Hi there, I have not posted since before Brandy's treatments started mainly because I was to busy this stuff takes all your time 24-7 but then you all know that.

My question here is I took Brandy into all her doctors for 6 weeks post treatment follow ups. All seemed to be well, the CT scan was clear and good. YEAH! Everyone said still healing, lots of mucositis yet, mouth still has lots of healing we'll see you in 2 months. Her MO always does blood work which was done this visit and then we received another phone call that night and was told that her blood glucose levels were extremely high (like 675) and if she wasn't diabetic then take her to emergency right away. So we did and what they are telling us now is that it seems she has developed diabetes which just sucks on top of all this other stuff she is dealing with.

They are trying to figure out if maybe the Erbitux or the Jevity feeding stuff could be the cause. Has anyone else here or on the boards ever heard of something like this. Just checking as we are confused. But then she has so many other issues evidently this is just one more.

Thanks for any advice or information. We are really trying to stay strong here.

OK well the silence is deafening here, I guess I will try and go elsewhere to see if I can fine information or support. Thanks anyhway.

Bonnie

Bonniey,

If we are quiet on this topic it's because no one has anything to contribute to this topic. In all the years I have been here I haven't seen this topic mentioned so I sat back to see if someone might have had the same experience but apparently not. Please understand that this site devoted to helping ALL that come here and just because your topic didn't get any responses is no reflection on the posters, it's just no one had anything to say that may help you. The vast majority of us are just experienced in either the patient perspective or the Caregiver's perspective not the total medical side of this cancer. Perhaps Brian or Gary might be able to contribute.

I have never heard of this either,but if i put my logical nurses hat on,i suppose if the liquids are high in sugar content,and the blood sugar was maybe borderline before DX then it could have tipped things over the edge. Did she have any IV fluids with her treatment,like dextrose perhaps?

this forum is great at throwing new things in the mix,and i will be fascinated to see what you find out.

love liz

I've been on this forum since May 2002 and don't remember of anyone posting that they had became diabetic post treatment.

Take crae,
Eileen

Assuming your daughter's blood sugar was tested before, or at other times during her treatment and not been elevated the chemo would be suspect. Drugs such as decedron/dexamethesone are sometimes given in conjuction with chemo drugs and they can cause high blood sugar levels. Drugs can show different side effects with each individual and this could be your daughter's reaction to them. If the drugs have elevated her blood sugar level the high sugar content in the tube feeding would add to the problem. There are tube feedings for patients with diabetes available should she need them. Hope the doctors can sort it all out for her.

Hi
Sorry I missed your post til now. My husband Bob was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes approximately one year post treatment. As he rapidly gained back the wieght he lost during treatment we suspected that might be the cause or a change in his endocrine system/metabolism due to the radiation. NO Drs have ventured a guess to the cause.

Bob had radiation only and no peg or tube feedings.
As the circumstances are different and I do not recall many others mentioning diabetes after treatment I doubt that Bobs experience has bearing on your daughters. It is an interesting question though and I am curious how often this has been the case.

Sounds like you are doing a good job of staying strong ! Keep on one day at a time.

Interesting

I was type two before starting treatments and I am just now having to get back on my medications.

Kevin

Bonniey & Eileen,

So far I have not heard of diabetes as a post effect of any Cancer itself, except the ones whch may affect pancreas. But there are many things which can contribute to diabetes; like
1) High fructose liquids intake
2) Certain medications which can raise the blood glucose levels,especially taken with in conjunction with other chemo meds.
3) Stress has also been an identified contributing factor to diabetes.
4) Sometimes post cancer treatment due to weakness patients end up adopting a relatively sedentary lifestyle and that can be a contributing factor to diabetes.

I am thinking of all these possibilties just from what I have seen in patients. What I can suggest is instead of regular Blood glucose test, there is a glucose test called HgA1c, which can be a better predictor of someone's predispostion to be a diabetic patient in future,and if that comes out to be positive we can take some proactive measures to keep the glucose levels in check.
Hope it helps.