Hello -
First, does your husband monitor his
blood glucose levels regularly? I would hope so, especially since these symptoms have arisen. If so, could you pass along a typical number?
Second, with
diabetes, gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach) sometimes accompanied by intestinal paralysis may be seen as a complication of long-term
diabetes because of the tendency of the disease to damage nerves, both sensory and autonomic. The autonomic nervous system, which helps the intestines to process and digest, can become dysfunctional, resulting in faulty digestion, with all the symptoms you have listed.
The odor, sweet, sometimes like fingernail polish remover or rotten apples, is frequently encountered with diabetic acidosis. This is a very serious sign if it correlates with unusually high serum glucose levels. If the glucose levels are within acceptable limits then there may be something else going on, and I would hope your husband would have been (or will soon be) seen again by his doctor, to come up with a treatment plan. There are dietary changes, medications and other possible therapies to treat this, as well as sometimes the need to change or discontinue certain other medications which may be helping to enable the problem.
It is important, both for the comfort and peace of mind of the patient, and sometimes for his basic well-being, that he be fully evaluated and the appropriate medical management be started.
I hope your husband's doctor will be taking the appropriate steps to manage this problem, and soon.
Best of luck to you both. Please follow up here as needed.
