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Control of levels

A

abs

Well-Known Member
Messages
261
Location
Bath
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Now i have a relatively good HB1ac of 55 which equates to 7.2 :D considering that three months beforehand it was 12.5 :(
Had my yearly diabetes checkup with the nurse at the doctors surgery today to be honest anything to do with my diabetes is done via the hospital clinics. So she did not do too much, when i said im having real trouble getting my levels below 10 at the moment she suggested it was my diet. Now i have been having a low carb diet worked out today the amount of calories i have eaten plus i have been doing a hours exercise most days. At the moment im only on long acting insulin - very needle phobic so everyone decided this was the best cause of action.

Im just fed up as im trying my hardest to bring my levels down and the nurse critiques the high bg readings when i really dont know what else i can do?
 
Hi abs

You have done well in getting your BS levels down so I would not get too fed up. I'm moving this thread to the Type 1 forum in the hope that other type 1s might be able to give you some advice from their experience.

Take care and be happy

Doug
 
As Doug says getting your Hba1c down from 12.5 to 7.2 is fantastic :)

As your struggling to get your bg below 10 after food then it's likely that you will need to consider taking a short-acting insulin with your meals, I know you say your needle phobic so it's a difficult one but it's in your best interests to get your postprandial numbers down, ask your gp surgery if they can refer you to be seen at the diabetes clinic at your local hospital where their knowledge is more specialised.
 
Hey abs!

Firstly, well done on getting your HbA1c down. That's a great start. Like you, on diagnosis I started on a long-acting insulin only, but despite a very low-carb diet, I had to introduce rapid-acting within a year. I have LADA and it progresses. That's life I'm afraid. I also used to dread injecting, but now I do it 5 times a day. I promise you that you do get used to it. I still don't look forward to it, but I no longer dread it. Take a deep breath, ask for the rapid acting and see how you get on. At first, I only injected with my evening meal, but now I inject for every meal. Maybe you could phase it in like that?

Smidge
 
Hi,

If you're needle phobic, try asking about an insulin pump, as they stay put for three days or so I think?

Congrats on getting your hba1c down, we all get blood sugar blips even with good averages, it's all part of the big balance game, I wish you the best of luck.
 
There are also special accessories like the Novo Nordisk Penmate designed to help people with needle phobias. Ask your doctor about that.

If you want to minimize the number of injections, and insulin mix would also help - two daily injections that combine basal and bolus insulin.

Oh, and your nurse is an idiot for blaming your diet when you're not taking bolus insulin; without that, a low carb diet is the best you can do.
 
Thank you for your replies im already under the hospital due a visit i think next month to them just waiting. The DSN has suggested two options change to injecting x2 a day or using a mixed insulin with short and long acting in it? I know i need to and am happy to inject more i dont like it but its getting easier. On the 3rd November im off to Tanzania so really want to get it sorted out asap.
 
Some of your post meal readings, could be down to the Protein and fats you'll eating..

A low carb diet, replaces the missing carbs with Protein and Fats.

About 50% of Protein breaks down into glucose and impacts on the blood glucose, in a more traditional diet the amount of protein you eat the impact on the blood glucose is negligible, due to it's a slow process and the body tends to burn it off before it really impacts... How ever with the low carb diet, the increased amount can have quite a noticeable effect on blood glucose.. Even if you like I do eat a more traditional diet, with meals such as an omelette which are high protein I have to allow some insulin to cover..

Also within the low carb diet, the increases amount of fat being consumed can increase insulin resistance, so again requiring a higher amount of insulin,

As to the suggestion of using a pre-mixed insulin and 2 injections a day...

It's a possible way around your problems, but for it to be effective means you'll will have to follow a very strict regime, as you will at times need to feed the insulin to avoid a hypo, so it's would be a case of have 3 main meals (breakfast, dinner and tea) and 3 snack (mid morning, mid afternoon and supper) but also each of these meals and snacks need to have a set amount of carbs to them, and be timed.... So if you are having breakfast a 6.30am on work days, you be having breakfast at 6.30am on your days off and hols as well...

This is the method I started with, it was at the time the only regime for the diabetic, the only difference is that I used to draw up, a then quick acting and long acting insulin into one syringe to inject, it didn't come pre-mixed... Lot better as you could adjust either the long or quick to suit better...

If you really don't like injections, perhaps asking about having an insulin pump, yes you still have to insert an cannula, but depending on what type of cannula you using, you only have to change it every 2 or 3 days... And you do get a 'gadget' that will insert the cannula for you... A press of a button and it's in...

I hated the thought of injection before I became diabetic, but did get used to injecting, strangely even though I can inject insulin into my self, I've never really gotten over the 'needle fear' as yes I fine with injecting myself, but likely to flake out if somebody else tried to inject me! As a rather bemused nurse found out, when they thought I was fibbing when I said I don't like injections.. Has he approached me with a tetanus jab, saying 'she who injects every day' as I went white as a sheet and started to slip down the chair :oops:
 
As you are type 1 then you need to inject to cover food you are eating.
So this means either overcoming your fear of needles and injecting before each meal or sticking to a strict routin of the same amount of carbs and type for each meal and inject twice a day.
As already stated there are devices to cover the needle, which helps no end.
I have heard of someone who very stupidly only injected basal insulin but in a very large quantity, which as you can guess nearly proved fatal when he became unwell and couldn't eat.

Well done on lowering your A1c. :)
 
Seriously, wow :) give yourself a huge pat on the back, you have done an awesome job :) I have been T1 for 15 years and the lowest HBA1C I have EVER had was 8.5 my last one was 9.5 I have really had to kick myself into touch!!!!!! If my next one is as low as yours I would be absolutely thrilled. Well Done x
 
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