My son has had type 2 diabetes for about two years now he is on metformin. He takes it twice a day. We have completely changed his diet and get him to exercise as much as possible. It is winter now so we go to the gym and he has a trainer.
About three weeks ago we all got covid I tested positive. My son’s glucose went up to 200 while he was sick. We are well over the virus now but his numbers are still going from 160 to 180 and today it was 191. I had a doctor’s appointment last week for myself so I asked his doctor about the increase and he said that the virus would raise his levels. Good thing we are vaccinated.
His glucose is normally between 120 and 130. The last time his A1C was checked it was 6.4 it went up a little it was 6.2. He is still coughing but seems to be over the virus. Should we wary or just wait???
I think you need to wait until he is totally over it to get a clear baseline. 190 isn’t good but it’s not so bad either as long as it’s in the short term.
Can I ask how old he is? Younger people esp people who are obese generally have a longer stretched out Covid experience.
It could be just that. If he is active and eating right, then you are doing what you need to do.
Eventually he might need a higher dose or some other med.
My sugars also surge when I’m sick. I’m on insulin so I just take more as needed. Metformin doesn’t work that way.
My experience is from the 2nd and booster Moderna vaccinations. Both made be I’ll about 12 hours after the jab and for around 12 hours. However I had increased insulin resistance for about 5 days even though I was feeling well.
That increased insulin resistance may last longer with an actual infection.
It can be that way for some people. Hopefully you can recover and get back to normal soon.
I had it early on in 2020. I barely felt sick but for 2 days.
And I’m diabetic too. Apparently it is just kind of random that way
A lot of us have numbers that shoot up when sick. In fact the increase in Bg numbers can be a signal that you have some kind of infection starting. In covids case it is causing diabetes in some people because of it’s mechanism of action it messes with the beta cells that produce insulin. People are developing type 1 and type 2 afterwards and they are not sure how long lasting it is or if it might permanently change for some people.
It seems like it can really vary about how long it takes to recover and hence how long you might have a more stubborn sugar issue.
It should taper off and get better as he gets better, but if his system was more “damaged” it could cause a longer problem. Short term increases in BG levels should be okay but you will need to monitor him for ketones. Ketones show up when there is a lack of insulin available. The easiest and cheapest way to give you an idea is to buy ketone strips from the drugstore. If they are ever high, go to the hospital as you can get very sick fast. Lower amounts are still a concern as it can progress rapidly and a call in to your doctor or urgent care should be done. While type 2’s don’t usually go into DKA because they still make insulin, they can more rarely get something very similar with a lack of available insulin. High numbers don’t cause DKA, lack of insulin causes it. Make sure he drinks plenty of water,
Not trying to scare you, just trying to make you aware. Before I was properly diagnosed I was in the 200’s and 300’s continually all the time and never had issues. But someone else could have an issue with a 250 reading. As a type 1 our numbers go up and we have to take more insulin to cope with it. Sometimes a type 2 needs some insulin too, especially if a system is hit hard. That’s just going to be a wait and see.
Thank you very much that helps so much I didn’t understand what that virus can do to you. But for that matter any sickness can cause problems that’s good to know. We will keep a close eye on things. This ketone is new information to me I will have to do some reading to understand it better. His numbers were down this morning, 160 so that is good.
