Taking Care of Yourself When You Are Sick

Plan Ahead for Illness:
  • Early detection and treatment of moderate or large ketones helps prevent hospitalization.

  • It is very important to have a medical contact whom you can call when your are living on your own.

  • Be Prepared! Have a "Sick Day" kit on hand which could include items such as:

    • Regular and diet 7-UP
    • Sports drink
    • Regular and diet JELL-O or pudding
    • Apple juice in small cans
    • Regular Koolaid mix
    • "Cup-of-Soup"
    • Crackers
    • Ketostix (check expiration date on box)

Call Your Medical Contact if any of the Following Symptoms are Present
Try to check your blood sugar and urine ketones BEFORE you call!

  • Moderate to large ketones in the urine with or without high blood glucose levels
  • Severe nausea, vomiting more than twice or abdominal pain
  • Difficulty breathing or "deep breathing"
  • Any unusual behavior such as confusion, slurred speech, extreme sleepiness
  • Severe diarrhea
  • Temperature is over 101° F
  • Dry mouth, cold hands and feet
  • Always Remember to Check Urine Ketones at Least Twice Daily when You Are Sick
  • Check the expiration date on your container of Ketostix, did you mark the date of when you first opened it? Remember, after the bottle is open for six months, buy a new one! (The foil-wrapped Ketostix are good until the expiration date on the box.)
  • If visiting a medical facility is necessary, have someone accompany you.
Suggestions by the clinical staff at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes:
  1. Test blood glucose and urine ketone levels frequently - at least every 3-4 hours.

  2. Always take some insulin. Additional insulin may be needed during illness depending on whether or not ketones are present. Consult your health care provider if help is needed.

  3. If vomiting is present it is still important to take some insulin. Don't ever skip a shot entirely.

  4. If unable to tolerate the usual meal plan, try drinking liquids (including liquids which contain sugar) and soft foods, which contain carbohydrate throughout the day. Eat small amounts frequently.

  5. Regular hard candy or a popsicle can also help keep blood sugar levels up while trying to tolerate sips of liquid. If the blood sugar is over 250 mg, water or diet liquids should be used to avoid dehydration and to decrease the ketones.

  6. Replace fluids if fever, vomiting or diarrhea are present. If vomiting is a problem, take small sips of fluids such as a sports drink, tea, broth, juice, soda pop without the "fizz," etc. (One to two tablespoons every 30 minutes.) If there is not further vomiting, gradually increase the amount of fluid to ¼ cup every 30 minutes or 4 oz. per hour or more as tolerated or as instructed by your medical contact.

Other food suggestions:
Each containing 1 serving or 15gms of carbohydrates
  • ½ cup regular soft drink
  • 1 double popsicle
  • 1 cup broth
  • ½ cup fruit juice
  • 1 slice toast

NOTE: Print and save this for reference. This information is intended to assist you, not to be a substitute for your medical care.