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Sugar high and getting the shakes
by Blaine1949, Dec 29, 2005 12:00AM
on occasion my daughter gets up in the morning with a high blood sugar but has the shakes like she is having a low. She has been on some medications for shoulder pain (vicodin) and imitrix for headaches. Can these medications cause the highs and the shakes? Are there other reasons for having the shakes and highs? She is 30 years old and a diabetic since age 15.
Doctor's Answer
by JDRF-Team-LRS, Dec 30, 2005 12:00AM
Hello Blaine,
As you may know, we're not physicians here but we're all folks with lots of experience with diabetes.
Sometimes we experience the senaation of a low when our blood sugar is dropping quickly... even if it's dropping from a high number to a less-high number. The feeling of being low is very real and many of us "treat" it with a nibble of food even tho' our body doesn't need that food. I'm not sure that's what docs recommend, but the urgency to deal with it seems overwhelming --and a nibble seems to satisfy the brain connections that triggered the initial alert. Not sure if this might explain it, but since you mention it happens "occasionally" it might be. Is her insulin possible peaking at that time?
I also did a bit of research on vicodin last year to respond to a question here (7/22/2004) from another parent who's diabetic child was taking vicodin for spinal pain. Vicodin (narcotics in general) is assocated with higher blood sugars. Here's the citation:
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY, Sept. 2003, p. 6255–6266 Vol. 23, No. 17 0270-7306/03/$08.000 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.23.17.6255–6266.2003 Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
I also had a look at both meds to read about possible interactions and found none. The site I use is:
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Interaction/ChooseDrugs You may want to check out your daughter's complete list of meds & supplements using this site.
Because each med has the possibility of side-effects, the more different meds we take, the more likely we'll eventually hit upon some side effects. I would urge you to talk to the doc who's Rx'd both these meds to describe the symptoms. What we know as "the shakes" from being low might also describe other things that the docs would want to know about.
It can be so frustrating to have diabetes in addition to the other underlying conditions because so many diabetes related symptoms can be indicators for things completely unrelated to diabetes.
Especially if your daughter's diabetes is generally under good control, it's important to review these new symptoms with her doc(s) until *you and your daughter're* satisfied all your concerns have been addressed.
As you may know, we're not physicians here but we're all folks with lots of experience with diabetes.
Sometimes we experience the senaation of a low when our blood sugar is dropping quickly... even if it's dropping from a high number to a less-high number. The feeling of being low is very real and many of us "treat" it with a nibble of food even tho' our body doesn't need that food. I'm not sure that's what docs recommend, but the urgency to deal with it seems overwhelming --and a nibble seems to satisfy the brain connections that triggered the initial alert. Not sure if this might explain it, but since you mention it happens "occasionally" it might be. Is her insulin possible peaking at that time?
I also did a bit of research on vicodin last year to respond to a question here (7/22/2004) from another parent who's diabetic child was taking vicodin for spinal pain. Vicodin (narcotics in general) is assocated with higher blood sugars. Here's the citation:
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY, Sept. 2003, p. 6255–6266 Vol. 23, No. 17 0270-7306/03/$08.000 DOI: 10.1128/MCB.23.17.6255–6266.2003 Copyright © 2003, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
I also had a look at both meds to read about possible interactions and found none. The site I use is:
http://www.drugdigest.org/DD/Interaction/ChooseDrugs You may want to check out your daughter's complete list of meds & supplements using this site.
Because each med has the possibility of side-effects, the more different meds we take, the more likely we'll eventually hit upon some side effects. I would urge you to talk to the doc who's Rx'd both these meds to describe the symptoms. What we know as "the shakes" from being low might also describe other things that the docs would want to know about.
It can be so frustrating to have diabetes in addition to the other underlying conditions because so many diabetes related symptoms can be indicators for things completely unrelated to diabetes.
Especially if your daughter's diabetes is generally under good control, it's important to review these new symptoms with her doc(s) until *you and your daughter're* satisfied all your concerns have been addressed.
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I experienced this a couple of years ago over the course of a month or two. After all of my tests came back normal, including an EEG, I am fully convinced that these effects were due to both the use and withdrawal of Aspartame (AKA-Diet Pepsi). And it doesn't look like I'm alone if you take a peak around the internet~. I mention that only because several diabetics still do use Aspartame.
I would also suggest, as a patient to patient, to read up what you can on "P-5-P." Good luck.