Diabetes & Dementia!

Kaz70

Registered User
May 17, 2018
13
0
My mum has had type 2 diabetes since 2011 managed perfectly well herself with medication she will be 80 next year. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the start of last year. Since getting home from hospital after a month Jan/feb this year she has carers come in 4 times a day to help with taking her medication & recording her blood sugars & acting on the results if needed, she appears to not recognise any of the affects of low blood sugars. She’s very much of the opinion I take my tablets & then I can do what I like!

Recently they have taken her off all her medication for diabetes because her blood sugars kept going too low preferring to run her levels high. The nurse said it won’t do her any harm, she’s nearly 80 so she’s not really going to suffer from any of the long term medical conditions high blood sugars bring.

Well this week it’s been continually too high, mid to high 20’s and just high! I rang the diabetic nurse & she said a UTI can cause high blood sugars so I took a sample in yesterday to be tested & rang up today for the results but they haven’t got them back. I don’t want to leave it over a bank holiday to turn into something worse so now I’ve been added to the duty drs list to call me later. The carers keep ringing me to tell me it’s high! At least they had the common sense not to give her anything sugary for breakfast.

What I don’t get is they know she’s diagnosed with a memory issue, it was the same in hospital, they ask her questions & she says shes fine no she’s not had any problems & they seem to take her word for it. She could be in pain & they would ask how she was today & she would just reply “very well thank you” . It was ok if I was there butting in but it just makes me feel bad saying all this stuff in front of her.

Carers just rang to say blood sugar reading just taken is saying high no number! I’m not good at putting my parts on but what damage is this doing to my mum!!!

Looks like a relaxing bank holiday weekend for me then, my brothers won’t have to worry coz apparently that’s my job they cut the grass & do the food shopping.

Sorry for the rant but it helps to get it out, the rest of my family are getting fed up with hearing about it.
 

nae sporran

Registered User
Oct 29, 2014
9,213
0
Bristol
Sorry you have such stress to deal with Kaz. I assume the dip test for UTI was inconclusive as that usually prompts anti biotics as a precaution. The last time my OH had blood sugars in that range it was caused by kidney stones. I don't want to worry you unduly, but I would call the out of hours doctor and politely suggest further tests to your mum just in case there's something wrong or to put your mind at rest. .
 

Kaz70

Registered User
May 17, 2018
13
0
Sorry you have such stress to deal with Kaz. I assume the dip test for UTI was inconclusive as that usually prompts anti biotics as a precaution. The last time my OH had blood sugars in that range it was caused by kidney stones. I don't want to worry you unduly, but I would call the out of hours doctor and politely suggest further tests to your mum just in case there's something wrong or to put your mind at rest. .


The doctor rang back , no uti which is good news but decided she needs to go back on some of her diabetes medication hopefully should start to see a difference in 48hrs, if no change got to ring drs on Tuesday. @nae sporran
 

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
11,748
0
Essex
My mum has had type 2 diabetes since 2011 managed perfectly well herself with medication she will be 80 next year. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the start of last year. Since getting home from hospital after a month Jan/feb this year she has carers come in 4 times a day to help with taking her medication & recording her blood sugars & acting on the results if needed, she appears to not recognise any of the affects of low blood sugars. She’s very much of the opinion I take my tablets & then I can do what I like!

Recently they have taken her off all her medication for diabetes because her blood sugars kept going too low preferring to run her levels high. The nurse said it won’t do her any harm, she’s nearly 80 so she’s not really going to suffer from any of the long term medical conditions high blood sugars bring.

Well this week it’s been continually too high, mid to high 20’s and just high! I rang the diabetic nurse & she said a UTI can cause high blood sugars so I took a sample in yesterday to be tested & rang up today for the results but they haven’t got them back. I don’t want to leave it over a bank holiday to turn into something worse so now I’ve been added to the duty drs list to call me later. The carers keep ringing me to tell me it’s high! At least they had the common sense not to give her anything sugary for breakfast.

What I don’t get is they know she’s diagnosed with a memory issue, it was the same in hospital, they ask her questions & she says shes fine no she’s not had any problems & they seem to take her word for it. She could be in pain & they would ask how she was today & she would just reply “very well thank you” . It was ok if I was there butting in but it just makes me feel bad saying all this stuff in front of her.

Carers just rang to say blood sugar reading just taken is saying high no number! I’m not good at putting my parts on but what damage is this doing to my mum!!!

Looks like a relaxing bank holiday weekend for me then, my brothers won’t have to worry coz apparently that’s my job they cut the grass & do the food shopping.

Sorry for the rant but it helps to get it out, the rest of my family are getting fed up with hearing about it.

Dear Kaz,

Dad has had diabetes type to for 31 years and Alzheimers for two years. During the first year since Alzheimers was diagnosed dad said that diabetes was 'gone' and during this time when he could still go out on his own he was buying all sorts of things that he shouldn't be having. It took the diabetic nurse did give him a shake up and this did some good for a while before he reverted back to the same habit. Nowadays he isn't given the chance to stash chocolates away and his diabetes is well controlled. However there have been occasions when I have had had to encourage him to eat something sugary to stop his sugar level getting too low. However what I can understand is why they don't seem to be too bothered about your MIL's blood pressure and I would be inclined to get a second opinion.

MaNaAk
 

MaNaAk

Registered User
Jun 19, 2016
11,748
0
Essex
Dear Kaz,

Dad has had diabetes type to for 31 years and Alzheimers for two years. During the first year since Alzheimers was diagnosed dad said that diabetes was 'gone' and during this time when he could still go out on his own he was buying all sorts of things that he shouldn't be having. It took the diabetic nurse did give him a shake up and this did some good for a while before he reverted back to the same habit. Nowadays he isn't given the chance to stash chocolates away and his diabetes is well controlled. However there have been occasions when I have had had to encourage him to eat something sugary to stop his sugar level getting too low. However what I can understand is why they don't seem to be too bothered about your MIL's blood pressure and I would be inclined to get a second opinion.

MaNaAk

Dear Kaz,

I'm sorry I made a little error here and the word can should have been can't!

MaNaAk
 

Little Circles

Registered User
Mar 30, 2017
119
0
Derbyshire
My Mum has type 1 diabetes for 29 years and also Alzheimer’s and Vascular Dementia and has got to the stage where she can’t test hersel inject herself or remember when she last tested. Also she has become resistant to her body indicating if she is high or low. Mum seems to be high slit of the time and her dementia symptoms increase with the blood sugar levels
Dad and I have to test her blood, record the results and work how much insulin she has, and as my Dad is near 80 it is a big ask, he sets his alarm twice in the night to check Mum blood sugar levels - we have just been prescribed a new sensor and scanner system which elimates the need for pricking fingers to get a blood sugar reading which has helped
Mum symptoms increase with UTI’s and if she gets anxious as she worries about everything
My Mum won’t admit she had dementia and always says she is fine
Dad and I find that drinking water does help bring the blood sugars down and the dementia symptoms decrease though getting Mum to drink water regularly is a task in itself
Diabetes and Dementia is hard work and I feel for you xx
 

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