Blood Sugar

[Jules19901]

Three weeks ago I suffered a Heart Attack and was diagnosed with T2 Diabetes whilst in hospital. I am on 24 units of insulin before breakfast and 14 units before evening meal.

I should have seen the warning signs - Drinking a lot and going to the loo a lot but I didn't.

For the last three weeks I given up full sugar coke (Was drinking 1.5 litres a day), all sugar in tea/coffee, white bread (Only 2-3 slices of wholemeal now) and trying to eat much more sensibly.

After three weeks, I am still getting high blood sugar readings - Before breakfast between 8 and 12 and during the day between 9 and 11.

I was hoping to see it start to come down after three weeks of being good.

Any advice on how long before I start to see it come down - Am I doing something wrong?

Also is 24 and 14 units of insulin high or not?

I am at the bottom of a steep learning curve and very little answers from GP.

All advice appreciated.

 

[EllieM]

I did wonder about that as the hospital carried out no tests other than finger pricks and put me straight on insulin whilst I was an inpatient. Now been on insulin 3 weeks.

There is a c-peptide test which will detect how much insulin you are producing. It's unusual but not unknown for T2s to move to insulin straight away, so I would suggest asking your GP for a test to see if you are T1 or T2. Though you might be on insulin either way, the causes and therefore aspects of the treatment are very different. The advantage of a formal T1 diagnosis (other than that they won't try to move you to T2 medications that don't work for T1s) is that the NHS generally gives priority to T1s over T2s (hospital appointments and potentially continuous glucose monitors).

Good luck

 

[Route 66]

There is a c-peptide test which will detect how much insulin you are producing. It's unusual but not unknown for T2s to move to insulin straight away, so I would suggest asking your GP for a test to see if you are T1 or T2. Though you might be on insulin either way, the causes and therefore aspects of the treatment are very different. The advantage of a formal T1 diagnosis (other than that they won't try to move you to T2 medications that don't work for T1s) is that the NHS generally gives priority to T1s over T2s (hospital appointments and potentially continuous glucose monitors).

Good luck

Thank you so much Ellie. I will speak to the diabetic nurse next week when I see her.