Surprised and worried at high blood sugar levels!

[Blog52]

Hi everyone. I am a Type 2 diabetic who is having problems with Metformin tummy upsets so have been going very low carb for some time instead (stupid of me?) My last fasting blood test was 8.6 so I was feeling moderately pleased as it had been 10.
Well i was scheduled for a day operation yesterday under general anesthesia in the afternoon. I fasted exactly as instructed and did the water only think from 7am stopping at 11.30, again as instructed. Nurse tested my levels before I saw the anaesthetist and it was 18.8!! Acetone 0.4. They wouldn't do the op.... so now I am really concerned waiting to see what happens next... suspecting I may need to go onto insulin? Fairly sure I haven't cold a cold or anything creeping up. They are writing to my GP. Testing like crazy all day and riding around 14 - no carbs all day and loads of water.

 

[xfieldok]

Stress can do that to you.

 

[VashtiB]

Hi @Blog52 ,

I agree that stress can cause blood sugar levels to increase- as can exercise when you are fasting. I'd be pretty stressed going into hospital so that will have been a factor- fasting blood sugar levels are also often the last to come down. Google dawn phenomena.

Low carb will have been the best thing you can do for your body if the only medication you are on is metformin. Do you regularly check your blood sugar levels? If you do you will know what your normal levels are - if not I highly recommend that you start. Regular testing is really the only way to know how you are going on a day to day basis.

Good luck and welcome to this site

 

[EllieM]

I am a Type 2 diabetic who is having problems with Metformin tummy upsets so have been going very low carb for some time instead (stupid of me?) My last fasting blood test was 8.6 so I was feeling moderately pleased as it had been 10.

How long have you been diabetic and how low carb are you going? A significant number of T1/LADA diabetics spend several years misdiagnosed as T2, so if low carb stops working for you then I'd want to rule out T1 before anything else. (Basically you need a c-peptide test to see whether you're over or under producing insulin. There are also antibody tests to see whether your body is killing your insulin producing cells but that can be inconclusive as some T1s always show up as negative.)

Metformin only has a mild effect on sugar levels so I wouldn't be too concerned about whether you're taking it.

Testing like crazy all day and riding around 14 - no carbs all day and loads of water.

You need to test for ketones as well - if these go high head to A&E because diabetic ketoacidosis is very dangerous and will kill if not treated fast. (Note that this is not the same as dietary ketosis which is caused by removing carbs from your diet.) DKA is the final stage of untreated T1 diabetes, and occurs when you don't have enough insulin in your body. T2s typically overproduce insulin.

If you're T2 and not T1 (and I suspect they will now check that) then the next stage will probably be a drug that increases your insulin production eg gliclazide. But this will depend on whether your high levels are stress or illness induced. Diet (low carb) works for most T2s, but you may have to go very low carb if you want to continue without medication. On the other hand, if you're still eating bread, rice, potatoes or pasta, there's plenty of scope to reduce the carb in your diet.

 

[Blog52]

Oh my goodness you guys thank you so much for your quick responses!
I did wonder if I may have been more stressed than I thought- was possibly trying to be brave...
I also thought about dawn phenomenon as my T1 sister used to suffer that.
Suspect I may have been T2 for a while before I was diagnosed (2 years ago) and yes, I try to do my sugars. Guess I have been a bit lax in that though burying my head in the sand a bit as not only my sister who was T1 but also my Mum. Dad was T2.
Congratulated myself on avoiding T2 for years!!
Ketones were at 0.4 at the hospital and negligible on my wee stick today.
I am low carb - trying to follow the Our Path Plan which is moderate. Been doing well on that.
Any meds that are kinder than Metformin will be welcomed. C-peptide etc noted thank you.
Guess I just have to see what the GP (middle man) says and hopefully get a quick referral to a specialist In the meantime I will test on a regular basis and bless you and this forum!!

 

[EllieM]

I also thought about dawn phenomenon as my T1 sister used to suffer that.

That's another strike for T1/LADA so I'd really hope that they've already ruled that out, but unfortunately some doctors still refuse to believe that anyone over a certain age or certain weight can be T1 instead of T2. And though T2 has more genetic links than T1, a T1 sister and mother does mean they should definitely rule out T1 in your case before assuming T2. (T1 mother and T2 father here too, while my husband's parents were both T2, so my kids are almost inevitably going to get T2 if they don't watch their carbs when they get older …)

Metformin (try the slow release?) should help with dawn phenomena.

 

[Blog52]

Hi EllieM - no GP has ever remotely been interested in my family history to be honest, in fact, the opposite although I have mentioned it frequently. One of each set of grandparents were diagnosed with T2 although my paternal grandad was on insulin. My darling T1 sister was diagnosed in 1962 in the bad old days of horrible injections (oh the smell of the surgical spirit - yuck) and urine testing in test tubes. I remember well testing my own urine on the quiet. Mum was diagnosed T1 in 1939 aged 9 and was one of the first children to be treated with insulin thank goodness. T1/LADA does sound a possibility as my BP and cholesterol are good - I am overweight though. I also have hypothyroidism which may be an additional indicator.
Thank you so much for you response - I wish you love, laughter and happiness x