Sick Days

Meet Your D-Team Blood Glucose Checks Insulin Hypoglycemia Hyperglycemia Ketoacidosis (DKA) Sick Days Healthy Eating Celebrations Exercise

Having the cold or flu is definitely no fun. If you have diabetes, it can also make your blood glucose levels go crazy.

Always talk to your D-team about what you should do when you get sick.

Here are some tips on what you can do to help keep your blood glucose in check. Again, be sure to call your D-team when you are sick for specific guidance.

• Keep taking your insulin. You may think it would make sense to cut back since you're not eating as much, but when you're sick, sometimes you need more insulin. Stay in contact with your D-team when you're sick.
• Eat regularly. You may not have much of an appetite, but it's important to try to get some carbs at meal times. If you're having trouble keeping food down, try sports drinks, juice, soup broth, or even a frozen fruit bar.
• Drink a lot of water. When you're sick you're always in danger of becoming dehydrated. Stick to non-caffeinated drinks. If you have trouble keeping fluids down because you are throwing up, drink small amounts – sips, or just a teaspoon or so – at a time, about every 5 minutes. This will help keep you from getting dehydrated.
• Talk to your D-team about what kinds of medicines they recommend.
• Check your blood glucose often, every 2-4 hours. Since blood glucose can go crazy when you're sick, it's good to keep a close eye on it.
• Check your ketones often. The biggest danger when you're sick is DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis). If ketones get too high and you don't treat it, you could get even sicker! If you are vomiting or have diarrhea, check even more often.
   
  

Sick Day Snacks
You may not feel like eating what you normally eat when you're sick so here are some snack ideas. These snacks have about 10-15 grams of carbs in them.

Fluid Snacks

• 1 double-stick Popsicle®
• 1 cup Gatorade® or sports drink
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup soup
• 4 ounces apple or orange juice
• 1/2 cup regular soft drink (not diet)
  

Food Snacks

• 6 saltines
• 5 vanilla wafers
• 4 Lifesavers®
• 3 graham crackers
• 1 slice dry toast (not light bread)
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup cooked cereal
• 1/2 cup ice cream or frozen yogurt
• 1/2 cup regular ice cream
• 1/2 cup sugar-free pudding
• 1/2 cup regular (not sugar-free) Jell-O®
• 1/2 cup custard
• 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup sherbet or sorbet
• 1/4 cup regular pudding