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Should Diabetic Medicines Be Taken Only When The Sugar Levels Are High?
My mother in law has type 2 diabetes. Her blood sugar is extremely low upon waking in the morning at 40. After eating her blood sugar has been as high as 278, like tonight. She is on glimepiride. My husband insists on giving her the prescribed medicine only when her blood sugar is high. Should she be taking this as prescribed and not only if the sugar is high?
Fri, 8 Aug 2014
Thank you for the query.
I would want to know the age of your mother in law. I would also like to enquire the duration of her diabetes, her HbAic levels and the dose of glimeperide that she is taking.
Your husband is right in one way, with a blood sugar as low as 40mg%, antidiabetic medications should not be given. A sugar level of 40mg%, indicates hypoglycemia, which is not desirable in a diabetic subject. Infact when she is having low sugar level, she needs to be given glucose water. I would request you to maintain a record of her blood sugar (either by self monitoring of blood glucose by a glucometer or by laboratory investigations of Fasting blood sugar and Post prandial blood sugar-2hrs). The dose of her anti-diabetic medications may need to be adjusted , if she keeps on having hypoglycemia (sugar levels less than 60-70mg%). You need to keep a close watch to see whether she is having any diet-exercise-drug imbalance.
It is suggested that she should undergo a renal parameter testing (Serum urea, creatinine and urine for spot ACR). Please consult her physician with the investigation reports, because as I have mentioned, she may need dose adjustment of her medications.
Hope this helps you out.
Regards
Dr.Ayusmati Thakur
I would want to know the age of your mother in law. I would also like to enquire the duration of her diabetes, her HbAic levels and the dose of glimeperide that she is taking.
Your husband is right in one way, with a blood sugar as low as 40mg%, antidiabetic medications should not be given. A sugar level of 40mg%, indicates hypoglycemia, which is not desirable in a diabetic subject. Infact when she is having low sugar level, she needs to be given glucose water. I would request you to maintain a record of her blood sugar (either by self monitoring of blood glucose by a glucometer or by laboratory investigations of Fasting blood sugar and Post prandial blood sugar-2hrs). The dose of her anti-diabetic medications may need to be adjusted , if she keeps on having hypoglycemia (sugar levels less than 60-70mg%). You need to keep a close watch to see whether she is having any diet-exercise-drug imbalance.
It is suggested that she should undergo a renal parameter testing (Serum urea, creatinine and urine for spot ACR). Please consult her physician with the investigation reports, because as I have mentioned, she may need dose adjustment of her medications.
Hope this helps you out.
Regards
Dr.Ayusmati Thakur
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