DH has sweet smelling breath, and bedroom smells

[QuickNC789]

I noticed last night when I got home from work that DH’s breath smells very sweet. I also noticed it again this morning when he kissed me before going to work.

This morning our bedroom smells exactly like when you’ve been drinking the night before and wake up and you can smell the alcohol in the room.

I’ve read before that a pear drops smell could be a sign of diabetes. BUT he doesn’t have any other symptoms. In fact, over the last six months he’s been putting weight on as he’s had a really stressful time at work, gave up exercising and has been eating a load of chocolate and biscuits etc.

So I would definitely say he hasn’t got low blood sugar!

Can anyone think of what it might be instead please?

[Sorrycantreadtest]

@QuickNC789
OP, I have pm'd you.

[FunnyWonder]

Just adding my concern and also some empathy. I have a DP who asks me WHY (in a most unsympathetic tone) I don't just go to the doctor when I bring up something that's worrying me, yet refuses point blank to go himself until it's an emergency. Some of his reasoning is laughable. There is no talking to some people because they have already had several conversations with themselves about it inside their heads and decided that they know best.

I hope your DH sees sense before it's too late.

[Hobnobsandbroomstick]

Very unlikely that he has developed type 1 diabetes if he has been putting weight on for the last six months and his only other symptoms are sweet smelling breath and snoozing on the sofa.

He would be losing weight with type 1. Could be type 2 though.

[Hobnobsandbroomstick]

Sympathy though OP, I had a male family member who I literally had to pin down to let me use a friends BM monitor to check his blood glucose at home (it was 15), and then had to drag him to the doctors to have his type 2 diabetes diagnosis confirmed. And then after that it was months of denial about needing to make any lifestyle changes. There's only so much you can do. Lead a horse to water and all that.

[SunshineCake]

Do you have children with him @QuickNC789?

[abbey44]

@Hobnobsandbroomstick

Very unlikely that he has developed type 1 diabetes if he has been putting weight on for the last six months and his only other symptoms are sweet smelling breath and snoozing on the sofa.

He would be losing weight with type 1. Could be type 2 though.

Not necessarily. When I was diagnosed with Type 1 at the age of 37, I didn't have the rapid weight loss that's one of the usual symptoms (which was a shame really, as I had a couple of stones of post-baby weight I could have done with shifting!).

I really hope the OP can persuade him to see a doctor though.

[Hobnobsandbroomstick]

@abbey44

I meant more that if it was type 1 and at the point of DKA (as many people seem to be assuming from the fact OP said he had sweet smelling breath) then it would be very unlikely that he wouldn't have lost any weight prior to that, or had any other symptoms like being thirsty, peeing more etc.

Though obviously best for him to go to the GP and get properly checked out just in case!

[AbsolutelyPatsy]

how is he and his reflux?

[Ninkanink]

@Hobnobsandbroomstick you would think so but my daughter didn’t have any of the typical symptoms at all before she was diagnosed with type 1, other than collapsing one morning, being sick and losing her sight completely, and then going into complete tailspin. Her body seems to just keep going until it’s at critical level. It was very frightening.

[Ninkanink]

Having said that I do agree that it’s probably much more likely that’s it’s type 2 and that It wont progress to immediate critical danger (if only because OP’s not been back with an emergency update...) but the long term effects of sustained elevated blood glucose are arguably worse! So either way he really needs to at least get himself checked over.

I think we were just trying to impress upon OP that it could potentially go very wrong very quickly.

Hopefully he’ll come round to the idea of seeing a GP.

[SunshineCake]

I've just re-read a thread where a woman lost her dh when he was early thirties. They have five children. He had diabetes. Undiagnosed I think. I'd be bloody furious if this my husband. Risking leaving me a widow and my children fatherless when he could do something about it.

[FluffySocks75]

Family member had a heart attack from untreated type 2 diabetes.

[TheGoodEnoughWife]

@FluffySocks75

Family member had a heart attack from untreated type 2 diabetes.

Seriously how is that helpful? I am very sorry this happened to that person but it just adds to the awfulness of going on and on to the OP when there is nothing else she can do.

You do realise that this isn't the OP refusing treatment? It is her dh. Who probably isn't on here.

Enough people have expressed very well how serious this could be. You really didn't need to add yours too.

[Serrina]

He probably isn't on here, but hopefully the OP can reiterate these points back to her DH and he might realise how serious it is.

[MonkeyNotOrgangrinder]

DKA is less likely if its type 2 diabetes, but still possible. The many other complications/effects of untreated high blood sugar apply to both types though.

[MsMeNz]

Ugh men sometimes about going to the drs... Drives me nuts. My husband is the same. In the end I knew he had some bad insect bits that had got badly infected I beg for him to get it seem two. Eventually I changed tact. And just calmly started asking him for log in info for various accounts/if he made me next of kin on various things and if he was happy with his wil as it was etc. as I couldn't see him being alive in a few weeks time, get some family pics please so we can remember you... He came around and went a day later... Ended up on iv antibiotics and yes it was very close to killing him fml. (Infection had entered blood stream from his leg which had swollen up massively and very hot to touch).

But yes I'd make it clear you are preparing for his death without being too dramatic abort it more practical and brisk.

You can get stuff of Amazon next day to testcorest blood sugar or ketone test strips to per pn all pretty cheap..sorry I didn't read whole thread so maybe surgested before.

Tbh it sounds.more like a type 1 than 2 knowing ppl with both. Or it could be something else going on in his pancreas causing problems.

[QueenPaw]

My mum is the same. Although she will whine about pain then refuse to take painkillers
She was so unwell one day she had called me crying, was refusing the doctor, wouldn't let dad do anything
Shame when your daughter works for the emergency services I sent an ambulance without her asking and she was FUMING but they took her in with suspected meningitis

[Chachachachachachachachanges]

I know you can’t drag him to the GP - however, would he perhaps be ok with an online consult (maybe if an actual dr tells him to come in as it’s serious he might listen).

Then it doesn’t interfere with work etx. Can be done out of working hours.

[Torvean]

Does he eat anything sweet during the night as that could also explain it.
The Pear / ketone smell happens when blood sugar is extremely high and he would feel unwell, often very sleepy snd hard to rise. Unsteady on feet and a bit confused.

He really needs a blood test to check. Nurses at Gp surgeries are doing them.
It's a fasting one and they do them from when the practice opens , so no work worries.

It's important he gets checked so it can be treated, or counted out. However if he continues to gain weight his risk of diabetes increases.

[Torvean]

@SunshineCake

I've just re-read a thread where a woman lost her dh when he was early thirties. They have five children. He had diabetes. Undiagnosed I think. I'd be bloody furious if this my husband. Risking leaving me a widow and my children fatherless when he could do something about it.

My friends lost her sister and father young as they didn't manage their diabetes well.

[Lindtnotlint]

Type 1 here so some experience. If he has sugars sufficiently high to cause pear drop breath then they will EASILY show up on a big standard blood glucose monitor from the pharmacy. Ignore all the people saying this is complicated and it depends on time of day. Yes that’s true if you are trying to make fine distinctions, if you are trying to work out whether he is in danger of dying near term, a spot check is fine. If over 7 then you have cast iron case for dr appointment. If much over then straight to A and E. I understand it may be impossible to get him to go to dr but I do not think it is impossible to get him to do a five second finger prick test. As a previous poster suggested you can practice on yourself to make sure it all works.

Please do this. Urgently. It is serious if it is at the point of pear drop breath and can become fatal. If the result is not high then you can go back to letting him be in charge of his own health (you won’t know he definitely isn’t pre-diabetic, but you will have some reassurance the problem isn’t mega urgent).

Please don’t be put off by folks implying it is v complex - just get the test kit from any pharmacy and get it done. It will take seconds and then you can both relax. Or not.

[LadyEloise]

QuickNC789
I too have a dh who won't see a doctor and is stubborn re medical issues and he has had some serious ones.
It is so frustrating.
He won't take a paracetamol when in pain. I think he thinks he has to be tough and taking a tablet would be wimpy. 🙄

[HarrietYeti]

OP - is he seeing sense yet? Otherwise I would go with the other poster’s idea of asking for account numbers, passwords etc, asking if your will is in order and if he has existing power of attorney in place. If he questions it just say that you believe he may have an extremely serious medical condition that he is ignoring and you are concerned that if he becomes rapidly unwell you need to make sure you can keep things going at home, you don’t want to lose the house etc if he can’t work.

I would be screaming in frustration if I was you, my Dad can be the same and drives my Mum crazy. I really hope you can get him to see sense but if not, the questions above might genuinely be useful to have answers for. I’m so sorry, he is being utterly selfish by refusing to address this.

Fingers crossed he does come round soon. Wishing you strength until then.

[GreyStairs]

@QuickNC789 I’d still buy some urine dipsticks or a glucose monitor. Relatively cheap and having them in means he might he’s them. He still needs to speak to his GP, even with a normal result, but a high sugar reading or abnormal result might make him think oh fuck I need to be seen