Remember that the information presented here is not intended to replace the care of your own doctor. Before making any changes in the management of
your own illness, you should consult your physician or other qualified medical professionals.
Question
My 73 year old mother, who has
type 2 diabetes,
is taking 65 units of
Lantus
at night before going to bed. The problem is she has had blood sugars starting at 465 mg/dL [25.8 mmol/L] and going as high as 506 mg/dL [28.1 mmol/L] for about six days. She has increased her Lantus to as high as 85 units per doctor who has recommended
Byetta, and
we are just waiting for insurance approval. The last time she had high readings, the hospital found she have
diverticulitis,
and since then she had a heart
stent
unclogged.
Can these high levels mean that she may have something else wrong we might need to be looking at? Should I be concerned over these high levels? Is it time to go to a specialist?
Answer
This is an urgent issue. No one should have blood glucose levels in this range; it is way too risky. If her physician is unable to help, demand that she get an urgent referral to a specialist. If that can't be done, take her to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment.
At the same time, ask to speak with a diabetes nurse educator about what to do moving forward. Waiting for insurance approval is a lame excuse. Any doctor worth their salt should have been able to figure out a way to get samples or other temporary supplies of a needed drug.
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If your mother's physician is uncooperative, call her insurance provider and ask to speak with a case manager who can help you sort this out.
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