What do I do if I have nausea or vomiting and I'm a diabetic?

What do I do if I have nausea or vomiting and I'm a diabetic?

Anne Peters, MD, FACP, CDE (Professor and Director of Clinical Diabetes Programs, USC Keck School of Medicine) gives expert video advice on: Does taking additional insulin correct a high blood sugar level?; Why is my blood pressure important if I have diabetes?; What are the most common causes of death for people with diabetes? and more...

When people with diabetes develop nausea and vomiting, it can be actually quite serious because, if you've given insulin or you've taken an oral medication that lowers your blood sugar levels and you can't eat or drink, you can get very dehydrated and your blood sugar levels can fall. So, in many cases, people with the symptoms of nausea and vomiting will need to go to the emergency room. But the caveat is if you can call your health care team, they can advise you what to do. They can teach you about how to take care of your diabetes when you're sick. They can give you medication to stop the vomiting, then you might not have to go to the emergency room. But it's the kind of situation where many people with diabetes need to contact their physician and then get some assistance. We always give our patients sick day rules so they know what to do when they're sick and I try to prepare people but when someone's sick who has diabetes like that I just want them to call me because I want to know so I can help them through it. It's one of those things you don't want to mess around with but you really want to see the person and do what you can to get them better.