Crazy Moodswings, Irrational Behaviour Of Addisonian Partner, Any Help, Advice?

LouLou

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LouLou

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Humphrey10

LouLou wrote: »

He wasn't able to take any jabs or receive any Addison's medication both when he was in hospital or in the cell, which gobsmacked me. He is covered in bruises from the tremors he had whilst in the cell.

You should (well, he should) make a complaint - did they at least check his blood sugar levels? I'm sorry but I don't know much about Addison's - I don't know how long he could safely go without medication for that for, but if he had very high or low blood sugar levels then that could be a health risk relatively quickly. Maybe contact the diabetes clinic at the hospital?

I can believe the crappy treatment he got.

At the diabetes clinic I attend, they tell us all to contact them ASAP if we are ever admitted to hospital there and the ward staff start looking longingly at our insulin. Because the ward staff will snatch it away given half a chance (along with glucose tablets and blood testing kit), and there is a risk of them either killing you by giving you an overdose, or killing you by withholding it.

LouLou

Humphrey10 wrote: »

You should (well, he should) make a complaint - did they at least check his blood sugar levels? I'm sorry but I don't know much about Addison's - I don't know how long he could safely go without medication for that for, but if he had very high or low blood sugar levels then that could be a health risk relatively quickly. Maybe contact the diabetes clinic at the hospital?

I can believe the crappy treatment he got.

At the diabetes clinic I attend, they tell us all to contact them ASAP if we are ever admitted to hospital there and the ward staff start looking longingly at our insulin. Because the ward staff will snatch it away given half a chance (along with glucose tablets and blood testing kit), and there is a risk of them either killing you by giving you an overdose, or killing you by withholding it.

That's appalling to read, yet most of us have such faith in doctors. I'd have thought Diabetes treatment would be widely understood, and the patient or relatives would be consulted too. It helps me realise why he gets so frightened about Doctors.

I've told him I would like to speak to his Encrinologist and, heaven forbid, if he's in a dangerous situation, I will contact him in future.

Also, I'm buying him Medi-alert silicone wristbands and an engraved card for his wallet, as he doesn't carry anything!! I printed this off for him too, to carry in his bag/jacket: http://www.addisons-network.co.uk/crisis_letter.html

As he sees it, the hospitals are very hit and miss anyway, so what's the point? But he still needs to let others know, just in case he's found unconscious.

Humphrey10

LouLou wrote: »

Alas, this didn't happen when he was at the hospital on New Year's Day. The Doctor wanted to put him on a "sliding scale" of insulin. Boyf said the only effect this has is to make him Hypo (and his Hypos hit very hard and fast, they are frightening to witness). It seems his Addison's wasn't considered at all, which is baffling.

From a quick Google, I don't understand what sliding-scale insulin is - it's too late, and I've got a bad cold. But there were lots of results saying it was not the best insulin regime.

Also I wonder what his blood sugar levels are when he has a hypo - if when he gets symptoms his blood sugar is like 4 or something, then that's OK even if the symptoms are bad - you're conscious and reasonably "with it" until blood sugar is a lot lower than that.

If he doesn't get symptoms until it is a lot lower than that, then maybe he probably has poor hypo awareness - he should get symptoms long before they are dangerous. Speak to a diabetes nurse to see if it is possible to regain hypo awareness - sometimes people let their blood sugar be a bit higher for a while to do this, but I don't know if that would be possible or suitable for your OH.

Humphrey10

LouLou wrote: »

I'd have thought Diabetes treatment would be widely understood, and the patient or relatives would be consulted too.

I have no idea why hospitals have such a problem with it, the basic principles are very simple - dose of long acting insulin once a day (maybe twice), then short acting insulin with mealtimes at a dose depending on what is in the meal. To get good control many people will find that they need to vary a bit from this (eg I find I need less insulin for a meal later in the day - if I eat an identical meal in a morning, and in an evening, I will need less insulin in the evening), but if hospitals could just use that as a starting point they wouldn't kill anyone.

LouLou wrote: »

Also, I'm buying him Medi-alert silicone wristbands and an engraved card for his wallet, as he doesn't carry anything!! I printed this off for him too, to carry in his bag/jacket: http://www.addisons-network.co.uk/crisis_letter.html

Personally, re: diabetes, my view is that if I am found unconscious the hospital will go through my bag and find my insulin. If they don't work out that I am diabetic from that, then there is no hope.
That letter looks useful though, it looks like it has all the info on it that would be needed by a hospital.

LouLou

Humphrey10 wrote: »

From a quick Google, I don't understand what sliding-scale insulin is - it's too late, and I've got a bad cold. But there were lots of results saying it was not the best insulin regime.

Also I wonder what his blood sugar levels are when he has a hypo - if when he gets symptoms his blood sugar is like 4 or something, then that's OK even if the symptoms are bad - you're conscious and reasonably "with it" until blood sugar is a lot lower than that.

If he doesn't get symptoms until it is a lot lower than that, then maybe he probably has poor hypo awareness - he should get symptoms long before they are dangerous. Speak to a diabetes nurse to see if it is possible to regain hypo awareness - sometimes people let their blood sugar be a bit higher for a while to do this, but I don't know if that would be possible or suitable for your OH.

To be honest, I'm not sure what a "sliding scale" is, either. I think it's insulin administered in a slow, steadily-increasing dose. But I will have to ask him to explain it better.

Hypos with his Addison's in the mix are a bit of a mystery to me, to be honest. I will talk to him about this too. All I know is that he has to have sugar fast and it hits him very hard. There's a real panic on, as he says his Hypos can be dangerous.

PS: I had a friend who I knew for around a decade who was Diabetes Type 1, too, and I can't ever remember her Hypos being so frightening or inducing such fear. She would calmly have a cup of tea with sugar and have a cake, but it tended to pass without too much incident.

Humphrey10

LouLou wrote: »

Hypos are a bit of a mystery to me, to be honest. I will talk to him about this too. All I know is that he has to have sugar fast and it hits him very hard. There's a real panic on, as he says his Hypos can be dangerous.

PS: I had a friend who I knew for around a decade who was Diabetes Type 1, too, and I can't ever remember her Hypos being so frightening or inducing such fear. She would calmly have a cup of tea with sugar and have a cake, but it tended to pass without too much incident.

Your friend might have had very good hypo awareness - she might have been able to recognise mild symptoms when her blood sugar was just a tiny bit too low.

Hypoglycemia causes adrenaline production, that's what leads to the sweating, shaking etc. and causes panicky feelings. It's dangerous in that it needs to be treated, but tbh, if someone is aware they are having a hypo, they will treat it themselves, it's quite instinctive.

The problem comes when someone doesn't know they are having a hypo, so won't treat it - aggression is very common and they might refuse treatment (in a leaflets from the diabetes clinic they say don't try and give someone with really low blood sugar anything to eat if they don't want to, unless you want to lose you fingers!) and if you leave it until they are semi-conscious they could choke on anything you give them to eat/drink.
You can get glucose gel you can rub on someone's gums - I am not sure, but I think that is less of a choking risk.

You should have a glucagon hypo kit for emergencies - this is an injection that can be given to someone unconscious from a hypo, it raises blood sugar - it might be an idea for you to have one in your house, if your OH stays there a lot, also he should have one in his house, if you stay there too.

LouLou

Humphrey10 wrote: »

Your friend might have had very good hypo awareness - she might have been able to recognise mild symptoms when her blood sugar was just a tiny bit too low.

Hypoglycemia causes adrenaline production, that's what leads to the sweating, shaking etc. and causes panicky feelings. It's dangerous in that it needs to be treated, but tbh, if someone is aware they are having a hypo, they will treat it themselves, it's quite instinctive.

This is probably why his Hypo awareness is bad, as Addison's Disease means his body doesn't produce adrenaline. Hence the dangerous reaction to stress or injury for Addisonians, which can lead to Addisonian Crisis. The steroids he takes also affect his blood sugars in some way, too.

When I first met him, I would (mistakenly) compare him to my friend and her way of dealing with Diabetes, but I think Addison's makes things much more complicated.

He does carry an emergency adrenaline syringe and vial at all times, but I don't think he has one for Diabetes. I will ask

Humphrey10

Addison's disease doesn't normally affect adrenaline production according to the internets - it's other steroids. Do you mean a hydrocortisone syringe not an adrenaline one? the internet says hydrocortisone is for adrenal crisis. Adrenaline is normally for allergies, I imagine it has other uses (to start heart)
I'm too tired to understand this stuff tbh - but I know from personal experience it is very hard to take in all the information you are given when you are told you have a serious health condition "you have X, here is 1/2 an hour worth of information, any questions?" and you are sitting there in shock. So I wonder has he misunderstood about the adrenaline (or more likely I have misunderstood or not read something).

I don't think he'd ever know he was having a hypo without the symptoms caused by adrenaline. Observers might notice, but the symptoms would be things like confusion etc, by the time the hypo got that bad he wouldn't notice himself - you don't think straight once your blood sugar is that low.

Steroids increase blood sugar. All these things could make his diabetes far harder to control, they could make his blood sugar more variable than normal, I don't envy him.

You wouldn't normally carry around a glucagon kit, if you are out and about and have blood sugar that low you'd probably be causing a scene long before you fall unconscious.

btw, apologies if none of this makes sense or it is rambling, I should go to sleep but I can't face it