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Sick Days

Click here for some tips for Care Partners

TIPS FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES

When you are sick, your body is under stress. To deal with this stress, the body releases hormones that help fight disease. But these hormones have side effects. Being sick can make blood sugar levels go up very high.

Making a sick-day plan ahead of time will help prevent any serious complications. The plan will help you and your Care Partner know what to do, and what supplies should be on hand to help.

HOW TO MAKE A SICK DAY PLAN

Discuss your plan with a healthcare professional. The plan should include directions on how to:

WHEN TO CALL A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL

  • Your blood sugar is higher than 240 after you have taken the amount of medication in your sick-day plan and stays high for more than 24 hours

  • You are not able to take your diabetes medicines because of vomiting

  • Your blood sugar level drops below 70, and you have symptoms of low blood sugar that do not go away after eating food that contains sugar

  • You are sick with a fever and are not feeling better after a few days

  • You vomit or have diarrhea for more than 6 hours

  • You think you are having a problem with your medicine  

  • You are breathing fast

  • Your breath smells fruity

  • Your mouth is dry

  • Your urine is a very dark color

  • You aren't sure what to do to take care of yourself

DURING A SICK DAY

  • Stick to your usual meal plan if you can eat. Drink sugar-free, caffeine-free liquids to stay hydrated, like water, broth, and diet soda.

  • Drink one large glass of liquid per hour to avoid running low on fluids. Extra liquid can help bring  your sugar levels down.

  • Eat mild foods like regular (non-diet) gelatin, crackers, soups, or applesauce if eating regular foods doesn't work.

  • Stick to drinking liquids that contain carbohydrates, like regular soft drinks, juice, frozen juice bars, sherbet, pudding, broth, creamed soups, and fruit-flavored yogurt. 

IF BEING SICK CAUSES CHANGES TO YOUR EATING OR MEDICATION ROUTINE

  • Check your blood sugar every 3-4 hours. If it is not in the normal range, contact a healthcare professional.

  • Continue taking any diabetes medications.

    • Do not stop taking medications, even if you are vomiting. You need the medication because your body makes extra glucose (sugar) when you are sick.

    • The sick day plan may explain how to adjust your medications. Call your healthcare professional with questions.

    • Check the label of over-the-counter medicines to see if they contain sugar. To be on the safe side, ask a healthcare professional about sugar-free medicines

 

 HOW CARE PARTNERS CAN HELP

  • Remember that people with diabetes may need to follow a different routine when they are sick. For example, they may need to eat different foods than usual, drink more fluids, or take their medicine differently. They may need to check their blood sugar more often than usual.

  • Check on them more frequently when they are sick.

  • Suggest that they check their sugars more frequently than usual when they are sick.

  • Suggest that they drink plenty of fluids when they are sick.

  • If this issue is coming up repeatedly, ask whether your partner talked to their healthcare professional about this concern. If they have not, suggest they call their healthcare professional to ask whether it is something their care team thinks is important to their health and if so, make a sick day plan to use now or in the future.

  • Ask your partner more about their feelings about how to deal with days they are feeling sick. You can start by asking them for information on the issue they are facing, what is affecting how important they feel it is to try to address it now, and what might increase its importance for them.