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Type1 and vomiting help

L

leeingrove

Member
Messages
7
Hi all, my uncle who is 84 with type 1 insulin controlled, has recently been vomiting, usually 4-5 hours after eating so I took that for food poisoning (he does not always read sell by date) but lately has been vomiting whilst eating. Have searched the net and read about Ketone and Ketoacidosis and have found it some what confusing, in that is my uncle being sick through his age or through diabetes?

Should anyone reply with, he should go and see his doctor, he wont, simply put he is afraid to go just in case he is admitted to hospital ( has a fear they don't let him out and he dies in hospital). To give an example of his fear; when he has a bad hypo at 3am and I can't get him to take liquid sugar I pretend to phone for an ambulance.

Have read that the smell of vomit or taste in mouth is similar to pear drops, problem is I can't go near him when he is vomiting and he looses his sense of smell, just like we all do, or I do.

Would appreciate any guidance on this and sorry for being long winded. :crazy:
 
Call an ambulance and worry about the consequences later.

If he does have ketoacidosis then he needs urgent treatment. If there is nothing wrong with him, other than a dodgy tummy, then you'll be surprised how tolerant the ambulance guys will be of an 84 year old vomiting diabetic.
 

+1 DKA is life-threatening much better to be safe than sorry.
 
Your Uncle needs urgent medical attention lee.
 
Hi

Do you know at all what your uncle's bg levels are during the day? Very high bg levels could point towards DKA especially if he is not injecting himself with the correct amount of insulin.


Is there a possibility that he might have an ulcer as they can cause sickness? Gastroperosis is also worth looking at. Whatever the problem is due to, a visit to a doctor is definately needed asap really.
 
Does your uncle have a ketone test kit at home? It is recommended that all type 1 diabetics have a ketone test kit which can be used to test for ketones during times of illness. The test kit would give you an indication of his current blood ketone levels.
 
Thanks guys for such a quick response, will have to convince him to the doctors, certainly not dial 999 can already hear the response.

As for an ulcer I only know to well the signs as I have had one of and on for years.
 
leeingrove said:
Thanks guys for such a quick response, will have to convince him to the doctors, certainly not dial 999 can already hear the response.
Click to expand...

I don't want to be over-dramatic, but if it is DKA, and you don't phone the ambulance and you can't convince him to get to the Doctors then what do you think his response will be then. You can mend his bruised ego afterwards, but you can't mend DKA if you don't get him treated.
 
leeingrove said:
Thanks guys for such a quick response, will have to convince him to the doctors, certainly not dial 999 can already hear the response.

As for an ulcer I only know to well the signs as I have had one of and on for years.
Click to expand...

I really can't stress how serious DKA is...

If he is ill, being sick and from the sounds of it has poor or uncontrolled diabetes then ring an ambulance now... at worst then can come and have a look at him and then make a decision.. Ill type I diabetes who are being sick are taken VERY seriously for a reason and that reason is DKA which is life-threatening.. stop posting on here and at the very least phone NHS direct or better phone 999.
 
Yes do an ambulance or NHS direct NOW.
 
Hang on a minute, the OP states he is being sick whilst eating and this has been going on for days.
Surely DKA would have had him extremely ill days ago and not able to eat? There's no mention of a thirst or the need to pass excess urine.

A trip to the Doctors is needed to find out what the matter is. If he wont go then get a Doctor to see him at home.
 
To be honest even if its only food poisoning / illness.. given the individuals age and the OP's lack of knowledge calling NHS direct or going to the hospital is probably not a bad idea... something like that can rapidly progress and its worth getting it check out.
 
OK thanks to everyone who posted, though some scared the life out of me... Friday night got home from work and my Uncle was almost comatosed called ambulance arrived within 10 mins (not bad for a Friday night) went through all that has gone on over last month.

2 hours later all was fine with him, paramedic suggested he go to hospital but he refused and as all vital signs were OK they had to go along with him.

Time now is 1am by 2:30am he is getting into bed having been sick 3 times, he is wheezing and out of breath... His breathing got so bad that I called ambulance again, what luck got the same 2 that were here previous and within 10 mins the paramedic told him that he has to go to hospital (duty of care).

Turns out that he has mild pneumonia and will be out of hospital by Tuesday, so nothing to do with diabetes but will cause more problems.

Just a footnote; Everyone in the critical observation ward, that my uncle is in all are over 60+ and all have the same condition, does this not strike you as odd?
 
Hi Leeingrove,

Hope your uncle gets the care in hospital and recovers well and quickly.

Lucy.
 
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