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Posted 9/19/2011 2:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, I really hope someone can help me here... My brother is only 32 and he's a type 1. He did not seek help when he discover that he's a diabetic at the age of 16 and we only got to know that he's a diabetic afew yrs ago after he goes into DKA afew times... So he's been on his insulin for the past yrs...

He finally came face to face with his sickness and decided to accept the fact that he's a diabetic. But things just kept going downhill for him.. He keep suffering from this situation where he'll start vomiting and can't hold any food down and he will be in pain. That's when all his BP and Sugar level go haywire! He'll at least suffer this for once or twice a yr but this yr, he had it 4 times already!

No doc can understand why this is happening and even if it's his kidney, they can't believe that it's deteriorating at this speed! So they are just drawing blood for test and sending him to Xray for chks... As i am typing this, he's lying in the hospital in pain for the 4th time this yr...

Can anyone pls tell me what is happening to my baby brother?? Anyone that had this problem??

Please please help me...

Thanks so much...
Posted 9/19/2011 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
I'm so sorry about your brother's condition.  As you and your brother now know, uncontrolled diabetes can cause kidney disease.  For this reason it's absolutely necessary to continue his insulin therapy.  His blood sugar levels must be controlled and as a type 1, he needs insulin injections.  At this point, I don't know what procedures they will need to do for your brother.  If his kidneys cannot function correctly, they will probably suggest dialysis.

When the body is experiencing pain, severe illness, trauma, etc. it's very common for the blood sugar to go haywire so that isn't surprising.  An important point is how his blood sugar control is when he's not going through these episodes.  Is he staying on his insulin therapy on a daily basis?

These are answers the doctors need to know.

Posted 9/19/2011 4:24 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for yr response....

He's taking his insulin as instructed which is daily and he has been watching his diet too. His sugar level is fine when there is no episode but his blood pressure has been up despite taking his medicine for that. He got the episode on Saturday morning, went in to hospital and was ok the whole of yesterday. Still in the hospital cos they are running some chks for him and so he's eating whatever food they are giving him which are very light. But he got the episode again this morning! No one in the hospital can tell us what's going on!

It's so frustrating to see him go thru this esp for his age... i know he had himself to blame for not addressing this issue earlier and going into DKA a few times doesn't help... but why can't any doc tell us what exactly is going on... :(
Posted 9/19/2011 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
I can only imagine your frustration.  Since he's in the hospital, I'm sure (I hope!) they are running tests to see what's going on.  Are his kidneys functioning correctly?  There are tests for that.  I would think that if he had another episode while in the hospital that the doctors would have more information about what's causing this. 

He himself can't do much more than making sure he's on his correct insulin therapy and that he's eating well, taking medication.  Having uncontrolled high blood pressure also damages kidneys, so that's important to control too. 

I hope the doctors can find the cause of these terrible episodes.  Please let us know how he is.  Best of luck to you and the family.

Posted 9/19/2011 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
Teaching Hospitals are the best... For example, here I have Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). Have your brother go to a teaching hospital because they have 1) new state of art technology 2) doctors well trained, including specialists 3) All test facilities right on campus 4) pharmacys there too so basically its like walking into a doctors office with the hospital criteria and pharmacy right in one are.
Posted 9/19/2011 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
I do agree with Smurfy.  These hospitals are fabulous and the best of the best are  usually there.  Here is a link to finding teaching hospitals in the U.S. and in other countries.  I have this on the fibro forum.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_university_hospitals

 

Sherrine

Posted 9/20/2011 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much. Will update on his condition!
Posted 9/20/2011 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
He's better today. Episode ended... Results will all be out tmr and the head of eurology will be seeing him tmr. Will update again.
Posted 9/20/2011 5:05 PM (GMT 0)
dc, I hope your brother is better.  Let us know how the tests came out.  Sherrine, thanks for the link!
Posted 9/21/2011 12:39 AM (GMT 0)
For what it is worth the two possibilities that come to mind is kidney disease and gastric paresis, assuming that it is even related to his diabetes.

Gastric paresis is when the stomach does not empty food into the intestines like it is suppose to. The food basically sits in the stomach and rots and when enough builds up it makes you sick and you end up vomiting and feeling like you have a nasty stomach "flu". This condition can come and go and can be hard to diagnose for that reason.
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