Manofstone
Newbie
I was diagnosed T2 in 2006, various meds but put on Metformin in 2010. Seemed to help management but constantly bothered by diarrhoea, eventually changed to Humulin M3 insulin in 2019, twice daily. Delighted to be off Metformin and no probs with insulin injection. I have always been relatively slim build so no issue with being overweight. I have minimised sugar by cutting out of tea / coffee, no soft drinks, no alcohol, very few sweets or chocolate, cake, etc but admit I am a sucker for carbohydrates so it's a constant battle to eat healthy but still enjoy eating. My finger prick tests have targeted, with agreement of DN, fasting of 7 mmol/L before breakfast and 10 before dinner approx 6pm. The actual averages over the last 5 years have been 8 and 11, although this includes plenty of spikes up to 17 and lows down to less than 5. Six monthly HbA1c readings are generally around 8.5%.
Over time I have become less sensitive to an impending hypo. Once I get to 5mmol/L I'm in trouble and need a quick fix of jelly babies to avoid sweats, shakes and immobility. The bit that worries me is having an unexpected hypo during the night. Fortunately (really?) I wake 3 or 4 times a night for a pee so can often catch it, but it's not foolproof, and I've been caught frequently (thank god for jelly babies by the bed). So my tactics are to check blood glucose before bed and dose up with carbs if I think it needs it. Doesn't always work, sometimes I will hypo anyway, sometimes I'm just left with unnecessarily high blood glucose all night, none of which are healthy options. It's a bit of a merry go round.
My DN sent me on a carbs awareness course to see if I can adjust diet to level things out. Well, yes, but that's all a bit complex in my household. To me, I should have a Libre type bg monitor rather than having to prick fingers 5 times a day to be aware of potential hypo but apparently I don't qualify on the NHS. Then there is a question, having read various forums, just how reliable and cost-effective these sensors are anyway.
So, any input would be welcome from those with experience of this kind of situation .
Over time I have become less sensitive to an impending hypo. Once I get to 5mmol/L I'm in trouble and need a quick fix of jelly babies to avoid sweats, shakes and immobility. The bit that worries me is having an unexpected hypo during the night. Fortunately (really?) I wake 3 or 4 times a night for a pee so can often catch it, but it's not foolproof, and I've been caught frequently (thank god for jelly babies by the bed). So my tactics are to check blood glucose before bed and dose up with carbs if I think it needs it. Doesn't always work, sometimes I will hypo anyway, sometimes I'm just left with unnecessarily high blood glucose all night, none of which are healthy options. It's a bit of a merry go round.
My DN sent me on a carbs awareness course to see if I can adjust diet to level things out. Well, yes, but that's all a bit complex in my household. To me, I should have a Libre type bg monitor rather than having to prick fingers 5 times a day to be aware of potential hypo but apparently I don't qualify on the NHS. Then there is a question, having read various forums, just how reliable and cost-effective these sensors are anyway.
So, any input would be welcome from those with experience of this kind of situation .
