new to taking insulin - some questions

Badboydavey1

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Morning,ummmm this maybe a stupid question (3 part question) but I have been type 2 since May 5th 2016 I'm on full metformin and full gliclazide now yesterday my nurse put me on preinstalled insulin pen and I have to have 10ml or units every morning now I have done my BG levels and they are 13.2 now do I take my insulin (it won't just drop my levels so I have a hypo)
Question 2 --- I no where to place the needle into my body but how long do I press down on the button to release the insulin and will it only release 10ml and not all the insulin (I no how to set my pen to 10 on pen thanks


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Mep

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,461
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
Morning,ummmm this maybe a stupid question (3 part question) but I have been type 2 since May 5th 2016 I'm on full metformin and full gliclazide now yesterday my nurse put me on preinstalled insulin pen and I have to have 10ml or units every morning now I have done my BG levels and they are 13.2 now do I take my insulin (it won't just drop my levels so I have a hypo)
Question 2 --- I no where to place the needle into my body but how long do I press down on the button to release the insulin and will it only release 10ml and not all the insulin (I no how to set my pen to 10 on pen thanks


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What type of insulin are you on? Is it a mixed insulin? or just a basal insulin?

You would take your insulin as instructed. I'm not sure if 13.2 was your fasting BGL number in the morning? If so then you shouldn't have a hypo taking 10 units of insulin. You'd be eating as well and you say you're on metformin and gliclazide as well.

Question 2: I was taught to inject and wait 5 seconds before pulling the needle out.
 

Badboydavey1

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Ok thanks I'm not on mixed insulin yet but my diabetes nurse thinks I might be better off going on mixed and taking me off glitlazite but the pen I use is called humbling r and it's a basal insulin to help background insulin to cover between meals


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Mep

Well-Known Member
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1,461
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
Umm she didn't say what my fasting BGL is cause my levels go from 13 upwards and end up 30s evening


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Ok, so you wake up on 13.2? That is a high reading and it's unlikely you'd hypo on 10 units of basal insulin. The basal is to cover the day and it wouldn't really deal with spikes from your meals... your metformin and gliclacide would do that. If you're going up during the day it's because the basal is wearing off.

They will obviously monitor you and if your sugars aren't coming down they may adjust your dosages, etc. I'm not sure what your diet is like but that could be a factor for you as well.
 
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Badboydavey1

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Type 2
At the moment my weight is 9stone 13 pounds just alittle under weight and my diet is more fresh meat, vegetables,fruits, but my nurse says you still have to have some starchy foods with meals which I do etc baked potato,small portion of rice (not takeaways)


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Mep

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,461
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
At the moment my weight is 9stone 13 pounds just alittle under weight and my diet is more fresh meat, vegetables,fruits, but my nurse says you still have to have some starchy foods with meals which I do etc baked potato,small portion of rice (not takeaways)


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ah, well you'd probably need to review the portion of carbs you're eating in that case. 13-30 sugar range is real high. Potatoes and rice would just hike your sugar up. I don't fair well with vegetable carbs personally as I get either too low or too high after eating. I have to be careful. There's plenty of others here that follow the low carb high fat diet... you may want to look into that if you haven't tried it. I wish you the best. :)
 
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Badboydavey1

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Thankyou for your advice but my nurse knows what I eat by my diary I keep and she thinks it's alright ??


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ladybird64

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1,731
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Dishonesty, selfishness and lack of empathy.
I have been type 2 for many years. I am an spat living in Spain, when in UK my diabetic nurse was telling me to increase my insulin (3 rapid during day) (1 slow at night) Basically when l moved to Spain l had a hyper and unknown to me l was acting weird. I didn't know an ambulance was here and they were unable to get my glucose sorted so was taken to hospital. I didn't even know l was in an ambulance. I finally came to in a hospital bed. I have to admit my levels were normally all over the place from 4 to 14+, not good l know.
I was on drips but NO food. After a few days the dr saw my hubby and me and said he was disgusted with my insulin doses... B/fast 100. Lunch 50... Dinner 70... Bed time 100 slow response.... He told me to stop day ones and and decrease night to 80... This l did and my levels were roughly the same as before... So what were the day ones doing. .


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Ho. I know this isn't addressing your insulin question, but as your bg levels are unstable, have you looked at addressing your diet too? Cutting carb levels will often help to reduce your bg levels - what type of foods are you eating? Maybe it would be possible to stabilise your levels a bit?
 
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ladybird64

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,731
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Dishonesty, selfishness and lack of empathy.
Morning,ummmm this maybe a stupid question (3 part question) but I have been type 2 since May 5th 2016 I'm on full metformin and full gliclazide now yesterday my nurse put me on preinstalled insulin pen and I have to have 10ml or units every morning now I have done my BG levels and they are 13.2 now do I take my insulin (it won't just drop my levels so I have a hypo)
Question 2 --- I no where to place the needle into my body but how long do I press down on the button to release the insulin and will it only release 10ml and not all the insulin (I no how to set my pen to 10 on pen thanks


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Hiya. It might be an idea to do a separate thread for your question Davey, start your own thread or ask admin to move this?
 

Badboydavey1

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Morning I'm taking 1000mg metformin in morning with 160mg gliclazide morning and 10ml basal insulin morning and also 160mg gliclazide with main meal (6pm) now I started insulin on the 8th July and I'm still waking up with high BG levels 8th July 13.9
9th July 13.2 , 10th July 13.9 , 11th July 17.2 now I'm also getting hot sweats and lightheaded in the day now my question is should I ring my diabetes nurse ?? Oh they are treating me as trod 2 but cause I suffer from chronic pancreastes my specialist said it looks like my pancreastes is slowing down and it will eventually stop producing insulin


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AndBreathe

Master
Retired Moderator
Messages
11,342
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Morning I'm taking 1000mg metformin in morning with 160mg gliclazide morning and 10ml basal insulin morning and also 160mg gliclazide with main meal (6pm) now I started insulin on the 8th July and I'm still waking up with high BG levels 8th July 13.9
9th July 13.2 , 10th July 13.9 , 11th July 17.2 now I'm also getting hot sweats and lightheaded in the day now my question is should I ring my diabetes nurse ?? Oh they are treating me as trod 2 but cause I suffer from chronic pancreastes my specialist said it looks like my pancreastes is slowing down and it will eventually stop producing insulin


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I think you should call; even if just for reassurance.

I'm guessing they're taking the dosage steadily, so as not to stress your body too much, but if you're feeling "off", it would be useful to understand if that "off" is just your body getting used to the new regime or if something needs a little tweaking.
 
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azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
As you've had some high sugars @Badboydavey1 they may be aiming to bring your levels down gradually. Your insulin dose may need adjusting but don't worry about that too much. Just keep in touch with your DSN, keep good records of your test results, and then your DSN can slowly tweak your insulin to get the best control for you :)
 
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Badboydavey1

Well-Known Member
Messages
163
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Thankyou AndBreath and azure for replying to post I think I will give her a ring at 1pm that's when I'm dues to test BG levels and I'm keeping a good record of readings and what I eat.


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