Raised blood sugars and food

[whyme_again]

I am currently in hospital after suffering from symptoms related to excessive high blood sugars. Whilst I've been in here all I can eat is porridge for breakfast, then jacket potato with bitter with jelly and ice cream as I'm still waiting for the dietician to see me. Knowing my luck, it will be the day I'm discharged!

I had a nurse who said my blood sugars were high because I'd the spoke juice squash (no added sugar) this week I've had a nurse going on a out the effects of sugar a d diabetes on the body, just because I was having 2 sugars in my coffee (when I say I used to have 3vtines as much it's an achievement to reduce this far in my eyes), then last night it was again over sugar in my coffee. But this time, it was I shouldn't be having the jelly (diabetic one) and ice cream. I was so upset because my diet currently is so limited because I cannot have anything cooked without a dietician referral.

So, what's been happening, well, 2 nights ago, my blood sugars plummeted and by 6am, 3.7 which after the life drink, raised to 6.7. this morning, 3.o, after the drink. Rise to 8.0.

The diabetic nurse had seen me last week, when I said about the apple juice. She looked at it and said "it's no added sugar) that won't affect you.

The doctor is not impressed. I said it's really upsetting me, the nurses having a go at me like that. He was not impressed. Thi g is, I'm sure many of you will agree, if they are going to Habe a go at diabetics eating limited sugar, then why not stop patients leaving the ward who they know are smokers...after all, that's a big killer and why should they treat patients differently.

Yesterday was an absolute joke because of faulty machine, I was wired up for 2 hours, so my breakfast drink was my mid morning drink, but also my lunchtime drink and after lunch, there was still half a cup left. Dinner was late as a result, so my BSL after dinner were 20.2, I said that they needed to take them later because my lunch was late but they took at the same time.
So obviously, they were going to be high because shorter time to go from body.

Plus, because the doctor was trying to put in a canular, I was told to drink as much as could. So I drank a new coffee plus two glasses of spoke juice. One which had been prepared by the nurse, who out double amount I normally do.

My next BSL reading was 13.9 but then 5hey waited and retook and it was down to 10.9.

Thing is, I'm on steroids, they raise the blood sugar levels, some of my other medications also affect sugars yet the nurses who are harsh in their attitude do not take this into account.

I'm guessing will be interesting to see what my BSL are tomorrow morning as I'm not eating it drinking anything to night.

Am I just being paranoid or silly or are my reasons justified?

 

[EllieM]

Hi @whyme_again

I am sorry, it sounds like you are having a miserable time.

And it sounds like you are getting conflicting advice from different people, which doesn't help at all.

And yes, I do agree that steroids push up blood sugars, "steroid induced" diabetes is a known condition.

I am just trying to understand what is happening to you, though? What diabetes medication are you on currently? (Are they giving you insulin while in hospital?)

I had a look at some of your previous posts. Do I understand correctly that you have dietary restrictions from your other medical conditions?
This is why you are on a very limited hospital diet till you can see the dietician?

In general, all food containing carbs will push up blood sugars. (T1s often drink fruit juice to stave off low blood sugar/hypoglycemia , because the fructose in fruit juice is quite fast acting). Unfortunately saying that something has "no added sugar" doesn't guarantee that it won't have lots of carbohydrate because sugar is only one form of carbohydrate.

I can see that in the long term reducing the amount of sugar in tea or coffee might help to reduce the carbs in your diet (maybe you could use artificial sweetener if it doesn't mess up your other conditions???) but am confused because I'm not quite sure what you mean by "spoke juice squash (no added sugar)" ?

And the nurses shouldn't be bullying you, under any circumstances. Aside from common decency, it's also a bad idea medically because stress pushes up blood sugar levels.

Sending you warm wishes and hopes that you can see the dietician and leave hospital soon.

 

[whyme_again]

Hi @whyme_again

I am sorry, it sounds like you are having a miserable time.

And it sounds like you are getting conflicting advice from different people, which doesn't help at all.

And yes, I do agree that steroids push up blood sugars, "steroid induced" diabetes is a known condition.

I am just trying to understand what is happening to you, though? What diabetes medication are you on currently? (Are they giving you insulin while in hospital?)

I had a look at some of your previous posts. Do I understand correctly that you have dietary restrictions from your other medical conditions?
This is why you are on a very limited hospital diet till you can see the dietician?

In general, all food containing carbs will push up blood sugars. (T1s often drink fruit juice to stave off low blood sugar/hypoglycemia , because the fructose in fruit juice is quite fast acting). Unfortunately saying that something has "no added sugar" doesn't guarantee that it won't have lots of carbohydrate because sugar is only one form of carbohydrate.

I can see that in the long term reducing the amount of sugar in tea or coffee might help to reduce the carbs in your diet (maybe you could use artificial sweetener if it doesn't mess up your other conditions???) but am confused because I'm not quite sure what you mean by "spoke juice squash (no added sugar)" ?

And the nurses shouldn't be bullying you, under any circumstances. Aside from common decency, it's also a bad idea medically because stress pushes up blood sugar levels.

Sending you warm wishes and hopes that you can see the dietician and leave hospital soon.

Thank you.

I got to see the dietician assistant today and she will be sorting out the nebu as I said it's supposed to be stored in a shared area on the kitchen computer.

It's apple juice squash.

My diabetes are the usual. Glitaxin (not sure how to spell), alyglyptin and when blood sugars over 14, insulin. I'm not sure of dosages anymore as they've changed since been in.

Yesterday I had to go for a scan at another hospital so they gave me a packed lunch, I ended up eating a slice of ham and thank goodness I asked for a banana cos that's all I had for lunch because the gluten free bread, the edges were rock solid and I edible. It was like stale bread. The ambulance lady couldn't believe it, was so shocked showed it to her colleague who was also shocked and if hadn't been for my diet would have got me a sandwich from the cafe.

I told the dietician about it as I think the catering lady may not have followed the instructions correctly.

I've eaten very little today but my blood sugars are still not within the limits.

See how things go overnight.

 

[whyme_again]

Fir the last 2 days I've hardly ate or drank and luckily my BSL Habe been within limit.

5his morning, I managed a handful possible if porridge but my milky coffee with one sugar, lasted my till someone removed it, be before the tea trolley arrived.

Lunchtime I managed a couple of spoons of jacket potato and few sips of milky coffee. It's now 2.30pm and my coffee from 19.30 is still being gradually stiooed as feeling sick.

My BSL's, taken at lunchtime, were high again, 14.6, yet so little eaten or drank.

It now very confusing as to why they are so raised with just a few mouthfuls of food and drink consumed.

Guess I'm giving up the will to work out what's happening or why.

At least the hypos have stopped, maybe it was s adjusting to the new dosage of meds.

Any ideas?

 

[HSSS]

Porridge, sugar and potato would, raise mine a fair bit too even if they were the only things I ate

eta banana is high carb too and gluten free bread is no better than normal bread for diabetes (although it may be better for other conditions)

 

[wozey]

Jelly and ice cream? The ice cream alone would send my blood sugar through the roof! I may be about to sound very harsh but don’t you think you need to start taking responsibility for your own health? I don’t mean that in a nasty way but following the advice from the diabetic nurse at my practice wouldn’t have lowered anything, the advice was to “just cut down and have everything but in moderation” I monitor my blood sugar throughout the day and when I spike I cut that food out and so far I’m doing so much better but that’s because I’ve the work I’m doing for myself!

Hope you get better soon and I hope I’ve not offended you because that’s not what I’m trying to do

 

[whyme_again]

Jelly and ice cream? The ice cream alone would send my blood sugar through the roof! I may be about to sound very harsh but don’t you think you need to start taking responsibility for your own health? I don’t mean that in a nasty way but following the advice from the diabetic nurse at my practice wouldn’t have lowered anything, the advice was to “just cut down and have everything but in moderation” I monitor my blood sugar throughout the day and when I spike I cut that food out and so far I’m doing so much better but that’s because I’ve the work I’m doing for myself!

Hope you get better soon and I hope I’ve not offended you because that’s not what I’m trying to do

I have the ice cream for the swallowing difficulties. It's just unfortunate that I have an allergy list as long as your arm so add that to my dietary restrictions and very complicated to prepare foods.

Hopefully the dietician will Habe spoken to the kitchen tomorrow and I will get something different...longing fit for lovely piece of roast lamb at moment.

 

[HSSS]

I have the ice cream for the swallowing difficulties. It's just unfortunate that I have an allergy list as long as your arm so add that to my dietary restrictions and very complicated to prepare foods.

Hopefully the dietician will Habe spoken to the kitchen tomorrow and I will get something different...longing fit for lovely piece of roast lamb at moment.

Do you have anyone that can bring more suitable items/meals in, even if just for some relief from the hospital meals? Will they store anything in a ward fridge for you?

I think roast lamb in a nhs hospital is ….. a little unlikely to say the least.

 

[wozey]

I have the ice cream for the swallowing difficulties. It's just unfortunate that I have an allergy list as long as your arm so add that to my dietary restrictions and very complicated to prepare foods.

Hopefully the dietician will Habe spoken to the kitchen tomorrow and I will get something different...longing fit for lovely piece of roast lamb at moment.

Oh no you’re in a difficult spot, I think while the ice cream seems easy to swallow it’s definitely not going to be helpful to you in the long run. Think of your body as a sports car, if you put rubbish in it won’t work very well and will break down. Have you had all the allergies confirmed by the doctor? Sometimes they can do exposure therapy, basically give you very small amounts of the things that cause the allergic reaction and build it up over time. Might be worth asking the question

 

[KennyA]

It's a terrible thing to hear about your difficult time at the hospital. You sound like you are dealing with many restrictions in your diet. It's understandable that this has caused you to feel frustrated by the comments made by some nurses.

It's wonderful that you were able to lower your sugar intake. However, it can be disheartening to feel judged for not having enough sugar in your coffee or having diabetic jelly and/or ice cream. It's important that we remember that every person's journey with diabetes will be different. We shouldn't compare our progress.

You mentioned that you're on steroids and other medications that can affect your blood sugar levels, and it's important for the nurses and medical staff to take that into account when discussing your diet and blood sugar readings. Have you had a chance to speak with the doctor or dietician about how these medications may be impacting your blood sugar levels and what adjustments can be made to your diet or medication regimen to better manage your symptoms?

I hope you are able to find answers quickly from the medical staff and feel better soon.

I think you need to read the post again and be more careful and considerate in your reply. I am referring particularly to your second paragraph, where you've misrepresented what was said.