August 11, 1999
Daily Care
Question from Anaheim, California, USA:
My dad (80) takes two types of insulin morning and night by injection. One is type R, can’t think of the other, but his sugar level has started to rise and fall on its own within hours. It ranges from 50’s to 200’s. He don’t know when to give the shots. It’s out of control. What’s the reason?
Answer:
Your dad’s blood sugars are most likely being treated with a combination of regular (R) and longer acting (N) insulins. The variance of his levels should be fine tuned by an endocrinologist if possible. At his age, many things may influence blood sugar levels: stress, infections, etc. I would be in favor of a really good work up and a class on diabetes management for yourself!
The greatest weapon against fear is knowledge. Check into such classes via your local ADA or hospital-based program.
CMB
