I am a type 2 diabetic. Have been for 12ish years. My HBA1C for the last 10 years have been > 100. Very last one was 95, so moving in the right direction but a long way from where I want to be.
I have had 2 episodes of pancreatitis, one 9 years ago, one 6 years ago. 6 years ago I nearly died, but didn't.
Excluding this year, my blood sugars have ranged from 4 to 34+ (off the scale). Probably averaging around 20 during the day. I have been prescribed Lantus, Metformin, Nova Rapid. I had a c-peptide test a few months back, and my pancreas is producing insulin but not a lot. At some points I was taking over 100 units a day of insulin (mixture of both). I could never control my diabetes... until now.
I have damaged eyes and feet, I need three lots of laser eye surgery next month, and have been given gabepentin for my feet pain, although I don't take these because of the potential side effects.
I am desperate to come off my meds, and let my body regulate my functions, lose weight, and control my diabetes with diet alone. I ultimately believe I am insulin resistant, and insulin insufficient, both at the same time.
I am under the control of my local hospital, and they want me to up my carbs, (it is better to have more fibre in diet through wholegrains apparently, and need to drink milk etc) which will lead to more injections, but that is ok in their eyes. I therefore am reluctant to discuss my plans with them as their advice is wrong in lots of respects, I feel.
So at the end of March 2021, I turned a corner - I walk 5k every morning, around 6am, I am strict low carb, less than 20g per day, have cut out my vice: Pepsi Max, and am working really hard to get my sugars down. Whilst I exersize I listen to youtube, with people such as Dr Robert Lustig, Dr Zoe Harcombe, Dr Ken Berry, Dr Brett Scher and many more. I gleam more and more information, however mostly they talk about Type 2, not type 2 plus a damaged pancreas.
Taking around 20 units of lantus per day, I have got my blood sugars down to between 5 and 7, which is excellent for me and I wouldn't really ask for much better, however I am worried that the insullin will cause long term harm, and for the last week I have stopped taking all my meds. I believe that type 2 isnt high blood sugar, but high insullin, and I won't get my insillin down by injecting it!
Without medication over the last week my blood sugars are between 7mmol and 10mmol. I wake at about 8.5mmol and they vary throiugh the day. I am happy with these levels at the minute (compared to the last 10 years!!), but also know that I want them to be better too (but without the medication). I reckon that if I get some weight off (I am currently 15st, I used to be 19st before my first episode of pancreatitis), then my pancreas might produce the right amount of insulin, I might become less insullin resistant and having better metabolic health over the next few months might get my blood sugar down, and have better overall health.
I think if I continue to take medication, then I will be on it for life, and I really don't want that. My plan is to try and continue on low carb (keto < 20g), and work up my exersize, and eat real food, cut out processed etc for the next couple of months, and see where I am then. I think it is OK to have my bloody sugars slightly higher for a few months whilst I work on this, and hopefully I will see them coming down. I am testing my blood sugars 5 or 6 times a day, and my blood ketones a couple of times a week (usually between 2 and 4).
Does anyone else have any tips or thoughts they can add? Does anyone have any similar experiences of experimenting? Thanks for reading.