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Diabetes without symptoms

I have a cousin whose blood sugar levels often rise over 300s. This has been over a couple of years now. I am really concerned about him but unfortunately he doesn't seem to really care about himself and believes that the oral medications he's taking is enough. He shows no symptoms of diabetes at all.

My questions are:
1. How come very high glucose levels cause no symptoms at all? (no frequent urination, thirst, blurred vision, etc)
2. When one's blood sugar levels often rise over 300s, isn't it time to use insulin instead of just oral drugs?
3. Is there any factors other than food that may cause blood sugars to rise above 300s in several different occasions?
4. Is it true that non-diabetics' blood sugar will never rise above 120 despite of what they eat and how much? If this is not true, how high a non-diabetic blood sugar can rise?
2 Responses
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1493176 tn?1303485763
Hi hope this helps. . .

1.- Your cousin may think he isn't having any symptoms but most likely he is. He just may not be recognizing them. High blood sugar doesn't always mean you will be urinating constantly or thirsty commonly people with high glucose levels have neither. A lot of diabetics will actually tell you they feel fine or even good or normal when their sugars are super high. The fact is that most times the glucose levels are tricking the brain respitors. . .(ie: being on a sugar high) Most diabetics only feel good when glucose is high because when they are coming down they are in fact going through sugar withdrawals.

2. Oral drugs such as Metformin are generally only used as a stand alone with pre-diabetics. Someone with sugars over 150 is no longer a pre-diabetic and it is a necessity that he be treated with insulin. Diabetics with glucose over 300 should be treated with a combination of two different insulins (Lantus which controls insulin levels over a 24 hour period and Apidra or rDNA insulin which is fast acting and generally taken before meals) and also Metformin. If this protocal is not being prescribed by his doctor I would have him schedule an appointment with a diabetic specialist because his current doctor does not know how to handle diabetic patients.

3. Yes, stress and infection can cause blood sugars to spike.

4. Yes, it is true. Non diabetics pancreas will immediately fluctuate to keep stasis within the body. Most non-diabetics will not get close to 120. The highest I have seen a non-diabetics blood sugar raise (after eating a ton of processed sugar) was 102. When you are not diabetic your body automatically adapts to the changes in nutrients in order to keep your organs working properly.
Helpful - 0
141598 tn?1355671763
Diabetes is a controllable disease but it takes a lifestyle change to do so. There are many people who turn to medication as their only answer. I have a family member who neglects her health and feel as long she swallows those pills daily she will be healthy. I have realized that one cannot help those who refuse to help themselves first.

Answers:
1. Some diabetics exhibit no symptoms. Some diabetics lie and say they have no symptoms. Some diabetics are in complete denial and will always say they're normal. Unless you monitor this person 24/7 to verify first hand frequent urination, thirst, blurred vision, etc you will not know.
2. In most cases yes and sometimes concurrent use of oral medication & insulin is required.
3. A sedentary lifestyle, being obese, and people who deny eating bad foods & liquids and do so when no one is around. Other causes: An irregular behaving thyroid; An irregular behaving pancreas; A primary immune system deficiency; Other genetic issues.
4. Not necessarily true. For example; a nondiabetic who consumes a large amount of sugary sweets/deserts in one sitting will have elevated glucose levels until their body produces enough insulin to counter the sugar intake. This can take upwards of several hours to happen.
Helpful - 0
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