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Alert: Product and Recall NoticesThe Scary Experience Of Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Today, we’re excited to share with you another guest blog from Katie Janowiak, who works for the Medtronic Foundation, our company’s philanthropic arm. When she first told me her story about food poisoning and Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), I knew others could benefit from hearing it as well. Thanks Katie for your openness and allowing us to share your scary story so that the LOOP community can learn from it.
Throughout this past year, I’ve had the honor of sharing with you, the amazing LOOP community, my personal journey and the often humorous sequence of events that is my life with T1. Humor is, after all, the best (and cheapest) therapy. Allow me to pause today to share with you the down and dirty of what it feels like to have something that is not the slightest bit humorous: diabetic ketoacidosis.You are hot. You are freezing. You are confused. You are blacked out but coherent. You go to talk but words fail you. Time flies and goes in slow motion simultaneously. You will likely smell and look like death. In my instance, this was brought on by the combination of excessive vomiting and dehydration caused by food poisoning and the diabetic ketoacidosis that followed after my body had gone through so much.
In hindsight, I was lucky, my husband knew that I had food poisoning because I began vomiting after our meal. But I had never prepped him on diabetic ketoacidosis and the symptoms (because DKA was for those other diabetics.) Upon finding me in our living room with a bowl of blood and bile by my side (no, I am not exaggerating), he got me into the car and took me to emergency care. It was 5:30 p.m. – and I thought it was 11:00 a.m.
The series of events that led up to my stay in the ICU began innocently enough. It was a warm summer night and my husband and I walked up to a local restaurant. Prior to the walk, I tested at 132. Before eating, I was sitting at a pretty 101. I ordered a turkey burger without the bun with a side of veggies and a baked potato and bolused accordingly.
Later that evening, the revenge of food poisoning ensued. Testing my blood revealed a 500+ reading. While out of the ordinary, it certainly has happened to me before – I changed my infusion set, and opened a new bottle of insulin just to cover my bases. I corrective bolused the crap out of my 500+ reading and even did an additional manual injection. Tired, and at this point with a terrible stomachache, I attempted to down some water and find a comfy place to lay down. Feeling terrible, and expending all of my energy and focus on controlling my vomiting, it didn’t dawn on me the havoc my dangerously elevated sugars and dehydration from vomiting were ravaging on my body.
You see, in this moment, and in the 14 hours that followed, I did the one thing I never (ever) thought I, of all people, would do: I stopped thinking about my diabetes. I work for Medtronic, for crying out loud, and I forgot about my diabetes!?
I knew somewhere in my consciousness that I should be checking for ketones, but I kept telling myself “next time I get up to the bathroom, I will”…and making mental reminders to yourself when you are as sick as I was is all but a lost cause. My blood sugar often goes high when sick, and as I’d never (in my 15 years of being diabetic) ever faced so much as trace amounts of ketones, the concept that my blood was effectively poisoning me was foreign.
The series of events that follow, I recall like an out of body experience. Clutching a stainless steel mixing bowl, with a wet towel wrapped around my neck and an oversized t-shirt, I collapsed to the floor in the ER. Thankfully, I vomited shortly after entering, which prompted the care team to triage me in advance of the full waiting room. Triage led to taking some blood work…and taking some blood work led to an influx of frazzled nurses and frantic doctors surrounding me.
I recall hearing my husband being told that I could be in the hospital for months. I remember being told the drug they were administering was reserved typically for cardiac arrest patients. I remember someone gasping and saying my blood had the acidity of a battery. I remember the nurse telling my husband to go to the chapel. I remember the doctor saying, had we waited 30 minutes more, I would be in a coma. I remember waking up in the ICU with a doctor telling me I was lucky to be alive. I remember my amazing endocrinologist coming to visit me. More than a year later, these moments still bring tears to my eyes to think about, and I suspect they will for years to come.
Until I was admitted into the ICU, I was unaware that I was going through life-threatening DKA. To be completely honest, DKA wasn’t even on my radar as something that could happen to me. At that time, had I been the reader of this blog, I would likely be scoffing and judging the writer. I would assure myself this isn’t relevant to me. He/She must not control their diabetes well. You’d have to be stupid to not see those warning signs. My husband/parent/fill in the blank would know what to do. I was wrong. I made a mistake.
While I could not have prevented contracting food poisoning, I could have prevented the near-death experience that followed, had I done the diabetic stop-drop-roll (test for ketones – call your doctor – seek help), or had I prepared my husband to do the same. Yes, DKA can be avoided. Yes, symptoms of DKA can be masked by the illness that is causing it (in my case, food poisoning.) And, perhaps most importantly, YES – We are only human in the end. We will make mistakes. Even those who feel fully prepared to handle such an incident should review with their loved ones the proper steps to take. I share with you humbly in hopes that someone, somewhere is able to relate and perhaps spare themselves or a loved one from a similar experience.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
– Medtronic Diabetes insulin infusion pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and associated components are limited to sale by or on the order of a physician and should only be used under the direction of a healthcare professional familiar with the risks associated with the use of these systems.
– Successful operation of the insulin infusion pumps and/or continuous glucose monitoring systems requires adequate vision and hearing to recognize alerts and alarms.
Medtronic Diabetes Insulin Infusion Pumps
– Insulin pump therapy is not recommended for individuals who are unable or unwilling to perform a minimum of four blood glucose tests per day.
– Insulin pumps use rapid-acting insulin. If your insulin delivery is interrupted for any reason, you must be prepared to replace the missed insulin immediately.
About Author
Editorial Team
LOOP Blog Editorial TeamAt Medtronic Diabetes our vision is to transform diabetes care together for greater freedom and better health. Each word in that statement is important – including the one “together”. We’re a group of passionate people working hard to make a big positive impact on the lives of those with diabetes. But we can’t do it alone. Collaboration is key. With healthcare providers, academic institutions, non-profits and other companies. And, most importantly, with you – the people who live with diabetes every day.
Just keep going Maria! Take good care of yourself. Hopefully you’re journey has gotten easier since your post. Diabetes does suck but just make sure to keep loving yourself in the process & never give up when things get tough. Praying for you hun.
I was just discharged from 3 days in the hospital for DKA. I’ve had t1 diabetes for over 40 years and never had dka. Before admission my bs was hovering around 230 and the bolusing was bringing it down. Then 36 hours of vomiting and extreme dehydration. Bs shot up to 370. Went to the ER, was put on an iv drip with “medicine”, deluted insulin, and potassium. Probably electrolytes too but not sure. So, my chemistry came back into line but have to say some of the nurses were not well educated on t1 and pumps. Since the wouldn’t let me use my pump to deliver insulin, I was reliant on their “schedule” for injections. My bs would climb to 390 (per my CGM) but they refused to test my sugar or give me insulin to bring it down because I “wasn’t due for a finger stick for another 2 hours. Yet they kept urging me to eat when I was that high. Made no sense. I had to beg them for lispro. Then they told me I should use Lantus in addition to my pump. I had to explain how the pump is designed to work. Finally I was discharged and am back on my pump and able to micro bolus to my heart’s content.
I do have to say I still don’t know what triggered the dka to begin with but it’s damn terrifying to have your body chemistry get so dangerously out of wack so quickly.
I’m currently in hospital reading this story and these comments. I ate something bad a couple days ago and that started my bout with dka. I had to spend a whole day taking in fluids and electrolytes to start my recovery. It took me 5 IV bags and 24 hours just to get out of the icu. Now I’m chilling in my hospital bed in the ER waiting to move to a normal room for more monitoring and recovery.
The first 2 years after diagnosis I didnt take insulin, every once in awhile my mom would give me some so I wasnt a complete zombie! And like clockwork 3 weeks go by no insulin, DKA, 1 week ICU, 3 weeks no insulin and so on and so forth for 2 years. Then there was a Dr. who I saw in the ICU and he told me I’ve never been around a patient with an A1C this high (20.2) without prepping them for autopsy! I guess I needed that reality to smack me right in the face for me to cooperate! Now I hate the feeling of high blood sugar when that was just life before! I’m not great at controlling my sugar but I try and that’s better than what I was doing before when I felt like a walking sickness 3/4 of the year and the other 1/4 was spent with the hospital trying to cure said sickness! That’s no life to live I hate hate hate needles but to have to take injections or feel like you’re about to die every waking second of your life? I think I’ll take the injections! It’ll save your life!
Im having bad tummy ache headaches im type w mh sugar reading is 10.2 is that high
Hi there, Kathleen. This is a good conversation to have with your healthcare team. Blood sugar levels and their effect on your health varies by person. I encourage you to schedule an appointment to discuss any health concerns you may have.
Back .on 10th October 2002 I lost my dad due to a carehome he went into for rest bite that’s a short stay to give my mom a break from looking after him so as she could get the home tidied up etc , well I took my dads death pretty bad I stopped eating and was only drinking fizzy pop , if not eating I did not do my insulin as I thought with it being fast acting it would be dangerous to take it , I went from the date my dad passed to 12th march 2003 I went to hospital after stomach pains and throwing up they checked me said I was blocked gave me a bullet as I call them up the back side that made me go and sent me back home which still did not tell me why I was throwing up , on the 14th march 2003 I got up went to the bathroom and threw up dark green bile , something must of clicked inside me as I don’t remember any of this my husband told me what happened , he said I shouted to get an ambulance and hurry , he said it did not even sound like my voice who shouted it it sounded like a males voice , he said I got to the hospital and they saw state of me and took my finger test and it was high so my took bloods and when they came back they stated they were moving me onto a unit , my husband said he would come and see me next day as it was after visiting time and they had got me settled in , somewhere after 1am on the 15th march my alarm went off by my bed they came and revived me then rushed me to the nurses station just outside the ward so they could keep an eye on me , when I came around I had tubes on both arms a tube going across my nose and heart patches all over my chest , I new I had died and been revived and Sarah one of the nurses didn’t hold it from me either she told me they they revived me twice as I was not holding steady the first time and I am very lucky to be alive , I had to have potassium sorbate tablets as I had took all the potassium out of my body band meds to fight an infection I had , but what I went through over those months leading up to that time I would not wish on no one , I had an infection in my kidneys and I was in that much pain the doctor had to keep coming in to see me and giving me pxxxxxxx injections , no matter what I did even breathe it hurt me so I tried to stay still , I drunk pop with a straw so I did not have to move and only moved to go to the toilet as I had no choice but to , until those 2 days I was rushed to hospital that last one being that fatal day , anyhow my husband came into see me that day I had died and they had revived me and I had all the tubes etc on me ,he went to walk by me and I said where are you going and he looked towards me and his knees gave up a nurse ran to his aid , he said what the hell happened I only left her here last night , I said to the nurse let me explain better it comes from me but you stay here so he knows I am speaking the truth , she said come over here to your wife let her explain , so I said love when you brought me in last night I was dying , I did not wan,t you to see me go through that so my subconscious mind told me to get an ambulance , just after 1am this morning I died these nurses raced to my bed and got my heart going again although it took 2 attempts to keep it steady at this point tears were racing down my husbands face , I held his hand through what I was telling him and I said as soon as they got me revived they brought me here and let me sleep but I have had to have all these tubes on me as I have infection in my kidneys and I have no potassium in my body as the fizzy pop removed it all by the looks of it , all a sudden I saw a hog food cart and said to the person what have you got nice on there he started reading the things he had and a nurse said she can not eat anything , then from behind her a doctor said if she’s ready to eat she can eat , I sat there and ate a bowl of soup with a cob , a main meal and some rice pudding , my hubby said that’s the first thing you’ve ate in months love , I said I don’t know when I woke up after I died and they revived me I felt hungry and livelier , I can eat now but I could not before that happened , I still don’t understand why that is does any of you know that answer , I never felt hungry before I died but once they revived me and I smelt food I was hungry.
If anyone can explain this it would be appreachiated .
I went home 4 days later , I rung my hubby saying guess whose coming home , I am sure our next door neighbour at that time added a rocket to his little car because he was there within 45 minutes of the phone going down and they were driving the nurses crazy so lthey would let me go earlier than what I should be released out lol.
My husband said I nearly lost her I just want her back in my arms , the nurse said it’s only 1 hour you have to wait , so our friend next door starts singing , doctor comes to him and asks if he could stop singing , he said yes when I was released doctor got hold of my doctor and said you have problems with an impatient husband and an impatient friend come and sort it out can you hear that in the background he said ok , he came up took one look at my hubby and said to the nurse to get my meds ready and send me home with my Hubby and friend , see my doctor was my dads doctor so he new my hubby had lost my dad and could of lost me , my hubby walked up to the doctor and said thank you for saving her life doc , Bryan would be happy knowing you saved his little girl , he said it was a shame I could not save Bryan he was a good man , he said take care of her I don’t want to see her back in here again not with DKA it’s too dangerous , my hubby said don’t worry she won’t be back.
I have a 10yr old granddaughter who was diagnosed T1 at 5yrs old. She has a pump now and is very good at counting carbs and managing her T1 though she is carefully monitored by family members. Of late she has had ketones that were not controlled at home and had to go to the hospital in order to control them. She just called me and told me she is throwing up everything she tries to eat or drink again. This happened two weeks ago also, which prompted the last visit to Childrens Hospital where she was diagnosed and they know everything about her T1. She also just told me that her Dr. said it could be her hormones causing this imbalance in her body. She hasn’t started her menstrual cycle yet but is pubescent in other areas . Does this sound correct or even feasible? Any input would be gratefully accepted. Thank you, Laurie & Nevaeh
Hi there, Laurie. Everyone’s individual needs and experiences will vary, but your daughter’s healthcare team will have the most insight into her ongoing needs, based on her individual circumstances. I encourage you to continue working with her healthcare team for more information regarding medical advice.
I think this is one of the most significant information for me. And i’m glad reading your article. Thank for sharing!
I have a question. 3 years ago I had been in the er because I felt terrible. I had a blood sugar of 1029, yes I said 1029. They said I should of been in a coma. I was freezing cold and throwing up. I had diarrhea and was dizzy and confused. After waiting for what seemed to be hours, I got mad and walked out of the hospital. The next day I received a call from my doctor that the hospital had contacted him saying I possibly had DKA and he wanted me to report to the hospital. I didnt go.
Fast fwd to now. Ive had an amputation of my toe, Ive had boils that were so bad they ended up requiring surgery and in the last month Ive started developing what are called Bum blisters. Blisters that resemble a blister from a burn. They just kind of magically appear. Needless to say, I’ve been in and out of the hospital a lot.
My question is two part. First, could all of these problems be related to damage caused by not having the DKA treated 3 years ago, and secondly is it possible that I still have DKA and it has gone unnoticed despite having been in and out of the hospital dozens of times? I have almost all of the symptoms listed in this article. Vomiting, cold chills, diarrhea which I’ve had for 3 years nonstop, dizziness and confusion. Also, if I do still have it, how would I go about getting it diagnosed when I’ve ben in the hospital and they haven’t caught it?
Richard, I’m sorry to hear about your experience. These are good questions for your healthcare team. They can run the necessary tests and background to provide you with the appropriate diagnosis. Good luck to you.
I’ve experienced dka, but never to this extreme. I do commend you on sharing your story. It helps others to realize they are not the only ones going through such difficult times. Sharing the proper steps with loved ones is a vitally important thing!
I’ve had close smelling like death problems since I was 10 at the time I had frequent blackouts and severe headaches when I woke up. I have highs and lows all the time. But never thought that I might be a diabetic. When I was in sixth grade I vomited multiple times almost every day never saw a doctor for it. What you said above – You are hot. You are freezing. You are confused. You are blacked out but coherent. You go to talk but words fail you. Time flies and goes in slow motion simultaneously. You will likely smell and look like death. Describes my entire life the last 18 years. I am just now at 28 years old seeking medical advice from a doctor. What exactly do I need to be tested for to prove that I have this.
Hello,
I seen one or two similar situations my mom was feeling bad a few days ago, and she didn’t want to go to the Er due to Corona. So she rested and I went to take her food and drinks, not that she didnt have she said she could barely walk. At the point when she said that I said ma, you should go to the ER. She said no let me rest if I dont feel better by tomorrow which was yesterday than I will go. So the next day came and I went over to find her still in bed, she had drank everything a whole gallon of water. But I noticed her breathing was labored. She was barely talking to me but she did tell me to get her red pants. I immediately call 911. Now one day in the Er and she is mumbling words, with ng tube . But she went in speaking. I dont know what to do cant see her. Her breathing is good she is stable. I’m so scared and crying every second.
I went through this last May. Food poisoning followed by DKA. The ER doctors did not care about the food poisoning, just started with fluids ands insulin drip. I guess the cause did not matter at that point. They did try to tell me it was human error, that I must have had a kink in the tubing that caused insulin not to be properly administered. After reading your experience, I stand by the fact that food poisoning caused my serious DKA situation.
I am a 53 year old female that was diagnosed with diabetes after giving birth to my son at the age of 27. July of 2018, I drove myself to work and after being at work for an hour, started not to feel well. I checked my blood sugar and it was 135. I had a co-work take me to an urgent care facility. They checked my blood pressure and determined my blood pressure was kind of low (88/55). They proceeded to give me an IV and after the IV my blood pressure came back up to 113/70. I got up to leave the urgent care and got very dizzy. Left urgent care and went to the ER. Once I arrived at the ER, they noticed that my blood pressure was beginning to drop again. My blood sugar was 275. I gave myself a correction. Two hours go by and 2 bags of IV and my blood pressure continued to drop. It bottomed out at 44/22 and my blood sugar was over 500. I end up having a pick line put in my neck to give meds directly to my heart to get my blood pressure back up, more IV and an insulin drip. The nurse and doctor’s found it amazing that through all of this I was able to communicate, laugh and tell jokes. I was in ICU for 3 days and released from the hospital after 5 days. This was my first time ever experiencing anything like this.
I was diagnosed T2 in March 2017, at 69 years old. Then in March 2019 my blood sugars started to rise . I couldn’t figure out why because for two years I kept them in the normal range with just diet/exercise. I was just getting weaker and weaker until finally on May 10 I drove myself to the ER (which is only a couple of minutes from my home). I did not know about DKA, but that’s what I had. I was kept in hospital for 4 1/2 days. Now I’m on insulin and it’s been an up and down process trying to regulate it with eating. I did not know how far out of it I was until I came out of it. Scared my family to death. The nurses told me I was lucky to get there when I did. I’m waiting for the antibody results to come back so I will know which it is. Since I’m new at this T1/insulin thing can anyone tell me how long it takes to get the insulin/eating regulated. I know everyone is different, but any tips would be appreciated. I’ve been as low as 2.1 and high as 18. Both are scary and I feel trapped by this disease. Thank you in advance.
I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes around 2007 and really have never had it under control. I have went through my employer’s insurance, a sliding scale clinic, Catholic Charities, etc…to see doctors and get medicine. I finally raised my kids (3 – on my own) a few years ago and settled into a secure job with health insurance and started trying to get my diabetes under control. Through my health insurance my insulin is nearly $800. Without using my health insurance and going to a sliding scale clinic I am able to get my insulin for around $60. For at least 10 years I have had these attacks – sometimes every month – sometimes a few times a year – now they are every few weeks. I start with a severe pain right under my ribs in the middle, then violent vomiting and diarrhea until I am empty then the pain goes away. Now it happens with a loud train whistle in my ears, sweating, shaking, blurry vision, vomiting, can barely stay conscious and there is no way I can stand up and walk – I hit walls and fall down – and I have a hard time catching my breath. After about an hour or two of vomiting I am weak and fall asleep. When I have been to the ER I was told I had a bad gastro problem. I knew they were wrong. It happened at work a few months ago – very embarrassing – laying on the bathroom floor – trying to clean up vomit and not pass out. I have recently had an upper GI and colonoscopy – normal results. I have been struggling to pay what my insurance hasn’t paid and can’t make myself go to the Endocrinologist because that will just be more bills in the mail that I can’t pay. When the attacks happen I really would rather be dead – they are terrible. I am so depressed and know that there is no solution. It sure does sound kinda like DKA to me.
Thank you for posting this. It is very similar to my DKA story from January 25, 2019. I was supposed to be Type 2. DKA was something that happened to those Type 1 folks. I was aware of the symptoms, but my mind became so confused as the result of my high sugar (747), I made a series of dangerous decisions. (I’ll go to the doctor’s office on Monday. It will pass. It’s just a viral thing…..) Cue “The Day” that everything changed. I was vomiting up bile and blood also. I decided to go to sleep. My family was not aware of the full extent of my illness; I was too weak to check my blood sugar levels. I was NOT one of the lucky ones….. By the time I was able to mumble the “Call 911” words, I was already falling into the DKA coma. The rescue squad was the second-string overnight weekend guys who didn’t recognize my DKA signs, even though my husband was very clear about my diabetes. By the time I arrived at the ER (45 minutes later), I was in a full coma, extreme hypothermia (core 92.7 degrees), kidney failure, tachycardia….. I was soon having a near-death experience (which was nothing like others’ bright lights, just serene nothingness.) Everything that occurred over the next two days are reported by my family and the medical staff; I was completely unconscious. 3 days in the ICU and 3 more in Step-Down. I was dead. There simply is NOT enough awareness of Type 2 Diabetes and DKA. Of course, it doesn’t happen often, but it CAN. Also, there is a likelihood that I have been misdiagnosed. I will be having the antibody test next month to verify what type I am. In the end, it doesn’t really matter. I went from completely stable to completely insulin dependent due to my fight with DKA. Don’t delay. Regardless of what type diabetic you are, if things begin to get out of control, GET HELP IMMEDIATELY!
Thank you for sharing, Kathleen.
Omg yall have no idea how happy I am to find this post. My boyfriend is currently in the hospital for this. He hadn’t been diagnosed with diabetes until we took him to hospital yesterday. His blood sugar was 616 when he got there and I am so worried. He’s still very confused and I just want him to be his normal self. I am praying for a quick recovery honestly its depressing me. But finding this post and knowing that hopefully he will recover has made me feel so much better. Thanks.
My mom is in hospital with ketoacidosis. She is 80 years old and complained of frequent urination and thirst. She also vomited and had diarrhea. I asked her to check blood sugar as I don’t live with her and she said it was 18 and administered insulin so she said that was at 4:30 in the afternoon. At 8:30 she was still not feeling well and was refusing to go to hospital. Her partner called ambulance at 10:30 when her condition worsened. At hospital they had to administer CPR and put her on life support for 2 days. She has come out of ICU and is now breathing on her own but she developed AKF which is acute kidney failure. She is still in hospital after 2 weeks and receiving dialysis in Hope’s her kidneys will kick in. I wish I knew more about the ketones testing at home. Please go to hospital immediately if you have extreme thirst and are peeing a lot.
Any suggestions on what to do to help with muscle pain and discomfort following an ICU stay due to DKA? My mom is diabetic, and got sick while on a work trip out of state. She takes great care of herself, which is why her body returned to normal so quickly following DKA. However, now that she’s home, she just keeps saying she feels “off,” and the muscle pain is so bad she can’t sit still. Anyone else experience this, and have ways that helped you to get back to feeling normal… or at least comfortable?
Great question, Nichole. I’m sorry to hear about your mom and I encourage her to speak with her healthcare team. They can make the best recommendation based on her individual needs.
Thank you so much for sharing. I remember when I went through my diabetic ketoacidosis. I truly felt like I was going to die. I’m not exaggerating. I was so weak, dehydrated, confused, and I couldn’t hold any water down. I was so thirsty, my lips would stick together. The vomitig wouldn’t stop, and soon it was just dry heaves, and it was so terribly painful. Everything hurt, a piece of hair touching my arm was painful, I had Charlie horses in both legs, my blood was so acidic, I could barely see or catch a breath. I thought I was going to die that day. I was in ICU for 3 days, and I too was told I am lucky to be alive. Still, to this day a decade later whenever my sugar gets past 250 I remember the rapid onset of all those things I mentioned. I will never forget it. I reach out to other T1Ds and share with them my experiences and offer to help them on their path to staying healthy. So scary when your body suddenly stops working and goes into a rapid decline like that. I am so grateful for the education I have now, for the staff at the hospital, for NY amazing T1D team of doctors, and educators. I am so thankful for the improved technology, I am thankful to be able to communicate and talk with other T1Ds. I am grateful to be alive!
Very well written article indeed, thank you so much for sharing such information with us.
My mom has been fighting for over a year now with back pain, stomach pain, weakness, confusion, no sleep, nausea, and massive weight loss. I don’t believe she’s vomited, or she hasn’t told me. At 52, she’s 95 lbs, last I checked. She was put on a ridiculously strict vegan diet by a holistic doctor and lost so much weight that it’s alarmed us all. I graduated in Psychology and looked into eating disorders, as we thought that may have been the situation, but she’s clearly unhappy when she sees herself so small and fragile in the mirror. I cried when I put IcyHot on her back and felt her spine. Diabetes only runs in my father’s side, so this wasn’t our first thought. She’s seen multiple doctors, specialists, and holistic, has taken so many different types of medications and still isn’t well. My aunt, who is a nurse, found a high amount of ketones in her urine, causing us to look online to research what it could be, and ultimately finding a possible link to Diabetes Ketoacidoses. She is seeing a doctor at Oschner’s Medical Center today and I have prompted my stepdad to ask specifically about this. Does her story match anyone else’s? I am trying to do as much research for her as I can. But so far, I’m terrified that she’s gone through this for over a year and we haven’t gotten a diagnosis.
In my 3 years as a diabetic (type 1) i have had thd roughest years of my life just last year alone i was hospitalized over 30 times from it atleast half of which because i was actually in dka. Its the worst scariest experience you can have and im sorry you had to go through it
i went into ketoacidosis back in march of 2016. this is January 2017. i still have not regained my balance and strength. the VA said it is possible that a urinary tract infection started it. my sugar was 692 and the doc called me and told me to get to the emergency room asap. before this i kept falling and cracked 3 ribs. i was drinking alot and urinating and had diarrhea alot. i was tired all the time and wanted to sleep alot. it got to the point i couldn’t even stand up at all. i would fall down. after my sister took me to the hospital i was in ICU for the first day and in for a total of 3 days. my blood was so thick they could not draw it. they attached alot of things to my IV. two weeks later i was in the hospital again this time for low sugar (45). since then my diabetes did a flipflop. now i have to worry about it going low instead of high. but since then i still have not regained my balance or strength. i have to use a cane. i had to quit my job. they ruled out any heart attack or stroke but has anyone else not regained their full health back? something else i have noticed it is hard to stay hydrated. it is like a struggle to drink enough water to keep it at bay.
I had no idea I was a diabetic. I’d never had sugar levels very high when I was tested and being tested wasn’t often. My a1c was 13.9. When I finally decided to go to the Hospital it was almost to late. It was the end of August this year 2016 that I noticed the weight loss. 15lbs in a couple weeks. Then it was my eye sight. I thought I needed new glasses. I was considering surgery for a hernia that would have happened around the time I went dka. I’m glad I decided to hold off. Next was the thirst. 4 big cups of water back to back. The vomiting started the night before we called the ambulance. I figured I had the flu. September 18th at 3am I had vomited 8-10 times in 4 hours and just wanted to go back to sleep. I was being begged to go to the ER and refused. I’m on Coumadin for a blood clotting disorder so when I got sick the last time and my breathing got faster and more shallow I thought I might have a PE in my lung again. Finally, we called an ambulance. For the life of me I don’t remember the ride to the Hospital. I remember being asked the date and where I was and not having a clue. The symptoms I had in the weeks prior caused my INR to drop which is how thin my blood is. The lower it is the thicker it is. Which is why I thought it was a blood clot. I spent 4 days in ICU and 2 weeks in the hospital. The bulk of which with a feeding tube. My diagnosis was Pancreatitis and DKA. At first I didn’t accept being type 1. Now I work hard to manage it properly and am full of questions about diabetes.
I wish to thank you all for sharing these experiences. I just lost my sister (49 yrs old) and now I strongly suspect it was DKA that took her life. She was diagnosed with DKA about 6 weeks prior to her death and was treated in the ICU for about 7 days and sent home. She had cough and was being given antibiotics. Her sugar levels were under control via insulin. However, she vomited blood in the early hours last month and instantly passed away. She had seen her doctor just a day prior and there was nothing alarming as per the doctor. My entire family and I are in a state of shock. Reading these experiences here rings a lot of bells in my mind as she had been displaying some of these symptoms regularly and we had reported the same to her doctor. I urge all who have DKA or have these symptoms to please take it seriously and follow a disciplined diet and medication. Thanks, Kishin.
I experience DKA as well. I did not have vommitting but I had excessive thirst and stopped eating. I had not been diagnosed with diabetes. It was like one day I did not have diabetes and the next I did. I starting having balance problems and could not even say my name. It was like my name was written on my forehead but I could not get
my name out. I live by myself and the house cleaner was concerned and contacted my sister. When she arrived she found me half dressed (because
I could not figure out how to finish). Because I was unable to talk, she thought I was mad at her. She noticed the lamps I had knocked over and got concerned. Another thing that happened was I was falling into the wall and had broken two teeth. My son had called that day and I still don’t remember our conversation but I do remember thinking I needed help but I could not figure out how to use the phone! My sister called an ambulance and when they attempted to get my BG the first time it twisters error. The second time it was over 700. Next was the ER to attempt to sablize me. During that time I got hysterical and was going to leave the ER. My sister asked me where was I going and somehow that got through to me. Three days in the ICU. The possibility of a pick line and then 6 more days in the med surf floor and then on to a rehab center for 21 more days. Finally home and trying to recover. It was found out that I had a severe kidney infection. A couple weeks before this happened and I fell and broke my foot. When I went to the urgent treatment center they told me I had + ketones and I should check in with my regular physical. I did not take that advice. If you are ever told this, do what they tell you to do. Your life is at risk! My dr said I would not have lived till morning had I not gotten help. That is my story. If you see yourself here; get to your doctor. I have had multiple hospitalization and I inject myself 5 times a day. Try not to allow yourself to live a life like this. It’s not fun.
Ketoacidosis
My son, Jason, 44 years old has had diabetes since four years of age.
We just got him out of the hospital with a severe bout of ketoacidosis.
God just saved his life, because his sugar was 1045.
They did a cat scan which showed two strokes previously but no current stroke. They said his brain had not swelled also.
The hospital really didn’t know how to treat him, though they were wonderful. We feel they should’ve left them in the hospital longer, however, released him anyway.
His memory is still cloudy and memory bad. I’ve got the sugar down to around 200 and his blood pressure near normal.
He is staying with me and we check him every 2 to 4 hours.
My question: He sleeps nearly all the time and still complains of being tired, plus the confusion and bad memory. Can someone give me your symptoms after a bad bout of Ketoacidosis and let me know if the symptoms seem normal. Just praying these symptoms leave.
Thank you, Judy Hewitt
my son goes into DKA at least 4 to 6 times a year and nothing seems to work i have given up on knowing what to do no doctors seem to help him he spends multiple days in ICU each time and all he gets is accused of not doing insulin when I watch him and so then he gets told he is not doing his injections in the proper way that he must find the fat deposits well at 6ft tall 115 LBs there is no fat on the child I’m tired of just watching him wait to die no health insurance and running out of hope is there a such thing as a diabetic that is allergic to insulin?
I’m very sorry to hear this DeeDee. We encourage you and your son to continue to partner with his healthcare team on how to best manage his diabetes. If there is anything Medtronic can do or if your son would like to speak to one of our specialists about his options for a pump please let me know.
Hey Dee, how is your son doing now? Just your post is similar to my son. I hope he is doing better now. Text me if you would like to talk.
We’ve just got the coroners report back for my sister in law. She died suddenly 2 months ago. The coroners reoprt confirmef it was Ketoacodosis. She was fine on the Friday she and my brother went for a meal. Saturday she stayed on the sofa all day with a bit of a sore throat. Nothing unusual there.
Sunday afternoon my brother popped to the bedroom to check how much longer she’ d be in the shower as he was making dinner. He found her on the bed. She’d died.
She’d only been downstairs 20 minuted before hand.
Michelle, I’m so sorry to hear of your family’s loss. Please know you’re in our thoughts during this difficult time.
I would like to know what caused her to have it. I’m so sorry for you and your family’s loss.
For several months I had been feeling incredibly tired. From September through the end of October, I was running to the bathroom a lot and very dehydrated. I told my father after a week of this happening and showed him my dried, dying skin on my hands. 3 weeks later we finally decided to schedule an appointment to the doctor. It was to be the week after my mother visited my sister in Arizona, and my father would visit his father in Kentucky. We lived in Illinois. The night my parents left, I started vomiting. I was alone, hungry, and vomiting everything I ate.
I stayed on the couch in my living room feeling dead. I called my fiancee, who was at school in another city at the time and told her that I thought I had some legendary stomach bug. My abdomen was ripping me apart from this inside, so I started taking antacids. My fiancee’s mother drove by and brought me some medicine and a thermometer. Eventually, my fiancee decided to leave school for the week to take care of me at home. This was 3 or 4 days into my experience. A day or two later, she had to go back to school and work. But, she had enough and had her mother take me to the ER before she left. I couldn’t even walk, she and her mom had to walk me to the car. After arriving and being admitted to the ICU, I was immediately diagnosed with type 1 and DKA. They said I’d been diabetic for at least three months. I was in the hospital for 6 days. If it weren’t for my stubborn lady and her mom, I’d be dead.
I guess I know how to pick them! I’ve also learned to stop being stubborn and calling my doctor when things don’t feel right. What scares me, is reading most of these posts makes me realize I lasted much longer than I should have. Thanks for everyone sharing their stories. Diabetes has been a strange mistress.
We just had this happen with my husband, 61, this last weekend. He is in Stepdown at the hospital (after 3 days in ICU). He has mental (and possibly vision — it’s hard to tell; he’s speaking in “word salad” and is not comprehensible) issues. I’m hoping, if anyone reads this who has been through it can tell me how long it can take to recover from this side of it. His blood sugars are down from 500 to around 200 on insulin — he’s Type 2, which makes this even harder to understand. It’s also coupled with a UTI, although he seems to be making more of a comeback against that than the DK.
It’s really hard to see my bright, articulate husband be so disconnected — he just stares at the ceiling until you get his attention, and then he says things we can’t understand.
Any feedback would be deeply appreciated.
Janet, I’m really sorry to hear about your husband. We’ll be keeping you both in our thoughts.
Hi Janet,
My 58 year old husband is in the same condition as yours was after a bout of sudden onset DKA – 10 days in hospital (ICU and High Dependency) and still suffering from speech and motor skill impairment.
How has your husband done since you posted in March?
My son passed away in Oct 2015, 12 days before his 23rd birthday. He was a Type 1 since 15 years old. He was home from college two days before and seemed fine. I found out after he passed away that he had been vomiting, went to an urgent care facility, who only treated him for flu-like symptoms. My question is, isn’t it protocol for facilities such as these to check urine/blood glucose levels knowing the patient is diabetic? He passed 12 hours after going to the Dr.
Michelle, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your son and know it must be very difficult for you and your family. I’m sorry but I cannot comment on the specific protocol of individual medical facilities. Please know that my thoughts are with you and your family.
Yes, this hospital should have checked this. If they did not, they failed miserably. Why we as family must stay abreast of treatments. And ask questions, and not assume we are in the best of hands; just because we have doctors and nurses present. So very sorry for the lost of your precious son.
I lost my 33 year old baby brother on December 7, 2015, to what we believe was DKA where he had several episodes of this food poisoning where nobody else got it. He’d been diagnosed with Type I Diabetes about 10 years ago and was fine until this past year. He’d changed his insulin type from a glass vial injection to a portable pen but had several episodes of this food poisoning after switching which we never even considered until after the fact. We’d never even heard of DKA until after he passed and a close family friend spoke with a friend who was a nurse who mentioned DKA. We’re awaiting the toxicology tests which may take up to three months. He’d lost so much weight this past year but his weight had fluctuated over the years, so we thought nothing of it. Family who knew he was sick suggested the ER but he thought he’d be fine and get through another bout of food poisoning. He also thought he’d gotten through the worst but was probably so severely dehydrated and kept drinking Gatorade which couldn’t stay down. When we found out he was sick that morning, the family asked us to check on him because he was dry heaving, we’d called him to no avail for several hours thinking he shut his phone off to rest as in the past. We panicked by late morning and sent family since we were so far away only to find he’d passed out or fell in the bathroom (maybe went into a coma) and passed away early in the morning. Had we’d known this condition or symptoms, we’d have insisted him to check out these frequent food poisoning episodes that we found out about later after talking with friends and other family members in another state while visiting. So heartbroken and still in disbelief especially as he visited us two days prior and seemed fine.
Lydia, I’m very sorry to hear about your loss. My thoughts are with you and your family.
Thank you. Our concern is that his doctor switched him last year and may not have followed up with him on the changes of his insulin pen or emphasizing a back-up insulin. Just wondering if he’d have known if his sugar was too high when he got sick and compensated the extra insulin needed as I don’t know too much about diabetes? Would he have had to check his BG levels after doses or would he know to check for ketones (is there a standard test for this over the counter)? I ask because diabetes is high in both sides of our family.
Hi Lydia. If you have diabetes, your doctor will advise you on how often you should check on your blood sugar level. In general, the frequency of testing depends on your diabetes treatment plan. Ketones can be checked using a urine or blood test, which are available at most pharmacies. You may find this article on How to Spot and Treat DKA helpful and informative: http://www.loop-blog.com/how-to-spot-and-treat-diabetic-ketoacidosis-dka. I hope this helps answer some of your questions.
Thank you Sara.
My younger sister had the exact same thing happen to her at 35. We didn’t know she had diabetes and neither did she. She hadn’t changed her diet and lost a lot of weight. She was tired all the time, really thirsty, etc. I wish I had recognized the symptoms. She was house sitting for a friend. She had gotten shingles which was surprising but certainly not deadly. Then she texted her best friend to say she was throwing up and probably had food poisoning. She said she was going to go to Urgent Care as soon as she felt less nauseous. The house keeper found her a few days later. She never made it to the hospital. It still doesn’t seem fair to lose someone so young and amazing.
This scares me. I am trying to understand this. So can this only happen when you miss your insulin dose?
Hi Tessa. DKA occurs when there is not enough insulin present in the body. Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in the blood, causing high BG levels. You can read more about how to spot and treat DKA here: http://www.loop-blog.com/how-to-spot-and-treat-diabetic-ketoacidosis-dka/ Be sure to talk about your concerns with your healthcare provider, too.
hi
i had the same expeeience …10 yr type1 never had keto but knew of it.
i atw a dodgy taco and 3 hrs later felt low. my breathing was panting. i was swearing. it felt like adeenaline was being pumped by my pounding heart.
vomiting started. thought it was food poisening so slept 2 days with violent diareah. day 3 i woke up and felt like i was dying. went to hospital and took 3 days to control it. i was in misery like you cant imagine. convulsive body shakes, eveey cell feels like its earing you, nausea. i was told i was ar deaths door and thats how it felt.
i just bought keto srrips so i can chexk often.
I lost my elder sister April 12th 2015 of Ketoacidosis. Nobody expected it, nobody even knew it had happened until my sister got a phone call at 5:06AM by the Death Notification Team. What hurts the most is that she had a sister who lived 5 minutes away who hadn’t even bothered to see her in well over 10 months. She had been dead for 4 days before she was dicovered by her boyfriend. When they found her, she was found surrounded by her insulin needles and her insulin bottles. She was 23 years old. She only ever met one of her 4 siblings and hadn’t met her mum in 20 years, she didn’t even know what her mum looked like. I miss her
Lisa, I’m very sorry to hear about the loss of your sister. My thoughts are with you and your family.
A friend of mine who is a type 1 diabetic has been in hospital 4 months. She has lost her sight (how badly I don’t know) and was in ICU for about 2 months on life support. Her father found her unconscious and on the way to the hospital had a cardiac arrest. I don’t know if the cause was definitely a DKA as her family are being very hush hush on the situation. I was wondering has anyone had an experience like this or know of anyone who has? And will she regain her sight?
Ella, I’m very sorry to hear about your friend, and hope she is well on her way to recovery.
My daughter had DKA, she was very lucky I called the ambulance, I had no idea what was happening. Thankfully after a week in hospital she is on the road to recovery. She is feeling quite weak and washed out. It’s this normal? How long does it take to feel normal again.
Caroline, I’m sorry to hear about your daughter’s experience, but am glad she is doing okay and you were there to call for help. Since everyone is different and requires different health needs, I recommend discussing your daughter’s current state of health with her healthcare team.
My 17 month old daughter went into Dka, January 1,2015. She was drinking a lot and peeing a lot, but so do my other kids, so I thought nothing if it. She was throwing up non stop on New Years eve, I thought stomach bug. Then I put her to bed, heard her cough, went into her bed room and found she had thrown up blood, she was barely breathing. I rushed het to the Er, where it took them 4 hours to take her blood sugar and diagnose her.. Her blood.sugar was in the 400’s. We spent the next 5 days in the ICU, getting a crash course on type 1. They said if we didnt bring her in, she would have died.
Natalie, I’m sorry you and your daughter had to go through such an experience. I’m sure that must’ve been scary for the both of you. I’m glad to hear your daughter’s doing better, and wish your family the best.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I believe this is what my 3 year old son was experiencing but we didn’t know. When I got to the hospital, the doctor told me his blood what extremely acidic. I didn’t even know he was dehydrated. He was drinking fluids all day. He complained of a stomach ache the night before but it didn’t seem too serious, I thought he might had just been constipated. We didn’t know he has Type 1. Only type 2 runs in the family. I wish I would have known. Now he is gone forever. I hope you continue to spread awareness. Keep blogging. It looks like you posted this 2 years ago so info is our there. But the awareness needs to grow. I never even heard of keloasisdosis but my friend studying to be a nurse was familiar. This info needs to be out there for everyone.
Cathlyn, I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your son. Our hearts go out to you and your family. We work hard every single day to spread awareness, advocate for people with diabetes, and to make life easier for those living with and caring for people with diabetes.
It saddens me that I didn’t know about this DKA. My brother passed away from DKA last January. If I would have taken the time to really get to know diabetes, he would have still probably be alive today. My brother was only 26. He passed a month before his 27th bday.
Tatiana, I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your brother. You and your family are in our thoughts.
I have been diabetic for 32 years and had never had DKA until just recently. I too was vomiting up everything including a bit of blood by the second day. The E.R. didn’t know what to make of it, It was my primary M.D. that figured it out. It was all caused by a broken connection on my pump rite on top of the resivuere that I discovered on my second day in the hospital. No one thought to check my pump at all. I wonder why it is we use technology to help control our diabetes but yet the people that are supposed to help us when we can not on our own (Doctors,Nurses, PCA’s) have absolutely no training or knowledge about insulin pumps.
I’m sorry to hear about this experience, Justin. I imagine it was very scary for you, and I hope you’re feeling better. I’ll have a member of my team reach out to you to learn more about what happened. If you’d like, you can share this reference guide for nurses about insulin pumps with the hospital staff that may help educate them: http://www.loop-blog.com/back-to-school-reference-guide-for-school-nurses/.
Hey I have been having really high blood sugars and can’t seem to ge them down. I finally took a shot and watching my sugars tonight as we speek. Seems to be coming down now. I am thirsty and checked my ketones and they were negative. I feel a little nauseated should I be concerned to go to ER NOW or just wait for when dr office opens?
Hi Tonya. I’m sorry to hear you’re having trouble with your blood sugars. If you haven’t already, change your infusion site, infusion set, reservoir, and insulin, and troubleshoot your pump. I recommend contacting your healthcare team as well, so they can provide you with the best advice to meet your needs.
Melissa, I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. I imagine this must have been difficult for you. Our thoughts are with you and your family.
My husband just died from this Easter Sunday at our ranch. I couldn’t understand what they were saying til I read this. He was good at taking care of his diabetes but I was told he was sick throwing up the days before his death. His tox showed his sugar levels at 540 to 560.
i am thankful to both the article and many of the comments- i can relate to lance above his comment , say that is almost identical to what happen to me november last -the sudden weight loss and falling apart , mine too was caught just in time – the thing is i live in Greece and i feel somewhat information deficient in how to deal with diabetes, other than monitor and injections -when my doctor first told me this is serious i shrugged more through ignorance than anything else -what i am slowly discovering diabetes is a house with many rooms -my problem is ,i do not know the contents until i enter -last night i entered one such room waking at three n the morning in a sweat, the room spinning wildly ,nausea feet and hand pains, with a feeling that i had just been run over by a tractor, i tested and my blood sugar was high i injected -this morning on reflection i thought how like food poisoning and began a search -which led to the above article -of which i am thankful to have read -it gives another piece of missing information which will allow to understand diabetes -the up side to being a diabetic in Greece – a network where people hand in their unused insulin-haveing moved to tablets , the doctors redistributed to those in need -or without medical insurance -this a thank you note to Amanda
Thank you for the comment, John. I’m sorry you don’t feel like you have all of the information you’d like to manage your diabetes. We’re the US Team, but if you’d like to connect with your local Medtronic team to see if there is anything they can do to help. I have pasted the information below for your convenience.
I got diagnosed with type 1 on January 7, 2014. The doctors told me I’ve had it roughly since the end of September of 2013 and had no idea. In the middle of November I noticed that something wasn’t quite right. I was always tired and started noticing a slight weight loss and I thought nothing of it and thought maybe I had a bug and it would go away. After hunting season got over and got my buck something didn’t feel right. I didn’t want to eat and had a hard time sleeping and when I finally passed out I only slept for a few hours at a time. Before Christmas I was thinner, my vision was terrible and always thirsty and constantly going to the bathroom and I still couldn’t figure out what was going on. Well the last few weeks were the worst, couldn’t keep anything down and was being 15+ times a day and couldn’t really function at work. The day before I went to the ER I was vomiting uncontrollably and having bad abdominal pain and felt like I was going to pass out. Well early that morning my cat must’ve sensed something was wrong and woke me up and at that point something was terribly wrong and felt like I was going to die (not exaggerating) I went upstairs to attempt to eat something. That’s when I noticed how thin I had actually gotten, a muscular 200 pounds now a 154 pound pile of skin and bone. That point I drove myself to the ER and there found out I was a diabetic. Stayed in ICU for 5 days, the nurses and doctors said it was a good thing I came in when I did because I wouldn’t have lasted much longer. I’m very fortunate to be alive and healthy again I never want to go through that again in my entire life. Thought I’d share my DKA story!
Thank you for sharing your DKA story with us, Lance. I imagine that was a very frightening thing to experience, but glad to hear you are doing well and are healthy again!
So sorry you have had to go through this. It is one of the scariest times of your life. I know….been there. Nov 2010, I had sudden onset of diabetes…..diagnosed as type 2. BS over 500. Placed on oral medication with little result…BS 300’s. Added an injectable prescription medicine 2 weeks later and became sicker over the next 2 weeks. One nite …just a month after being diagnosed as a diabetic, I was so sick that whatever conversation I had with my mom on the phone that nite had peaked her mother’s intuition ….she knew something wasn’t right & she came to my home to find me a lump in my bed…..so sick I could barely move. Mom took me to the ER……where they found that I was in DKA & about to slip into a coma. Spent 9 days in ICU….most of which I don’t remember. Further testing showed that I was really type 1 diabetic….not type 2. But it was all very new to me….I didn’t know a thing about DKA…didn’t know what signs to be aware of. And who would have thought type 1 new onset at age 38. Scariest time in my life. I still shutter to this day knowing how close I was teath. All I can say is stay strong sweet girl. Katie. Education is our best prevention!! God Bless!!
Very touching and informational. i had a similar experience but i believe my symptoms were a bit different. i had gone in for a ct scan, for something i don’t remember, and upon leaving my mother my niece and myself had gone to eat i remember my bs being around 150 or so. my bs runs normally high so i thought that reading was great. well we ate and left to do some shopping i wad so caught up in what we were doing i neglected to testest again. well on our way home i had to stop on the side of the road to vomit i though it was the food we had eaten not thinking about my bs being off the charts, it runs high anyway but i remember pulling into the er at the hospital and then remember waking up a day or so later in icu my case as it seems was so baffled that i had lost 24 hrs and don’t remember anything that happened during that time.
It sounds like many of you understand what Katie went through. Thanks for commenting with your own experiences and offering her reassurance and support!
Not my first experience with DKA. As a matter of fact I think I caught food poisoning this past Saturday night because in the middle of the night I woke up vomiting etc… I had taken my Long Acting Insulin before bed like normal and a shot of fast acting close to the same time of injecting the Long Acting and so I should had been in no room to be facing high blood sugars, but I was, and it happens fast! Once the unlovely number two starts occurring in the restroom while you’re vomiting in a bucket at the same time, you know something is wrong. And of course I was so thirsty but couldn’t hold water down. I didn’t take myself to the hospital which I know a lot of you would scold me for, but what I did do was monitor myself the best I could with how tired and weak I was Sunday and just kept pumping myself with insulin to where I finally was able to keep some fluids down and the vomiting etc…, stopped. I am a 34 almost 35 year old Type 1 Diabetic, diagnosed at age 19. I do not recommend trying to fix it yourself first because it’s always usually too late by then, meaning you need to be in a hospital hooked up to IV bags and maybe even some morphine for how painful your stomach muscles will be from throwing up for hours. This isn’t my first rodeo unfortunately with DKA and most of you understand that it can pop up in an instance masking what we’re possibly ill from with something else such as food poisoning. I live by myself too, so I had an alarm on my cell phone on top of the alarms set in my CGM waking me up every 30 minutes to look at my continuous glucose monitor as well as actually poking my finger and actually checking. I did that because I wouldn’t want to be passed out tired from violently vomiting and my condition just becoming worse. I was out of work yesterday trying to rehydrate and get some food back in my stomach etc… I went back today and other than still being a little tired and weak because it takes you a while to rehydrate properly, I had a good day. Of course calling my Endo, they were not pleased I didn’t go to a hospital but also realize I am a Diabetic Veteran who has went down this path before and so I knew what I was starting to face and what I needed to accomplish to get myself healthy again without having to be rushed to the ER. But I also gave myself a time frame that If my sugars and the way I was feeling wasn’t any different by a certain time, then I would be calling 911. Again I NEVER recommend doing what I did, GO TO A HOSPITAL if you have DKA signs, take no chances. God Bless you all!
Do not take chances, I too am a diabetic veteran 25 years type 1. About a yr ago I had my first DKA episode. Prior to that I did not even know what DKA was. Pretty scary considering I am well educated , have good doctors and have maintained excellent control of my type 1 diabetes. Last October the perfect storm hit . I had a stomach ache and felt tired so I went to bed and did not take my insulin. I was woke up in the middle of the night vomiting. It was more non stop . I tried drinking water and would just keep vomiting. I was getting very dehydrated. Like most type 1s that have maintained good control u develop an attitude that nothing can take you down . It’s sort of badge you wear. So as I am vomiting non stop I continue to tell myself that this will pass. I am a runner and my t was not until my breathing got to the point where I felt like I just find finished sprinting 3 miles that I knew I needed help.
I finally went to he ER. Blood sugar over 500. Stomach flu and urinary tract infection. My body was completely out of sync. I had six I’Vs in me at once. I spent 5 days in the ICU. As ERs and intensive care units go you have multiple doctors and nurses really rotating through. What while I was completely annoyed to be stuck in the ICU what struck me was that ever single dr and nurse (and there must have been at least a dozen ) all said the same thing “If you waited another hour to go to the ER you would be dead. Aftert the first Dr sa D that to me I was like ok he is being dramatic. Then when all the others said nearly the exact same thing ..it hit home.
Point is of all of this is don’t mess around get medical attention right away if you suspect DKA.
I’m a 62 year old male with type 2 diabetes I’ve been diagnosed since age 22. Just recently I lost approximately 50 lbs. Over a short period of time, I lost the weight and developed a constant pain in my lower belly. I’ve gone to the er twice and to my regular practitioner all to hear; there’s nothing wrong with my organs or body other than the effects of out of control diabetes. What can I do for this stomach pain and perhaps regain some of my weight as I’ve gotten so under weight
Hi there, Jerry, we appreciate you reaching out. Unfortunately, situations like this require evaluation from a licensed healthcare provider, as we are unable to provide medical advice. We hope you’re feeling better soon.
Research gastroparesis.
I went through the same thing about 3 weeks ago. I was sick for a couple of days with a virus and when I checked my sugar it was about 200 (which for me wasn’t anything to go crazy about) then I became so weak I could barely get up to vomit. I stopped checking my sugars for about a day because I wasn’t eating, unfortunately I also wasn’t able to keep water down either. I was in so much pain, my whole body ached and I was unable to climb the stairs in my apartment. When my fiancee found me he rushed me to urgent care. They gave me fluids because my body was so dehydrated but found I was getting worse. My sugars at this point were around 550 and my acidic gap was around 23. They put me on a paramedic and sent me to the icu for a couple of days and after four days there I recovered. They also told me I was lucky to be alive. You’re story was a great read!
Got shingles which masked some of the symptoms of diabetes like DN. Ended up in the ER with a BG of 1172 and I had always had LOW BG. It can happen really fast and if you don’t have someone to get you to the hospital DKA will kill you.
Stan, I’m sorry to hear this, and can imagine it was a scary experience for you. It’s great to hear you’re doing okay now. As we both know, DKA is very serious and the more awareness it has the better.
Hi Katie! In our times together in India and Minneapolis over the past year we always had other things to talk about besides DKA, so thank you so much for sharing this eye-opening experience now. We’ve had our own brushes with DKA at home when various factors have combined in a “perfect storm” kind of way. Your experience serves as a reminder that you can’t ever turn your back on the diabetes beast – you never know when it will bite. I was at a diabetes conference in Spain last year during which one of the presenters asserted that DKA kills more people than extreme hypoglycemia. Peril at both ends of the glycemic spectrum. Thanks again for sharing, keep well. Lane
Thank you for sharing your story (I’m sure it was tough) and for raising awareness! I too went through a similar experience. I was in DKA for the first time since my diagnosis (about 24 years earlier) and it didn’t even occur to me what was happening. My then-fiance, now-husband, tried everything he could to help me while I refused to go to the hospital. (It’s funny how when you are in it, you seem to lose all sense of reason). Luckily, my mom came over and immediately insisted on calling an ambulance. In the end, it was the kick I needed to start taking better care of myself, to find a new endo (mine was terrible) and it ultimately led to me being a much more engaged patient and to finding the Diabetes Online Community. Yes, even now DKA can happen to me, but at least I know what to look for and the importance of getting help at the first signs of DKA.
Hi my sister was type 2 diabetic who died last year of dka.. we had never heard of dka in type 2.. She lived alone .. The thought of her going through this alone breaks my heart.. we nursed our dad for year and then he died of an unrelated illness in June 2017 then in the August 2017 my sister was found dead in her flat. I can only think missing insulin and stress over our dad lead to dka
Thank you so much for sharing this. We all like to think we are “above” such scenarios, but the truth is things can go so wrong so fast, and in the end we DO have a disease that doesn’t always do what we think it should. Highs that make no sense, lows that have no reason, we just keep responding and reacting and trying to stay ahead of it. What a great reminder that at times the ONLY thing to do is to SEEK COMPETENT HELP! So glad you made it through and can live to fight another day! And yes, a good endo is worth their weight in gold, I drive almost an hour to see mine because she is WORTH it!
I haven’t suffered from DKA, but I recently had my blood sugars go higher and higher until they were two points short of 500, and no matter what massive doses of insulin I took, it did no good. Finally reached my doctor who suggested I try a different bottle of insulin, and that worked. I dropped 160 points in the next hour and a half. Apparently, I had some “bad insulin.” DIdn’t know that could ever happen but I guess it can.
I am a diabetic and an RN and I never knew about the “bad” insulin. Thanks for putting it out there!
Thank you so much for sharing your personal stories and encouragement for Katie since she so openly shared such a difficult experience in her life. You are each so special and strong in your own unique ways!
So sorry to hear this. I as well went thru this 3 years ago. I had the stomach flu and was nursing my 3 month old…a horrible combination to stir up dka for a type 1! Although the experience was scary it makes you realize you never want to get that sick ever again! To this day I stay keenly aware of everything…maybe too much but I’m proud of it!! Take care!!
dka as a mother of a type 1 diabetic those are 3 letters i have to say that strike terror in my heart it strikes so fast and furious an er trip then icu waiting for blood values feeling the disease owns you
My son went in to work the night shift as a CNA. His blood glucose level was 150 before he ate around 3:30 am. Within an hour, he started vomiting and by 5:30 am, they sent him home. He checked his BG at home and it was only 119 but he woke me, said he felt awful, and just wanted to go to bed. He was negative for ketones. By 9:30 am, his BG began rising though he was vomiting violently and then the diarrhea started. I said that’s it, time to go to the ER. His last BG at home was over 300 and by the time we got tested at the ER it was just around 400. They hung insulin and started fluids by IV because he was already so dehydrated. They admitted him to ICU for the next day, and he spent the next two days on the med-surg floor. That was our first experience with DKA. Putting the pieces back together were easy enough yet surprising.
Wish I had a pump again.
Do you have a similar continuous monitor for someone who gets severe hypoglycemia regularly? My number tonight was 49. It woke me up. It’s been a roller coaster up and down the past few weeks. My doctor thought I wouldn’t go below 70 so he said I should monitor it a few times. I did. And went from 95 to 125 to 81 then 79, the 49…
Julie, our Guardian Connect CGM is approved for use by those with diabetes, but this is a good conversation to have with your healthcare team. They can make the best recommendations based on your individual needs.
I went through the same EXACT thing in December!! Although, the first doctor in the ER came up with the diagnosis of a muscle disorder…..?????? It was the 4th doctor that got the diagnosis right, which scares me to death!!! 13 days in the hospital, unemployed and without insurance. One of the most aggravating experiences in my life, because everything I ate and drank came right back up, and NOTHING I did would lower my blood sugar level.
Sigh! I feel ya! had 4 days in the ICU with doctors expecting me to go into coma and not recover! Meanwhile I was busy smiling and talking to the nurses and greeting worried people who kept piling in the hospital to comfort my Mom and brother!
Nice. Way to hold your own and stay positive Esther.
My bs was 712 in DKA 8 hour in er then got sent home was bull shit so I went to different er and they did the same thing was 712 still got IV Went to 498 then got sent home I never knew I was that high for 2 Weeks yes 2 weeks I was over 700 never passed out
How are you now , my son age 12 had reading of 859,and day three 398 is he going to to recover very worried ….
I am the mom of TWO t1 sons. The older one was diagnosed 15 years ago and does not manage his insulin at all. He has been in the ICU several times with DKA. As I am writing this, he is lying in bed and has been sick for at least a week. Just prior to this had been taken by paramedics to the hospital because he had a seizure. Last night he collapsed while trying to urinate, the paramedics came and he refused to go to the hospital. He looks like a skeleton I am terrified he is going to die and he absolutely refuses to go to the er for medical attention. I am afraid of what is to come. I am not exaggerating when I say he has had dka at least 30 or more times in the last 5 years. Can anyone tell me how long a t1 person who has had dka so many times can be expected to live? His a1c was already above 14and that was 5 years ago. I HATE this disease. Watching while my precious child is suffering from this condition is tearing me apart. And I have TWO sons with t1. Any advice would be great. Thanks for listening
My Heart goes out to you ❤️I’m 62 and was diagnosed and put right on insulin,Diabetes had already taken a toll on me! I can’t even believe Drs could not have known after they knew of all my symptoms! I lost so much weight,I don’t see me anymore and I’m in terrible pain all the time now because diabetes type 2 is now attacking my nerves, and to much else to mention! I explained that as soon as I took my insulin I passed out, I have children and grandchildren that are scared because I was strong,outgoing and beautiful.i was in Nursing and just all so happy and full of love.Now after complaining about my symptoms and nothing done about it I, truly feel like I’m going to die. I told my Doc that I want an MRI and will hopefully get it soon, I know diabetes is taking over a lot more than just my body! Thank you for your time and I wish you,the very best with your journey ❤️
I’m going through the same thing… what was the diagnosis called?
Really
I am 28 years old I went thought something so similar the difference is I wasn’t aware I had type 1 diabetes.y weight dropped to 5.10 and I was constantly sick. I couldn’t bath alone as I used to float! I was in and out of hospital for 3 years and the last time was October this year when ambulance came as I was throwing up blood and bile for 34 hours! I couldn’t move without being sick and when I walked to the ambulance I could not breathe I thought I would die there and then! I was blue lighted as my ketones were over what they should be by far! Scared as hell but half unconscious I empathise with you all but 3 years undiagnosed for me I think is awful I’ve nearly died 3 times! What do you think xxx
Lori,
How is your son?
I had a similar experience with my twin brother. He eventually did pass away of DKA sadly.
Im 15 years old ive had DKA. A lot /nearly dka. And when i say a lot i mean about 20 times in a matter of 2 years. From 13-14 i jept going to the hospital every 1-2 weeks. I actually had to go about 1 and 1/2 months ago because of other problems too. It sucks. But. What can ya do