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08/19/09 10:26 PM

"Does drinking water help to lower an elevated Blood Sugar?"

Asked By: sherrywindham

Category: Type 1

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I am a school nurse and this is the therapy that has been prescribed for a sixth grade student. I am not familiar with this in place of insulin therapy.

Expert Answers (1)

08/20/09 06:51 AM

Drinking water helps dilute bood and "flush out" some sugar; it also helps with dehydration, which can occur with high blood sugars. Itn no way REPLACES insulin or any other drug used to treat diabetes. It won't lower blood sugar persay, but helps along with insulin to lower blood sugar faster. Water is always the best beverage in my opinion.

Answered By: susan sloane

Accreditations: B.S.,Rph.,C.D.E.,Nutritionist

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Community Answers (7)

08/28/09 09:52 PM

Careful!!! I ALWAYS drink lots of water plus give an insulin bolus when my BG is high. I feel it makes a world of difference. In fact, during college I was having a string of high unexplained blood sugars, and one hot day I drank probably double the water I usually did (usual = not enough), and my blood sugar came in better the next few unbelievable times I checked! BUT, as I found out at the hospital, too much water at one time not only dilutes sugar, but it can also dilute minerals your body needs. I started vomiting. To me diabetes plus vomiting equals hospital...and when I got there, the ER doctor suggested I include a diet soda (like diet 7up or Fresca) for the nausea, and it worked wonders! Just a tip I've used ever since.

Answered By: angelcat_82

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08/28/09 09:49 PM

Answered By: angelcat_82

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08/27/09 11:02 AM

Lots of water to maintain hydration is great, but I would contact the parents or maybe the MD to clarify if this is indeed all that is being done to treat. Maybe the extra water is only while at school (where everyone is classically dehydrated) and other treatments are being offered in the home. What is the child's blood sugar? If it is controlled with only this, then fine. If not, you have a good reason to approach the parents to suggest further interaction with the doc for better treatment options.

Answered By: sa_rose

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08/26/09 03:28 AM

Answered By: helen@morris

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08/25/09 03:38 PM

First of all, if your student is type 1 then in no instance is water a sustitute for insulin. But it can help, if the persons blood sugar level is raised then water will help flush out the sugar in their system, and if it raised enough for them to have ketones then it is essential that they get as much fluid into them as possible, if this is the case they should also seek immediate medical attention. ketones can be tested for in two ways, either by blood testing (if the person owns a monitoring machine that does this) or by urinalysis. I hope this helps.

Answered By: robsgirl

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08/25/09 03:21 PM

I don't have any background to answer this for sure, but for me, yes, if I notice my bg is elevated, I immediately start drinking water, and retest in an hour and it comes down.? No one gave me this advice, its just something I found out on my own.

Answered By: fairygodmother

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08/20/09 10:55 AM

It lowers it per say but is not a replacement for insulin at all. If you are asking for a student that is type 1 the fact is they need the insulin, if the student is tpye 2 some use water to help flush out the high glucose.

Answered By: furball64801

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