reach out. I am type one diabetic for the last 8 years and have never had an experience like this. I'm on novorapid, 10 units before food if that makes a difference.
I have recently been in hospital with gastric flu and was borderline DKA whatever that means. The doctor said I was seriously ill when I arrived. Glad I went but 7 days with NO FOOD AND DRINK - only what we give you on the drip, please! - was awful.
Since being diagnosed, I will be honest and admit that food has become the enemy. If I could get away with not eating at all i would (having experienced that last week though, I no longer feel like that ... the only thing I ate in that time was a few slices of cucumber! NOW I know food is my friend!) I no longer enjoy a meal (problem is I do have an unrelated health problem which makes eating no fun at all!) Even my favourite foods can be problematic.
Anyway, the point is my sugars have been weird for a while. Hospital said my insulin may no longer be working as it should and they may need to change it. GP and hospital concerned but couldn't see what I was doing wrong ... neither could I. On Thursday night I had peppered pork with CoUsCoUs (won't let me type it any other way, sorry) and a salad and plenty of green veg. My starting blood sugar was 6.4 - within the range the doctors have set me - between 4 and 7, I thought. I also had water (which I rarely drink - prefer cranberry juice) and two slices of BROWN bread (3 seeded) ... finished my meal and actually enjoyed it! About half an hour - if that - later I felt REALLY weird - shaky, dizzy, sweaty, ringing in my ears. I literally felt as if I was having a super bad hypo but HOW? When I checked my blood though it was 5.4! Checked it on 3 monitors (I have sight problems so I double checked with the one that reads to me ... same result. Obviously I can't take glucotabs if my sugar is normal and it wasn't high.
Couldn't reach the GP so out of hours called me back and said to monitor it. I was so shaky that even going in the shower (which I had to do that night due to a super early appointment the following day) was problematic and I had to sit on the floor to wash my hair or I would have fallen. Out of hours warned me not to take insulin unless it went high and to check for ketones (when I DID check there were none - checked with my blood and urine to be on the safe side - only just been given blood ketone strips). They also said if it's not under 4 then I'm NOT to take glucotabs. There seems to be a lot of confusion among the medical teams what to do. Even the hospital could not get my sugars under control - one of the auxiliary nurses actually knew my sugar was low before I did. He came in and I literally had had no sleep or anything to eat since going in I got one hour when I went in and then 4 hours the day before I came out. I was feeling kind of ... dazed and spaced out. Apparently I normally give everyone a smile when they come in - even if it's a weak one - but I didn't and turned my back on him. I knew I felt quiet but that was part exhaustion, part lack of food and part being sick to death of being interrupted and not allowed to rest. This nurse was not the nicest either so I was in a bad mood. As soon as he saw me he asked why I hadn't pressed the buzzer when my sugar was low. Because I don't need it - my sugar feels fine to me. Really? Well, why are you so quiet? I listed all the reasons above and let him get on with the job - which included a finger prick test ... he was right - my sugar was 2.4. That explained a little at least. This has never happened to me before but I DID put it down to the fact they refused to allow me any food - he said the drip should be controlling it but it wasn't.
Anyone had a similar experience? What did you do? It was so scary. Apparently I was speaking at a speed of knots on Thursday too, and not making any sense. Sorry for a long post.
Apologies - I rarely ask questions on the forums (always nervous of people saying I'm asking stupid questions) but I had such a bizarre experience on Thursday I thought I'd reach out. I am type one diabetic for the last 8 years and have never had an experience like this. I'm on novorapid, 10 units before food if that makes a difference.
I have recently been in hospital with gastric flu and was borderline DKA whatever that means. The doctor said I was seriously ill when I arrived. Glad I went but 7 days with NO FOOD AND DRINK - only what we give you on the drip, please! - was awful.
Since being diagnosed, I will be honest and admit that food has become the enemy. If I could get away with not eating at all i would (having experienced that last week though, I no longer feel like that ... the only thing I ate in that time was a few slices of cucumber! NOW I know food is my friend!) I no longer enjoy a meal (problem is I do have an unrelated health problem which makes eating no fun at all!) Even my favourite foods can be problematic.
Anyway, the point is my sugars have been weird for a while. Hospital said my insulin may no longer be working as it should and they may need to change it. GP and hospital concerned but couldn't see what I was doing wrong ... neither could I. On Thursday night I had peppered pork with CoUsCoUs (won't let me type it any other way, sorry) and a salad and plenty of green veg. My starting blood sugar was 6.4 - within the range the doctors have set me - between 4 and 7, I thought. I also had water (which I rarely drink - prefer cranberry juice) and two slices of BROWN bread (3 seeded) ... finished my meal and actually enjoyed it! About half an hour - if that - later I felt REALLY weird - shaky, dizzy, sweaty, ringing in my ears. I literally felt as if I was having a super bad hypo but HOW? When I checked my blood though it was 5.4! Checked it on 3 monitors (I have sight problems so I double checked with the one that reads to me ... same result. Obviously I can't take glucotabs if my sugar is normal and it wasn't high.
Couldn't reach the GP so out of hours called me back and said to monitor it. I was so shaky that even going in the shower (which I had to do that night due to a super early appointment the following day) was problematic and I had to sit on the floor to wash my hair or I would have fallen. Out of hours warned me not to take insulin unless it went high and to check for ketones (when I DID check there were none - checked with my blood and urine to be on the safe side - only just been given blood ketone strips). They also said if it's not under 4 then I'm NOT to take glucotabs. There seems to be a lot of confusion among the medical teams what to do. Even the hospital could not get my sugars under control - one of the auxiliary nurses actually knew my sugar was low before I did. He came in and I literally had had no sleep or anything to eat since going in I got one hour when I went in and then 4 hours the day before I came out. I was feeling kind of ... dazed and spaced out. Apparently I normally give everyone a smile when they come in - even if it's a weak one - but I didn't and turned my back on him. I knew I felt quiet but that was part exhaustion, part lack of food and part being sick to death of being interrupted and not allowed to rest. This nurse was not the nicest either so I was in a bad mood. As soon as he saw me he asked why I hadn't pressed the buzzer when my sugar was low. Because I don't need it - my sugar feels fine to me. Really? Well, why are you so quiet? I listed all the reasons above and let him get on with the job - which included a finger prick test ... he was right - my sugar was 2.4. That explained a little at least. This has never happened to me before but I DID put it down to the fact they refused to allow me any food - he said the drip should be controlling it but it wasn't.
Anyone had a similar experience? What did you do? It was so scary. Apparently I was speaking at a speed of knots on Thursday too, and not making any sense. Sorry for a long post.
