If you do go down with a cold, flu or any other illness:

• Rest.
• Drink plenty of sugar-free fluids.
• Avoid too much caffeine as this could make you dehydrated.
• Take painkillers in the recommended doses as necessary.
• Contact your GP to see if treatment with antibiotics is necessary.
• If you are vomiting uncontrollably, contact your GP or diabetes clinic.

Insulin or diabetes medications

Keep taking your insulin or diabetes medications even if you are not eating. Remember, your blood glucose level naturally goes up during illness and you need your insulin or other diabetes medications to keep it under control.

You may need to increase your dose of these. Your tests will show you if this is necessary. Contact your GP or a member of your diabetes care team if you are in any way unsure what to do about your insulin or medication dose.

Testing

Test your blood or urine four or more times a day and night (ie at least eight times in a 24-hour period) and write the results down. If you are not well enough to do this, ask someone to do it for you. Your test results are your guide as to how you are getting on and if you contact your GP or a member of your diabetes care team, they will want to know the results so they can advise you on your medication or insulin dose.

Ketoacidosis

When diabetes is out of control as a result of severe sickness, it can lead to a condition called diabetic ketoacidosis or diabetic coma if you have Type 1 diabetes. The body produces high levels of ketone bodies causing too much aciditiy in the blood.

Testing for ketones

If you have Type 1 diabetes and your blood glucose level is 15 mmol/l or more or you have two per cent or more glucose in your urine, you will also need to test your urine or blood for ketones. They are a sign that your diabetes is seriously out of control. Ketones are especially likely when you are vomiting and can very quickly make you feel even worse. If a ketone test is positive, contact your GP or diabetes care team immediately.

Food and drink

It is important to keep taking your medication as normal and drink plenty of sugar-free drinks. Aim to drink at least three litres (five pints) a day. Try to keep to your normal meal pattern, but if you are unable to, for any reason, you can replace some or all of your meals with snacks and/or drinks that contain carbohydrate such as yogurt, milk and other milky drinks, fruit juice or sugary drinks such as ordinary (non-diet) cola or lemonade. You may find it useful to let fizzy drinks go flat to help keep them down.

Reviewed December 2009
Next review June 2011