Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin???

[Jill2605]

Hi,
I have been diagnosed with diabetes for 2 years and was initially on tablets, and maintained a healthy weight of 8.5 stones, (i'm not anorexic, i'm only 5'3!!) but since i was put on humalog and lantus 6 months ago, I have gained a stone!!! I understand the reasonings behind this, but recently I have taken exercise more seriously (not so much diet, as I eat healthily anyway) and my sugar levels have been consistantly 5-6 and below... Is there any chance if my sugar levels stay this way that I could ever go back to tablets??! I am starting to get a bit depressed, as none of my clothes fit anymore, I speed walk 4 miles a day and no matter what I do my weight just seems to carry on going upwards and not downwards! Someone give me a bit of hope please!!!
Thank you for listening to me whinging!

 

[CollieBoy]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

Jill,
I did go backward from insulin. Started on 18u Lantus, & 3x 18u Novorapid when I was diagnosed T2 in April ' 08. :shock: Went lower carb and now on 40mg Gliclazide HbA1c was 6.0 in Dec next one due end April and hopeful into 5.x territory as have to bump up arbs regularly to stay above 5.5 for DVLA :evil:
Hardest things are : avoiding daughter's hi carb D&T food :cry: and getting enough exercise as had bleed stroke in April '08. :shock:

 

[Jill2605]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

Oh my goodness! How are you after the stroke?? We have no diabetes in the family, I am the break in the rule - (obviously the milkmans daughter!! :lol: haha!) But my grandad had quite a few strokes and my mum has high blood pressure, so it's also a worry... Hope you are on the mend and sending you all my best wishes.

Wow, your reply really gives me hope... I've been researching low carb diet books and recently bought one on-line, but it's not that great and most of the recipes are quite high in fat even though they are low in carbs! Any recommendations?... Which recipe books did you go for?

Thanks for your reply... very much appreciated

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

Hi Jill I was diagnosed with an HbA1c of 12.9% and placed straight on insulin, 10 units of Humulin I at night and 10 units of Humulin s before meals. Within a week I had settled at 12 units of each and then started a lowish carb lifestyle, bought a smaller diner plate and eat about half as much food as I used to.

I lost 4 stone in weight and came off insulin after a year and am now stable on 1000mg Metformin twice a day. Every HbA1c I had after the initial one at diagnosis has been under 6%, fingers crossed it continues

I was on steroids at diagnoses which undoubtedly caused my diabetes and coming off them definitely helped me to come off insulin but by the time I finally stopped the steroid I was taking just 4 units of Humulin I at night and between 3 and 5 units of Humulin S before meals.

If you have not read the Information For The Newly Diagnosed before I urge you to read it (just click the high lighted link) as it explains all about carbohydrates and how they affect us. If you cut back on the carbs and eat less it can be done Otherwise it can become a viscous circle, you take insulin, you eat more, you put on weight, you become more insulin resistant, you need more insulin :cry:

 

[HLW]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

If you have had to go onto insulin after just 2 years, were previously a healthy weight, and have no family history of diabetes, are you sure it's type 2 diabetes? Have you been tested to see if it's type 1?

 

[CollieBoy]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

Jill,
Who was your family milkman? :lol:
I too had no D in my family. I have got on very well after my stroke, probably due to always having been physically strong, bloody-mindedness and a desire to p**s off the HCPs :lol:
Apart from loss of feeling in thumb/index finger, inability to run a 4 minute mile ( I would fall over :evil: )and loss of a razor sharp intellect ( just a grumpy old s*d now) I have recovered well.

 

[Geoff]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

Hi Jill,
I see that you are classed as being type 1.5. or LADA (Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults) it is systematic of this class of diabetes, that insulin is not normally required for on average four years post diagnosis. But as with all types of diabetes it is progressive, so eventually it is very likely that you will require to take insulin on a daily basis.

But to answer your question, if you body is still producing enough insulin and it is sensitive to it, there is every likelihood that you could reduce or even stop taking it for now, as long as you continue to test and monitor your bs on a regular basis.

Very few GP’s or specialists are enlightened about this type of diabetes here in the U.K. so anything you try will generally be without official support.

 

[Jill2605]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

Thanks all for your replies....

I spoke to my diabetic nurse recently, who I asked the same question... She told me that the consultant suspects that I am actually type 1 late onset, which she said unfortunately means that I may never come off Insulin... After continuing my exercise however and after buying umpteen lo carb cookbooks (all I found were useless as if they are lo in carb they seem to be high in fat!), I am down to 9st, but I seem to have stopped there... We'll just have to wait and see! I'll keep you posted, once agin, thanks for your replies.

 

[RussG]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

Hi Jill,

Well done on starting to move the weight.

I'm in exactly the same boat - no family history, diagnosed type 2 a couple of years ago, became fairly ill late last year and moved onto insulin as a temporary measure whilst waiting for tests. Doc says I'm either late onset type one or LADA and has said lifelong insulin. Even if LADA, he said that his view was that I had needed to go onto insulin to bring my blood sugars down and it was working, so keep me on it. I put almost 2.5 stones on over four months with the insulin but have gone quite low carb to start to shift some of it and have lost 3lbs so far - only another 29 to go! Exercise has definitely helped me too.

I had the same thought as my levels are really good at the moment, between 4 and 6 almost all the time as a result of the diet, and thus not much Apidra at all. I thought I might be able to drop the insulin but forgot the fact that the 22 units of Lantus a day are what's really helping me get there. Consultant reminded me of this.

Anyway, good luck!

 

[Jill2605]

Re: Can you ever go back to tablets after starting insulin??

Thank you for that reply... Sorry to hear that you've suffered too, but it does help knowing that it's not me doing something wrong, just this horrible disease!!! My consultant told me I'd just put a few pounds on with lantus :shock: .... a few?!!! We'll get there in the end hey?... on the right track!.... Hopefully!! :roll: