February 5, 2003
Sick Days
Question from Ashtead, Surrey, England:
Up to the time my wife had the flu and bad cough, her blood sugars were running at an average of 4.0-7.0 mmol/L [72-126 mg/dl], but this accompanied by a blood sugar of 15 mmol/L [270 mg/dl], and this has remained the case for the past two weeks, even though the illness has cleared up. This is making us very depressed. When can we expect these blood sugars to lower?
Answer:
After a severe illness, there is a time of healing. I would imagine it is also accompanied by a period of decreased activity as your wife begins to get her strength back. The blood sugars are not only affected by intercurrent illness, they are affected by diet and exercise. Two weeks is usually enough for the insulin requirements to have decreased back to the usual situation. If not, look at diet and exercise and see if this explains persistent elevated insulin requirements. If it doesn’t, I suggest you consult with your wife’s physician about this.
JTL
