Unstable blood sugar levels after surgery

[BSastry]

hi,

My husband( 46 yrs old) is 4 days post-op and is doing very well according to the doctors. He is still in the hospital and is expected to be home by tomorrow!
He has been walking in the hallways, but gets very tired. His appetite is very poor, mainly because his mouth feels dry(from the breathing tube). He has started taking coumadin since yesterday.
Also, his blood sugar has been unstable since the surgery and is on insulin. Is there anybody who had to be on insulin immediately after surgery? My husband is not diabetic , but we were told that some people tend to have ups and downs in their sugar levels after surgery and that it will become stable after a while. Is this true ?

-Bharati.

[geebee]

I am sorry to hear about your husband's blood sugar issues. I have never had any problems with blood sugar due to surgery (although I am borderline diabetic which I control with diet). I would think, with the trauma that OHS is, anything is possible when it comes to the body getting back to normal. It is so busy healing itself I am sure it could get confused and mess up sugar levels.
Although I am not a medical professional, I would think, if he had no problems before surgery, that this is a result of the trauma and healing. It will probably go away as he gets better.
Try to take comfort in the info you get from the doctors. They may very well be quite familar with this problem and are giving you accurate information.
It is difficult not to worry about someone you love. I am sure that love will make him heal even faster and get his chemistry back to normal.
Smiles,
Gina

[lemonstuff]

You know, the nurses and doctors in CICU kept asking me if I was diabetic in the first couple of days after my surgery. Apparently my blood sugar levels were all out of whack. They gave me a lot of fluids and I ended up with some units of blood... nutritionally I was a mess after the surgery.

I don't know if this is any help to you, but I wanted to let you know that I experienced it. Other than the bicuspid aortic valve I was born with, I was the picture of health going in, so I guess you never know what your body is going to go through with such a traumatic operation.

It sounds as though your husband is on his way to a good recovery if he is up and walking the hospital halls. It is very easy to get sidetracked by all the the "what-ifs" so try to stay positive and get some rest.

Best Wishes, and keep us posted,
Stephanie

[JimL]

I was just talking yesterday with someone who had major abdominal surgery, and has received insulin during recovery. The explanation was offered that this is caused by the IVs. As they push massive amounts of dextrose water into a person after surgery, there are often temporary insulin needs, which then end when the IVs are no longer necessary. This may have nothing to do with your situation, but it made sense to me at the time.

[bvdr]

I was on an insulin drip for the first couple of days after surgery. I was a gestational diabetic but have not had any problems of that nature since (and that was 35 years ago). Sometimes, the body can react very differently when it has been subjected to extreme stress. After the first few days the problem went away. I'm sure too the fluids given could also be a factor as Jim already pointed out.

[Phyllis]

Dick's blood sugar levels were high for the first few days after surgery - he got pretty sick of them punching his finger to read them! They normalized before he was dismissed on his fifth day and he has had no problem since.

[countryboy]

My blood sugar was also high after sugury. The dr. and nurses said this is common. I think I had two shots of insulin as a precaution. Yes, I had my finger pricked all night and day, but the sugar levels finally adjusted and I feel fine. I came home one day earlier thany our husband did. I am walking quite a bit, but have a good appetite. I shaved today and this seems to have worked the arms a little too much.
Hope he keeps getting better,

Bobby

[KathyH]

I am a well controlled diabetic, take Metformin XL. Metformin has to be stopped before surgery date because of the risk of getting Lactic acidosis. I was told up front that I would be put on insulin post op. Dr told me that it was important to have good Blood sugar control post op to help prevent infection. I was put back on my meformin before discharge from the hospital. The surgery puts alot of stress on your body and so that alone can effect your blood sugars, some people have to stay on insulin longer than others. The important thing is to have your diabetes under control so you can heal better. Good Luck.
Kathy H.