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?

And you want the blood, prick test one.

This is an informative website OP. They do not recommend home testing kits as blood glucose levels vary throughout the day plus if he does have it you need professional advice.

www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/test-for-diabetes

I hope you get some answers

If you do a blood glucose test and get a high result, then you can take that to the GP. Nothing bad will happen if you do one.

I'd suggest doing one just before eating and one and two hours after eating, so three in all. Repeat the next meal. A fasting blood glucose is useful as well--that's one done when he wakes up before eating or showering.

Diabetes UK is weird about testing.

Just to give you my experience of being diagnosed as prediabetic during the pandemic. I was using my Dad’s kit (he’s diabetic) to test my glucose levels and they were always normal. I was unwell, initially managed to get a telephone appointment with GP. He arranged blood tests then he asked that I come in to see him as I needed a physical examination due to some of my symptoms and it was then he notified me my blood tests of HBA1C which gave an idea of blood glucose over 3 months had shown I was prediabetic. I’m at a stage where through diet it’s reversible (I’m doing Fast800 and the Blood Sugar Diet by Michael Moseley specifically to reverse Type 2 diabetes). There’s no way it would have been detected without GP intervention. My Dad’s glucose monitor showed nothing unusual the few times I used it. And not to alarm you but one of the times I could smell ketones on my Dad, he ended up having a heart attack as his blood sugar was so high. Please at least call the GP. If you can’t get through call 111. Don’t try and self eliminate or diagnose.

I was diagnosed 3 months ago, my blood pressure was so high they thought i was having a stroke.

I didnt have some of the symptoms either.

He needs to be seen straight away,you cant put it off.

This is worrying to me, my partner keeps smelling sweet too. I said to him he smells of the mcdonalds apple pies! i'm going to step up my nagging to get him to get checked out.

Peardrops breath is an indication of HIGH blood sugar, which is what he would have if he has diabetes (either type). Do what @RB68 says.

If he works for the NHS does he have access to an emergency department or a ward who will test his blood. The blood testing kit is a finger prick test, the ketones are urine strips. A doctor or nurse would also do other blood tests which are much more accurate and important too.

A high blood glucose reading can be harmful so it needs to be checked by a professional.

The ONLY symptom my dh was early morning blurred vision that cleared in 30 minutes of waking. I’m a hcp so I knew it was diabetes. No thirst, no tiredness, no increased urination.

He was 41.

PLease don't delay getting him to the GP for testing. Untreated Type 2 can have very serious consequences.

It’s diabetes, or he’s got a drinking problem and is knocking it back overnight. Sadly I’ve had experience of this. I hoped it was diabetes. It wasn’t.

I'd echo other saying this is worth an emergency appointment, home testing is only going to give you a tiny part of the picture. I certainly wouldn't be waiting till Monday to get seen. Late onset for type one isn't that rare and if it is that, can become dangerous very quickly.

If he really won't see someone tonight quite a few pharmacies offer a fasting blood test for diabetes screening. Locally both Boots and Lloyd's do them. You may still need to book but see if ther is so thing like that you could do. Then youd have someone ther to interpret the results and guide him through the next steps. It sounds like he might take that better than it comming from you.

Ketones testing will show you how dehydrated he is.
I'd just go straight for a GP appointment. Well spotted

Thank you all. My day was manic so didn’t get a chance to swing by any pharmacies. DH on his way home so I’ll see if I can broach it with him…

@QuickNC789

Thank you all. My day was manic so didn’t get a chance to swing by any pharmacies. DH on his way home so I’ll see if I can broach it with him…

Please don’t mess around, it needs to be taken very seriously and you shouldn’t delay in getting him medical attention. The only real course of action now that the GP is shut would be to call 111 and try to get an out of hours appointment but don’t be surprised if they tell him to go to A&E. High blood sugar can be fatal. I watched my father being resuscitated as a child after he had a massive heart attack in his 50s due to high blood pressure. A family friend’s brother is now permanently disabled following a stroke due to high blood sugar because his wife failed to recognise the signs and thought he could go to bed and “sleep off” whatever it was even though she was aware he had diabetes and that alcohol breath and drowsiness was a very bad sign.

Please take this seriously and don’t be wasting time with pharmacies and home monitoring at this stage. He’s showing signs of ketoacidosis. It shouldn’t be taken lightly.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/diabetic-ketoacidosis/

Sorry I should say about my father his high blood pressure was due to his blood SUGAR also being high (19). So that was the cause of his high blood pressure and subsequent heart attack. He was coming to collect me from school, it was a normal day and he just collapsed. And entirely avoidable had he not ignored signs of diabetes.

Oh gosh yes the last thread like this was about a poster's son who was diagnosed with T1 via A&E. She was so happy she posted as she had planned to wait for a GPS appointment.

He’s got home, I’ve had a kiss and his breath still smells sweet. Would 111 or A&E think we were time wasters to be calling/going just on the basis on his breath / the bedroom this morning smelling of alcohol? Wouldn’t we need more symptoms?

No they absolutely wouldn't think you're time wasters. Definitely do take action. It's better to be safe because the consequences of super high blood sugar are potentially so grim.

@QuickNC789

He’s got home, I’ve had a kiss and his breath still smells sweet. Would 111 or A&E think we were time wasters to be calling/going just on the basis on his breath / the bedroom this morning smelling of alcohol? Wouldn’t we need more symptoms?

No. They’d think you were mad to ignore it for as long as you have to be honest.

And he does have more symptoms, lethargy, weight gain etc.

This is an emergency. With the best will in the world, wise up. If he has ketones on his breath it means that he is in ketoacidosis. No one can diagnose over the internet.

Please ring 111