blood sugar was high

Hi Paddicake, welcome. I'm sorry about this ER experience. A high blood sugar reading can indeed make a person feel sweaty and lightheaded as well as nauseated, anxious, headachey, etc.

Normally a person's blood sugar starts to elevate gradually over the years (I'm referring to type 2.) and at the same time there would probably be weight gain, too, and a family history of diabetes is typical when the person is diagnosed as diabetic by blood tests. If this is your case, I don't know why it wasn't caught. Normally, glucose readings are included in complete blood counts but you would have to look through all your old blood tests to see what your results were. It's a very good idea for you to always get hard copies of your lab tests for your own records, by the way.

Anyway, you said the 186 turned up on lab work when you went to the ER and then you went to your own doctor and he checked you out and he said, "everything is good"? So, did he also do a blood test on you?

Ok, I hope the tests come out fine. If you are on any kind of steroids for UC, your blood sugar will be high and normally the doctors who prescribe them will tell you that. Prednisone is a common drug and that will do it. I had to take it twice for bursitis, as well as steroid shots and my blood sugar shot way way up. If this is your case, then sometimes they even prescribe diabetes meds temporarily.

Regardless, from now on whenever you have lab work done, see if glucose is included and make a note of what the result is. If the blood test is a fasting test, then the blood sugar should be under 100. If it's not a fasting test, then a relatively high glucose result (like over 130 or 140) might be a red flag to watch.

I hope you're doing ok. Keep us updated on the results.

Paddicake, according to www.drugs.com, neither the xanax nor the Nulev would cause any blood sugar problems but both 'could' cause the odd feelings you had that took you to the ER as well as the high blood sugar can. It's hard to say.

Being physically sick, feeling pain, being nervous - all that and more - can also cause our blood sugar to rise. You 'might' have problems with elevated blood sugar that's not related to any of that. Maybe your family genetics caught up with you. Well, whatever is going one, you are in a good place to learn what you can about your own health.

If it's in your family, unfortunately, it may make you predisposed to diabetes but being aware of how to deal with it, you can avoid full-blown diabetes and its complications down the road. However, since you are also dealing with UC, you will need to find what works for you. There are several other members here at HealingWell who are also balancing the two.

For diabetes and keeping your blood sugar in control, you need to know that the more carbs you eat, the higher your blood sugar will be. So, keep that in mind. Some meds elevate blood sugar, particularly the steroids (as you know). Stress, sickness, pain (physical and emotional) can raise blood sugar. So diet is important and so is regular exercise like walking, cycling, swimming, etc. Using weights to tone muscle is very good, too.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions here. I hope you're feeling better!

I don't have diabetes but I've had those same symptoms when my blood sugar was low. I could just 'feel' it was low. I hammered some gatorade and felt a lot better. Is an odd feeling the first time you experience it, especially if you're not diabetic!

Lanie,
Yes I am realizing that I do need to eat throughout the day..I have a 12 year old daughter and oh yes, I cook her a good breakfast, lunch and dinner. Except on school days, I don't do her lunch. I am still figuring out my trigger foods for my U.C. which is getting better. I used to love salads, and would eat them alot. Lettuce is a no-no for my U.C. I had gotten in the bad habit of not eating because I would be in extreme pain and then straight to the bathroom after eating. This was for a whole year before he finally figured out my issue. Sometimes my mind I think is used to not eating. Even if it doesn't turn out to be Diabetes, I need to eat throughout the day, because I think I have lost alot of nutrients due to my U.C.
Again, you do not know how much I appreciate your responses. We all know on this forum how comforting it is to have people to talk to. I am hoping to have answers by Thursday she said. A couple of the tests she ran usually takes two days, I guess, for the hormones. I am 40 years old by the way. We think I might be having perimenopause too. My sister went through the change early too, and I have 4 sisters.

fellow UCer here! I just today tested my blood and was shocked to see an 11.1. my father has type 1, I've had a rough month or so (maybe rough year so far..) and think I'm in for a ride too. do you have dry mouth, excessive urination etc? I too haven't been the greatest eater, scared to upset my guts.. the dry mouth thing has been going on since hospitalized with my UC and got out april 11th but I had no idea what it could be.

I also have anxiety

I usually don't get a dry mouth, every now and then. Also every now and then I have to pee alot. Not sure when it acts up, just out of the blue. I never really notice what causes it or makes it worse. Yes unfortunelty, with UC, after you have about 20 trips to the bathroom when you get a flare up, you tend to get a little dehydrated. Yes, I'm always worried to eat anything anymore, becaue I hate the pain and the trips to the bathroom. Thankfully my UC is not as bad, and the meds are helping. I just can't wait to get my results and hoping for the best. Dealing with the U.C. and now something else to worry about does not help my anxiety. And I have anxiety bad alot..Thank you all for your advice..Lanie, you are terriffic, thank you.

Thanks Lanie,
Yes I know alot of my trigger foods now. Some are still a guessing game, as I can eat them one day, but not the next. Thankfully I found this forum, and it helps me alot to hear people going through the same thing. It has helped my anxiety alot, just being on here. I still have to take meds, for now, I had gotten off them for a long time, and then it came back with a vengenance with my stomach issues. That is my bigges thing, I think I have turned my anxiety to health anxiety with my constant worrying over my symptoms. I frequent the anxiety forum on here, and it helps alot. I will let you know how my test come out. Hoping to get them back tomorrow. I still have one more test, I am going to ask my doctor about. I want to get the western blot test done, for Lymes. I have to many symptoms that match that, but I need to rule out all the obvious other things..