Insulin

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Is it normal to be put on insulin before chemo and radiotherapy and then taken off it when this treatment finishes?

  • I was not put on insulin but they were checking my blood sugar so they may not have felt it was needed. It's possible your sons blood sugar has returned to normal.  

  • Hi  . No I don’t think I was but it may be that the chemo tablets raised his blood sugar levels? You could try posting on the Ask a Nurse page?

     Ask a Nurse 

    Take care

    Karen x

    Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
  • I am sorry I asked on here it was the surgery who told him it had been stopped. Later they changed their minds and said that wasn't right he shouldn't stop it. If I hadn't intervened Simon would have taken them at their word.

  • I suggest you both get a bit more on top of this. If he needs insulin all the time then he is diabetic. He should be checking his blood sugar and watching what he eats. Insulin doses are often adjusted based on blood sugar readings. Too much insulin is as dangerous as too little and this really needs attention urgently.  Can you get a referral to an endocrinologist?

    Sorry if I've misread but it sounds like he is blindly taking insulin without a clear understanding of the underlying disease. 

  • No. I would assume you were borderline diabetic or diabetic before hand and they think the Dex would push your blood sugars up too much

  • He is diabetic and has a diabetic nurse it was the surgery who made the mistake and gave him the wrong information 

  • That makes so much more sense now! I'm glad it's been sorted