March 4, 2003
Daily Care, Type 2
Question from Herkimer, New York, USA:
My dad was taken off blood sugar medicine because of kidney failure about two months ago, and this month he was taken to hospital with a blood sugar level of 1160 mg/dl [64.4 mmol/L]. They have brought the level down, but they can’t seem to stabilize it with pills and insulin. His kidneys are doing much better, and of course, this was a mistake on there part taking him off his medicine. He’s a very arrogant man and doesn’t like to follow diet, which we told him he will need to do. What are the best drugs for him to be on?
Answer:
I feel I probably need more information in order to give you the best answers to your questions. First, some medicines given for diabetes need to be stopped in the presence of kidney failure. However, if he was in need of medications, others are available, including insulin. It should also be noted that good diabetes care includes good lifestyle choices, including diet, exercise, and treatment of other concomitant medical problems. If the sugars really are hard to treat, insulin is still the most potent treatment. It also requires more care and not less.
JTL
