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what am i doing wrong

H

hill4332

Active Member
Messages
33
Location
evesham
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
I am 67 diagnosed in 2000.Initially diet ,then tablets and then victosa and fogyxa .Hbiac came back this year at 73 so they said it was time to go onto Insulin.They started me on Abasaglar(glARGine) -16 but adjusted in increments of 2 each week -now at 27 taken at night (10pm) along with Victosa(1.2) . My am reading comes around 6-8 but by the evening after food and before the two injections(around 10pm) are between 15-23 .They then said to take 1000 mg of metformin modifed release around breakfast time but this doesnt seem to make any real difference..Now told to carry on till next HB1 test in October .
Cant work out why nothings working other than in the morning.Am i taking them at wrong times or wrong amounts
I have tried changing when i take them all but nothing changes.
Only had one weired experience when i let the dog out early one morning and whilst i could see short distance looking through the french doors was like a misted window-tested but came out at 8 -then it went.
Excercise is limited to walking as being on state pension gyms/pools would be too expensive-round here £30 per month
Whats going off and any thoughts.Can i incresa the insulin even further .Victosa worked at 0.6 but seemed to go in reverese at 1.2 so not sre its working
Other meds are for blood pressure and also on lansoprozole
 
Good morning
I can't comment on your regime as its very different to mine however i just wanted to say hello and welcome.
I'm sure someone will be along soon who is more knowledgeable than me.

All the best
Tony
 
Glargine is a long acting insulin. According to all the graphs, it usually takes about an hour to start working and then lasts for 24 hours although it starts dropping off towards the end.
It sounds as if you may be experiencing this "drop off" and, taking more Glargine in the evening, may result in your BG being too low in the morning.
I know some people split their Glargine dose taking two doses about 12 hours apart to overcome this drop off. As most people are more efficient with their insulin use when they are moving around, they usually take slightly more in their evening dose.

This is the theory but I would suggest talking this through with your GP/healthcare team.

As for exercise, walking is great and I would not knock it as it is cheap and easy to do as much or little as you want/need.
I know some people get their gym membership on/subsidised for health reasons. Is this something on offer in your area?
 
Hi @hill4332 and welcome to the forum!

You mention "Initially diet" - what does that mean? Are you still following a particular diet plan?

I can't speak to any of the medications you're on, but I am wondering what your diet looks like. Many, many people on these boards have been able to control their BG and in some cases live entirely medication free simply by changing what they eat.

I'll tag in @daisy1 who has lots of lovely information for you, and I'm sure lots of others will be along shortly to offer their experience and advice.

Nice to have you aboard - I'm sure you'll learn something helpful

Sock :)
 
when i was diagnosed on around 2000 i joined the other diabetes firm-got the info and read up.The first thing the GP told me was diet and exercise .About 5 years later my wife and I went on an Expert course. Nothing seemed to work and by then i was on different tablets .For the twelve years my HB1 ranged from 73-93 so was just prescibrd different tablets or eventually Victosa. After my last HB1 the nurse said -well the time has come to go on insulin .
My routine eye and feet check have always been OK .I am and have suffered from more than the average amount of stress which im sure affects the readings but despite knowing the levels its ignored by proffeionals as being irrelavent
 
So you're eating freely at the moment? Maybe following the recommendations of the Eatwell Plate, with all those carbs and fruit?
 
i did think that as the original int
helensaramay said:
Glargine is a long acting insulin. According to all the graphs, it usually takes about an hour to start working and then lasts for 24 hours although it starts dropping off towards the end.
It sounds as if you may be experiencing this "drop off" and, taking more Glargine in the evening, may result in your BG being too low in the morning.
I know some people split their Glargine dose taking two doses about 12 hours apart to overcome this drop off. As most people are more efficient with their insulin use when they are moving around, they usually take slightly more in their evening dose.

This is the theory but I would suggest talking this through with your GP/healthcare team.

As for exercise, walking is great and I would not knock it as it is cheap and easy to do as much or little as you want/need.
I know some people get their gym membership on/subsidised for health reasons. Is this something on offer in your area?[/
Click to expand...
Tony337 said:
Good morning
I can't comment on your regime as its very different to mine however i just wanted to say hello and welcome.
I'm sure someone will be along soon who is more knowledgeable than me.

All the best
Tony
Click to expand...
i did wonder whethe
SockFiddler said:
Hi @hill4332 and welcome to the forum!

You mention "Initially diet" - what does that mean? Are you still following a particular diet plan?

I can't speak to any of the medications you're on, but I am wondering what your diet looks like. Many, many people on these boards have been able to control their BG and in some cases live entirely medication free simply by changing what they eat.

I'll tag in @daisy1 who has lots of lovely information for you, and I'm sure lots of others will be along shortly to offer their experience and advice.

Nice to have you aboard - I'm sure you'll learn something helpful

Sock :)
Click to expand...
i did wonder whether as it was the original intention for me to stop taking tablets and maybe Victosa that when the readings during the day stayed very high hat she would tell me to have a further injection around say 10 am as i felt maybe as by then i was around 12 hours into the cycle i needed a top up . However she has just put me on a tablet with a hint of increasing it -that seems to be me to be defeating the original aim of being 100% on insulin .Victosa -im not sure if its even effective -she was initialy talking of getting rid of it but instead im told now to take as normal
 
SockFiddler said:
So you're eating freely at the moment? Maybe following the recommendations of the Eatwell Plate, with all those carbs and fruit?
Click to expand...
When we went on the Xpert course the course leader looked at what our diet was and other than slight changes to portion sizes she said diet was ok. Things like potatoes,pasta,rice were OK .We rarely have crisps and probably only drink 4 pints of alcohol per week mainly at weekends .She couldnt find the overall diet faulty -this was maybe 7 years ago now and we havnt changed it -i am now retired so am not as active and the basic state pension is not generous -you cant do a lot on £140 per week .I wish excercise was available on the NHS-you also used to get free swimming at one time
 
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that your diet is what's causing your diabetes to fly out of control like it is at the moment. Pasta, potatoes, rice, bread... they're high-carb foods and carbs turn into sugar when you eat them. In 7 years, much more has come to be understood about how what we eat impacts our bodies, and the NHS still hasn't changed its advice that diabetics should eat carbs.

Many posters here, particularly (but not exclusively) T2s have been able to control their diabetes using a low carb diet alone. There are other ways out there, but this is the one I'm familiar and seeing results in my own health with. How you adopt it, what limits you set, what you eat is entirely up to you and your BG meter. But I am absolutely certain that cutting your carbs - even just the obvious starchy ones - will give your health a significant boost and bring your diabetes under control so that you're not being constantly prescribed new dosages and medications.

I recommend that you start with the following link:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html

And that you sign up for the Low Carb Program - it's free, it's simple and it will guide you through your first ten weeks while explaining the benefits and giving you some super-handy tips.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/lowcarb/

Finally, I suggest that you find an old notebook and start keeping a food diary that details what you ate, how much you ate and what time you ate it.

Do keep asking questions, do keep posting on these boards - there's a wealth of advice, information and experience here.

Very best of luck,

Sock x
 
Definitely try reducing your carbs. A lot of us Type 2's find that we can't eat pasta, potatoes or rice. Our bodies break the carbohydrates down into sugar, and give us high blood glucose.

As for exercise, there's no need for gyms unless it's really something you want to do. Walking is good, as is cycling.
However, do check with your GP, your local NHS trust and your local council. Mine have a partnership where they do offer free gym and classes at council run leisure centres to those with chronic illnesses who could benefit. It's not overtly advertised, but it is available. So your area may do a similar thing.

Sent from my Pixel using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
hill4332 said:
I am 67 diagnosed in 2000.Initially diet ,then tablets and then victosa and fogyxa .Hbiac came back this year at 73 so they said it was time to go onto Insulin.
Click to expand...

It is very sad, and it makes me angry, but your diabetes progression is typical for those who follow the NHS dietary guidelines.
Eating carbs is the same as eating sugar. Why? Because all carbohydrate converts to glucose once inside the system. Have a look at this link for the amount of sugar in various common foods that the NHS are still recommending.
https://phcuk.org/sugar/

The NHS and others all tell us that diabetes is progressive. I can promise you that this isn't necessarily the case. They say "eat carbs". You do, and you follow the advice carefully. Then wonder why your levels increase. The doctor then increases your medication, but the same thing happens. Medication continues to be increased year on year until, like yourself, you end up on insulin. What a sad state of affairs! All you need to do is reduce the carbs.

Many members of this forum have managed to lower their levels to normal (non-diabetic normal) and gradually reduce their medication. Some have come off it completely. It is surely worth a try?

I also agree, no need for gyms. Walking is the best exercise there is as long as you do plenty of it. Walking is all I do.
 
I second the low carb route! I was diagnosed with an HbA1c of 70mmols/l in May. I began by eating no more than 100g carbohydrate/day for the first six weeks, I then lowered it to 50 - 70g/day. My HbA1c 9 weeks after diagnosis was down to 45! Low carb dieting combined with 500mgs of Metformin x 3/day is working for me. Give it a try!
 
hill4332 said:
Whats going off and any thoughts.
Click to expand...

The replies that you have already received sum it up rather well. Too much carbohydrate. Like everything there are choices, you can eat what you like and take medication (which sadly isn't doing a good job at the moment) or lower you carb intake being very careful if you are taking insulin.

Personally I stopped eating bread, pasta, rice and potato and threw away Gliclazide, Januvia and didn't have to go on insulin. There seems to be a few doctors who encourage eating the eatwell plate amount of carbs which is OK if you're not diabetic. A lot of type IIs on this forum benefit from lowering carbs, I'm down to about 40 gms which comes in the large amount of vegetables that I eat. I did not increase the fat in my diet because my stomach doesn't seem to like it and initially lost several stones. I've recently had to cut protein but that's another story.
 
hill4332 said:
I am 67 diagnosed in 2000.Initially diet ,then tablets and then victosa and fogyxa .Hbiac came back this year at 73 so they said it was time to go onto Insulin.They started me on Abasaglar(glARGine) -16 but adjusted in increments of 2 each week -now at 27 taken at night (10pm) along with Victosa(1.2) . My am reading comes around 6-8 but by the evening after food and before the two injections(around 10pm) are between 15-23 .They then said to take 1000 mg of metformin modifed release around breakfast time but this doesnt seem to make any real difference..Now told to carry on till next HB1 test in October .
Cant work out why nothings working other than in the morning.Am i taking them at wrong times or wrong amounts
I have tried changing when i take them all but nothing changes.
Only had one weired experience when i let the dog out early one morning and whilst i could see short distance looking through the french doors was like a misted window-tested but came out at 8 -then it went.
Excercise is limited to walking as being on state pension gyms/pools would be too expensive-round here £30 per month
Whats going off and any thoughts.Can i incresa the insulin even further .Victosa worked at 0.6 but seemed to go in reverese at 1.2 so not sre its working
Other meds are for blood pressure and also on lansoprozole
Click to expand...
The Lanzaprazole may be interfering with meds. It weakens the stomach acid so tablets do not dissolve. I take mine last thing at night so it is well clear of my meds and supplements.

I have had experience of metformin not working. There is a new generic version being substituted by pharmacies called Sukkarto. I found that the delayed action coating is shellac, i.e. a varnish, and this was not dissolving properly due to my lanzaprazole - i changed back to Metformin proper, and it now works as intended.
 
Oldvatr said:
The Lanzaprazole may be interfering with meds. It weakens the stomach acid so tablets do not dissolve. I take mine last thing at night so it is well clear of my meds and supplements.
Click to expand...

@Oldvatr that is interesting I have been in the habit of taking Lanzaprazole in the morning first thing think I will now take in the evening.

@hill4332 like most others that have posted I also think a modification of your diet to include fewer carbs may help you take back control of your diabetes and reduce your meds.
 
We do tend sometimes to talk on here about the LCHF way of eating forgetting that not everyone can afford to do it if they are on a low income. As the OP said they are living on £140 a week. Rice pasta bread and potatoes are usually the go to foods when shopping on a low budget. The low carb higher fat way of eating is definitely more expensive as often people here have said and has been difficult for some to maintain it when on a low income
 
Pinkorchid said:
We do tend sometimes to talk on here about the LCHF way of eating forgetting that not everyone can afford to do it if they are on a low income. As the OP said they are living on £140 a week. Rice pasta bread and potatoes are usually the go to foods when shopping on a low budget. The low carb higher fat way of eating is definitely more expensive as often people here have said and has been difficult for some to maintain it when on a low income
Click to expand...

It doesn't have to be - I'm a single parent carer living on benefits and - compared to what I used to spend on junk shopping and takeaways - it's a saving. Plus, over time (and I've only been at this 6 weeks) I've been amazed at how my overall consumption and appetite have reduced. 6 weeks in and I'm literally eating half of what I used to pack away in a day.

If you're going to go full-organic, corn-fed, locally produced then, of course, that gets expensive.
 
I am really shocked at the advice you were given.
I cannot understand why people are being told it is OK to eat carbs and push up blood glucose readings to such high levels, to take medication and keep on eating the carbs.
I can't advise on the medication, as I eat low carb and don't need any, but fewer carbs can only mean lower readings - but you would need to be careful as eating low carb is so effective that you could find that you are in danger of going hypo - but having readings in the high teens/low twenties and being told to carry on that way - it is just - well - I'm speechless.
 
Pinkorchid said:
We do tend sometimes to talk on here about the LCHF way of eating forgetting that not everyone can afford to do it if they are on a low income. As the OP said they are living on £140 a week. Rice pasta bread and potatoes are usually the go to foods when shopping on a low budget. The low carb higher fat way of eating is definitely more expensive as often people here have said and has been difficult for some to maintain it when on a low income
Click to expand...

The low carb diet can consist of a great amount of vegetable eating. Fresh veg are cheap. Shopping at the discount supermarkets such as Lidl cuts the cost of just about everything by large amounts. Cheap cuts of meat are cheap enough and nutritious. Not buying biscuits, cakes and sweets saves money. A low carb diet can work out cheaper than the NHS Eatwell Plate with a bit of organisation.
 
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