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Dr. Andrew Rynne
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Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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Diabetic, On Insulin Hospitalized With Kidney Failure And Congestive Heart Failure. Prescribed Carvedilol, Calcitriol

My husband was recently hospitalized with kidney failure and congestive heart failure. He has been diabetic for 69 years was on both long lasting and regular insulin. He has been put on low phosphorus, sodium, and potassium diet for two weeks. Also Carvedilol, calcitriol, and Losartan medications for two weeks. Tonight I discovered he has been pretending to take his insulin and hasn t taken any insulin for the last week. His glucose is running 110 to 115, checking it 6 times a day. What has happened? His creatinine was running 3.0 in the hospital. He gets another blood test in two days.
Tue, 18 Mar 2014
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Diabetologist 's  Response
Hi, welcome to our site. I am Dr Saumya Mittal.

Read your query. That is a very significant question and i appreciate your problem. I will try my best to answer your query

The query seems to be why the sugars were normal despite no insulin. The answer lies in your question. He is having kidney dysfunction.

Most of the diabetes medicines are excreted form the body via the kidneys. So if there is a renal dysfunction, the medicine stay in the body much longer.

Of course this is also true for insulin also.

What I would suggest to a patient I was treating would be to get more intelligent, and keep a closer watch on the blood sugars while avoiding the medicines for diabetes and insulin. As soon as you feel and see an increasing trend of the sugars in the record that you should maintain, the insulin may be restarted, in a modified dose of course.

This has nothing to do with the other medicines, so do not think of stopping them- carvedilol, losartan, and calcitriol can continue.

I hope this helps you. Inform the reports mentioned above so i can be of help further. Best of luck.

I have given you the answer to the maximum considering the information provided. The results of the tests could further enhance my answer to you.

Please do understand that some details could be extracted from a detailed history and examination.

Looking forward to your return query with the details asked so that I can help you further. Please feel free to ask another query. Would be glad to help you.
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Diabetic, On Insulin Hospitalized With Kidney Failure And Congestive Heart Failure. Prescribed Carvedilol, Calcitriol

Hi, welcome to our site. I am Dr Saumya Mittal. Read your query. That is a very significant question and i appreciate your problem. I will try my best to answer your query The query seems to be why the sugars were normal despite no insulin. The answer lies in your question. He is having kidney dysfunction. Most of the diabetes medicines are excreted form the body via the kidneys. So if there is a renal dysfunction, the medicine stay in the body much longer. Of course this is also true for insulin also. What I would suggest to a patient I was treating would be to get more intelligent, and keep a closer watch on the blood sugars while avoiding the medicines for diabetes and insulin. As soon as you feel and see an increasing trend of the sugars in the record that you should maintain, the insulin may be restarted, in a modified dose of course. This has nothing to do with the other medicines, so do not think of stopping them- carvedilol, losartan, and calcitriol can continue. I hope this helps you. Inform the reports mentioned above so i can be of help further. Best of luck. I have given you the answer to the maximum considering the information provided. The results of the tests could further enhance my answer to you. Please do understand that some details could be extracted from a detailed history and examination. Looking forward to your return query with the details asked so that I can help you further. Please feel free to ask another query. Would be glad to help you. (If the answer has helped you, please indicate this)