What is considered dangerous with BG levels?

[Rob43]

Hi, The weird part of my blood sugar readings right now at 530 is that I need to go the bathroom. I went to the bathroom over 20 times today. I do have a need to drink something but that's all. I can see ok and have lots of energy. The reason for my BG being high is I missed my medicine for two days because of forgetting it on a trip. My BG is never been this high and has always been around 160-200.

Rob

[labob]

When I presented with diabetes last December, my random glucose level was over 1,000 mg/dl. We didn't know that right away, of course, because it was so darn high that the monitor in my doctor's office couldn't read it and I had to go to the lab. I went to the lab before noon, and at 7 p.m. that night I got a call from my doctor telling me that she had just received the lab report and that I had to go to the emergency room. It turned out that by the time I got to the emergency room, due to the medication that I had taken over the course of the day as part of my first treatment of diabetes, my glucose level was "only" in the 600s, but this was still considered critical by the emergency room staff. I was on several insulin drips for the next seven hours to get my glucose level down to below 140 mg/dl.

I'm not an alarmist, but no one's going to take you to task for going to the emergency room with a glucose reading in the 500s. If you absolutely cannot bring yourself to do that, you absolutely must go see your primary care physician first thing in the morning. Trust me -- when you tell whoever answers the phone at your doctor's office that your glucose readings are in the 500s, you will move to the front of the line. But I would recommend going to the emergency room tonight. That is way too high for comfort.

[Rob43]

Hi, My BG is now at 488 down from 530.

Thanks, Rob

[Peter Lee]

When I was first diagnosed my level was 27 mmol/l (486 mg/dl) and I was was regarded as an emergency case. The subsequent hba1c was 17 which caused my GP to send me urgently to a diabetes consultant.

[Harold]

Anytime you go over 500 it could be dangerous especially if your not acustomed to it. True people go over a 1000 without passing out when dx'd, but they get there over time and become use to it. Then there is the kidney ketones thing. Did you check for ketones while you were there and after it came down?

160 to 200 repeatedly over an extended time may not be considered immediately dangerous, but it does qualify as Flirtin With Disaster.

[clee]

Hi, The weird part of my blood sugar readings right now at 530 is that I need to go the bathroom. I went to the bathroom over 20 times today. I do have a need to drink something but that's all. I can see ok and have lots of energy. The reason for my BG being high is I missed my medicine for two days because of forgetting it on a trip. My BG is never been this high and has always been around 160-200.

Rob

I would suggest you go the ER if you are out of town and have forgotten your meds. It's better to play it safe than sorry. The ER will be able to give you a written prescription to get you through the remainder of your time while at the same time giving you emergent meds to get the blood glucose down for the moment. There is no blame in being responsible for your health and well being.

clee

[spike]

200 is too high if it's your average. My suggestion is that you get your bg's under better control--I'm guessing your A1c is horrendous...

[Rob43]

The strange thing that has happened now is my BG went from 400's to 254 in two hours. What could make it drop so much? I right now back up to 421 for some reason. The funny thing is I talked to my doctor's nurse about my reading and she said just keep taking the same medicines on time. She acked like no big deal. I think they worry more about low sugar then high. This doctor is a D.O. and is not a diabetic doctor. I was wanting to wait a day or so to see if my BG would go down after starting my medicine after not taking it for two days. My local ER charges me out of pocket $600.00 for walking in the door let along any tests.

Thanks, Rob

[Cyborg]

I've been on the road twice and needed insulin. I just called a local branch of my pharmacy and paid cash. I suppose I could have submitted to insurance for reimbursement, but I didn't feel like the hassle.