My husband suffered DKA on March 4th 2013. He had been diagnosed in 2003 but had controlled his sugar with diet and weight loss. However, he had shown signs of diabetes out of control with thirst, up during the night to urinate and such. We had planned to visit the Dr. in April. We did not make it til then, on March 4, 2013 he was admitted with a sugar count of 620 and A1C of 14.5. We were told that this meant his sugars had been over 500 for months. He was in CCU for 4 days and came home with insulin shots. He has been to an endo once so far. They have his sugars regulated very well...however, he is suffering other complications. He definitely has neuropathy in his feet and legs. However, I am looking for someone who may be having skin tenderness and soreness in the torso / breast bone region. They are treating him for neuropathy but this skin tenderness/soreness has not subsided as of yet. Anyone have experience with this??? I guess the hard part of this is the unknown. He wonders if he will ever feel "good" again. I remind him that this did not occur over night and it will take a while to get better. Looking for encouragement. Thanks for listening.
Does you husband take oral medications, specifically a statin?
He takes novalog, lantus and cymbalta.
Ah, then my experience will not be useful, I'm afraid. Hopefully, someone else will be able to offer something more helpful.
All the best!
Thanks anyway, I appreciate your time.
I am 86 WW2 veteran have terrible Neuropathy. It has gotten to the point I just live with it. If you have insurance it would be worth your while to see a Neurologist. I take Neurontin 600 mgs 4 times a day. It helps. I am Type 2. My only complications so far NEUROPATHY. There is A NEUROPATHY GROUP check onGROUPS. If I can be of further help let me know. REED
I can't say much about the neuropathy, so I'm sorry about that. However, I have been in DKA more times than I'd like to admit...I'm dealing with it right now actually, and I've definitely been experiencing the tenderness and soreness. So I guess you could consider that "normal." The only complication I have right now is gasteoparesis (pardon my spelling). I am actually starting on a pump tomorrow and I am hoping that will fix everything. I can tell you though, for your husband's sake, that he will feel "good again." You are right that it will take some time. Have they flushed out all the ketones yet? That always made a huge difference for me.
Best of luck! I hope you find the answers you are looking for.
I am a 3 day coma survivor from DKA when I was 18/19 but I didn't experience any skin tenderness or soreness in the areas mentioned.
I did have some Neuropathy over 10 years ago but it was minor and I managed to get back on track also, so it was reversed with better blood sugars, exercises, etc.
I do hope that he will find a solution to his Neuropathy and the skin/torso issues. It takes time as you said, with decent blood sugars, exercise and support. Good luck to him...and you.
About two years ago I had DKA and ketones of about 5. I was vomiting on and off for about 3 weeks before I was taken to the hospital by my mum.
I was in hospital for 4 days. I had no idea what was going on and I was only 11.
In the whole 11 years that I’ve had type 1 diabetes, that has been the only diabetic emergence I’ve been in.
I was very ill, leg cramps, sore arms, tight chest, hard time breathing,vomiting, I had lost 40 lbs. I also had fatty liver disease from the constant high BG numbers, it took months for me to gain back my strength. I was 34 at the time and looking back now I was probably diabetic for a year before my wife had to drive me to get some medical treatment. I cant say what my A1c was at that time, it was about 10 years later when I got my first A1c, and c-peptide tests, I did not even use a meter they where too expensive at the time.
If the soreness/tenderness issue has been a factor only a couple days, is it possible that the symptoms are a prelude to shingles? What I remember from an attack at 29 was a peculiar tenderness; the blisters didn't erupt for another week or so. It wasn't diagnosed as shingles until the blisters showed up because my particular case affected the trigeminal nerve, a particularly rare spot.
Shingles is a stress reaction caused by the dormant chicken-pox virus attacking the nerve. If the tenderness/soreness your husband is experiencing is limited to one side (not bilateral), shingles is a good possibility...
DISCLAIMER: It should be noted, I suppose, that my episode was unrelated to diabetes as I wasn't diagnosed until age 49. I do, however, believe that the shingles probably compromised my immune system enough to contribute toward the LADA diagnosis.
My A1c at diagnosis was 14. I remember crying because my breast bone area and ribs hurt so bad almost like they were being squeezed. I think it had to do with the breakdown of muscle and fat. It does go away eventually !
Interesting that you brought the shingles thing up. This tenderness has been there since March. We asked the endo. about shingles...she felt that it was not due to there has been no blisters or any type of outward change in his skin area. He does equate the pain to shingles though. He is currently being treated as if it were part of neuropathy. He has been on cymbalta for 45 days or so. If this does not help, we may have to see an neurologist. So far, the his legs have improved somewhat but none on the torso area. Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the response. I think he is experiencing much muscle pain,however, it seems that the torso and one leg area is more skin sensitivity then internal. I appreciate your response.
I was in dka last year for 4 days at my diagnosis, I was in the icu for 4 days. I had a dvt and was back for 4 more days. I had complications but not the type of pain he is having. Most of my pain was in my legs due to blood clots that took a few months to get better, I still have effects from it. At my diagnosis I was 13% so bg was in the 350 and higher range. I had potassium of 2 after treatment they gave me potassium infusions, blood gases of 5 when I entered the er, I was seeing flashing lights and had lots of trouble breathing and thinking clearly, terrible nausea/vomiting etc. I feel the low potassium and going into dka affected my muscles along with the blood clots.. it will take a while for him to recover. I'm still dealing with some effects but doing much better. My vision was totally blurry also, that has improved. He can go for a neuropathy workup. Neurontin and those other drugs will help too, or just painkillers till he gets to better bg levels. He will get better. This is so overwhelming to go through, he needs a lot of support and reassurance, and just to do as much as possible so he can feel more normal, but still lots of rest.
I don't know if he had low potassium but if he did, he can take a supplement. I was told to supplement that after getting out of the hospital and I still take 1 pill every day. A magnesium/calcium/zinc might be good too.
After I was diagnosed with T1, I was sore for about a week and then started suffering from unbelievable pain all over my body. Turns out it was something called Insulin Neuritis, a form of neuropathy that occurs after long-term high blood sugar is brought down quickly.
Might be something to talk to the doctor about, especially if he finds the pain is increasing. Insulin neuritis isn't that common, but it can become quite debilitating and very quickly. mine started in my back and spread out, but others experience it in their feet and legs first.
Your description of flashing lights, trouble breathing, thinking, vomiting etc...that is our experience for sure. His vision was definitely damaged, he fortunately just got a new prescription but was told it may change often while his body settles down. Thanks so much for the support and reassurance...this community has had an overwhelming impact in just one day of reaching out to folks who get what we are going through. As for potassium, I recall them giving him potassium in the hospital. Will check further into that as well. Thanks again, I appreciate your time!
Thanks for your reply. I will research your response....I have not come across that term as of yet. Appreciate your time!
How often was he checking his blood sugar during these months? There was no indication of rising BG's throughout all this time? Scary.
He was diag. in 2003 and given oral meds. He lost 60 pounds, came off of meds and kept it under control for years. However, in the last year he dropped more weight, began noticing the signs ... thirst, weight loss, etc. Did not check sugars and was going to go for check up in April. Did not make it to April. DKA March4th. The signs were there but I guess we did not want to face it. Well, look at us now. But his sugars are doing well with insulin so far. Just trying to learn everything we can, figure our what is going on with his body. Really, we dont know what all of the damage is yet.