• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

bipolar and type 2

ally1

Expert
Messages
5,402
Location
suffolk
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
liver
I saw my psych yesterday. Reluctantly he has put my anti psycotic up.
Reason for that, is I am having a rather bad phase. The med on the whole is helping me but the increase is to tide me over. The med is Apperently notorious for affecting blood levels especially who have diabetes.
I have tried other meds with not much help.
Over the past 8 months on this med, my appetite has increase and am worried as scared that hunger will get worse. Also in that time, there is a slight rise in my blood levels.
I explained to my psych that I am testing regular and I casually said about funding the test strips myself.
He was flabbergasted that I was self funding. I explain that very few type 2,s get strips on prescription. And that type 2,s on a certain med, can,t thing of the name or on Insulin, are issued with test strips.
My psych is writing to my gp to say that at the moment the anti psycotic I am on can cause higher levels in diabetics and is asking if he can have a change of heart and issue me with the strips.
I am not confident that my gp will.
My psych also said that with this med and higher blood levels that my gp should be doing more blood monitoring then once a year.
So at the moment I am just not sure what to do
 


Hi Ally1, I have read some articles that indicated the possibility of bipolar resulting from psychiatric drugs, including lithium which I have been on for 35 years. Dr. Mogens Schou, the Pioneer of lithium research knows that this is a great drug, but also gives the advice of lithium holidays-- that is a break should be given once in a while. Also there is an insipid diabetes but not with lithium. So many drugs can cause diabetes as they interfere with the metabolism and given every single day.
 

Sounds like the consultant is keen to look after you, and that you be looked after properly by others. He sounds like a keeper!

Hopefully your GP will play head to his letter and prescribe your strips.

I appreciate how you struggle with it all, with the juggling you have to do, but honestly, ally, you have made great progress in the last year or so, so please don't be disheartened.
 
You have my admiration @ally1 - both conditions are difficult to deal with on their own - having both together can't imagine how hard it is. You work so hard and succeed very well - I have no advice only support and hope your GP reconsiders on your test strips - you deserve his support xxx
 
Oh sorry to hear this.
I hope the increased medication will do it's job and you start feeling better soon.
Good luck with getting your testing strips on prescription.
 
@ally1 I have nothing but admiration for your tenacity with D. I have a friend who is Bipolar, so I do witness from time to time the enormous range of highs and lows. My DN told me six months ago that from now on I only needed an annual check. I rang the surgery 2 weeks ago and booked some blood tests. When I went to the surgery yesterday I asked if B12 was being tested, No was the reply, so I said "it should be" and out came another test file
If I were in your shoes I would book an Hba1c test as and when I want one, within reason. I will get the results next week, and will decide if I want a chat with the DN depending on the results.
In my surgery, and its a rural one, the left hand has no idea what the right one is doing.
I suggest you book a test every 3 months, they can only say no
 
I am also in awe of what you have done to combat diabetes and all the weight you have lost. You have done brilliantly despite all that has happened to you. Keep on going and don't be disheartened.

Look on the bright side. Your consultant is caring for you, and if you get strips on prescription and more frequent blood tests that has to be a big plus. xx
 
@ally1 I too admire your fight with diabetes. I must say you mostly win the war. Like you've indicated testing is the key to see which foods are the most volatile. Too many nuts or too much protein can affect me just as carbs.
I'm most impressed with your weight loss and no insulin.
You are a winner. Just keep an eye on those surprising higher bgs for their culprits. Then it will level out with meds causing her bgs too.
Your best is always good enough!
Well done. ♡♥♡
 
@ally1 - I was wondering if you have ever been tested for thyroid conditions? Apparently there is a very high number of people diagnosed with bipolar and other mental disorders that have undiagnosed thyroid disease. If you haven't already been tested, it would be a good idea to have this ruled out.

You also need to be tested for more than just TSH to rule out thyroid - the full thyroid panel is: TSH, Total T4, Total T3, Free T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, Anti-TPO and Anti-thyroglobulin antibodies.

Hope the doctors can work out something that works for you
 
I will ask my gp
 
Thank you. I do admit it's so hard to deal with being diabetic and having bipolar.
 
Thank you. I doubt that my gp will issue me with a meter or strips. I just hope that my gp will do 6 monthly blood test
 
I will speak to my surgery. I find it the hardest when I am hyper because I eat and eat
 
Jo123 said:
Oh sorry to hear this.
I hope the increased medication will do it's job and you start feeling better soon.
Good luck with getting your testing strips on prescription.
Click to expand...
I am not hopeful about getting the strips on prescription
 
Thank you. It's so hard to deal with both.
 
ally1 said:
I will speak to my surgery. I find it the hardest when I am hyper because I eat and eat
Click to expand...
Me too.
I have to get a bag of frozen veg out and distract myself with what I can do with it to make it delicious. I might even nibble cheese while I'm waiting for them to cook.
Use your faithfuls to distract you. Frozen veg, cheese, coffee and cream.
On a odd day I cave in but if I use veg as my distraction the fat in cheese etc appeases me til veg meal.
I've had a stir-fry for breakfast and my cholestrol was good and hba1c was 51.
Throw the rules of a meal in the air and eat what YOU need.What keeps your bgs low.
Pork scratching yesterday and my fbg is 4.5 hun.
Who would have thought pork scratching can help me lose weight???
 
ally1 said:
I am not hopeful about getting the strips on prescription
Click to expand...
If you have an underlining condition which needs your bg to be monitored closer. You should be granted strips hun.
Your bipolar specialist is saying that IS the case for you. I'd be disgusted if you get refused.
 
ally1 said:
Thank you. I do admit it's so hard to deal with being diabetic and having bipolar.
Click to expand...
I admire you too and also think you are a winner. I get depression in addition to the diabetes so cannot imagine what it must be like to deal with bipolar as well. Big hug coming your way
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…