Sudden, constant high readings 24 hours

[OnNaturesCourse]

Hello

Wondering if anyone can help.

Last night DH got a reading of 17.2, he tested as he hasn't been feeling well for 24 hours or so.

This morning he feels low in himself but physically a bit better but his readings are all still above 11. (ranging 11 - 15)

Is there anything we can do to help bring these down?

He already follows a good diet that has previously kept his sugars pretty level. He's been drinking lots of water, and is out a walk just now.

He's only had type 2 for nearly a year so it's still pretty new to us, this is the first time he's had randomly high sugars since he was first diagnosed. He lucky got his sugars under control pretty quickly after that. How high is too high?

Lots of things can push glucose up:
carbs (obviously)
being unwell
lack of sleep
intense exercise
hot weather
cold weather
stress, anxiety etc
some medications

Sometimes it’s impossible to know why it’s happening. I’d say 17 is a bit too high and would make most people feel lethargic and sick. And if it’s staying at 11-15 that’s not ideal either, especially if there’s no clear reason for it.

Avoiding potatoes, bread, rice and pasta should help to bring it down. Multiple 10-minute strolls (3 or 4 times a day) are generally more effective than serious workouts when glucose levels are high.

I hope it has come down a bit by now. But he should probably have a chat with the GP about his medication.

Infections , even apparently relatively minor, can raise bs levels, ie. Cold, covid, uti, skin reactions, or some medications. Does he have any ketone strips as he could dip his wee to check he is not at risk of dka which is a medical emergency. Pharmacist or practice nurse can assess him.

And bs levels in double figures but especially over 14 can be dangerous.

Thanks all.

It has stayed above 11 since I posted.

He's tired and unbelievably grumpy which is a usual sign his sugars are too high.

GP surgery not taking appointments today due to staff shortages (brilliant!)

If it gets higher ill phone out of hours tonight.

Does he take sglt2 inhibitors? If so, they can give a relatively lower bs reading but put him at more risk of dka. www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/treating-your-diabetes/tablets-and-medication/sglt2-inhibitors

He takes metformin x

My son is type 3c and insulin dependent he regularly goes up to 17 but he can take more insulin,
If he starts,feeling ill, very thirsty, dizzy etc i take him toi A&E you dont want him going into DKA.

Hi,

If your husband is feeling ill, could he have an infection? High blood sugar is often one of the first signs of infection.

Have you checked his ketones?

Has he had an antibody test to rule out type 1 or LADA?

What is LADA?

Hospital told him type 2, and he's never been seen since 😑

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults

It might be rare for a type 2 to be actually a type 1, but something like 40% of type 1s are diagnosed as adults. A hallmark is type 2 which gets worse regardless of lifestyle or medication.

Unlike fast onset Type 1 which is a fast and dramatic killing off of insulin producing cells, LADA can take years to slowly manifest from first testing positive to the antibodies.

Best way to tell is an antibody test and maybe a C peptide test (to see if his body is still making insulin).

Regardless personally I would be urgently speaking to a doctor and seriously considering insulin with those numbers. Anything over 10 is doing significant mircodamage to your cells.

Thank you for the info.

He's tried consulting his nurse and the GP but first app is 3 weeks away.

Nightmare.

What had he eaten?
I'm type 1 so obviously I just give insulin if I'm high but that does seem v high for a type 2.
Have you got a diabetes centre at your local hospital? See if you can speak a a DSN.
Tell him to drink plenty of water.
A lot of adults are misdiagnosed as T2 because (some) GP's unfortunately still believe you only get type 1 as a child/young adult.
Completely inaccurate.
I was 45 and initially told t2.
If you can get to a chemist with him ask them to check him for ketones.

Did he tell the surgery he was concerned about a medical emergency?

He hasn't eaten anything out of the ordinary - he's low carbs etc and usually his diet keeps his levels good.

GP basically said it's not an emergency.

I have urine strips ordered and will get him to test.

He's been better the last 24 hours in terms of symptoms.