Different medications

[eveshamgal]

Hi

I am on 2000mg of metformin a day. I haven't always been good at taking this and so at my last check up my hbA1c was 9.6

The DN said that wwith my reading this high I would have to look at going on insulin.

After reading these forums I keep seeing people who are on other medications as well as metformin and so I wondered if there were any I could discuss with my nurse to try and prevent the insulin for a bit longer?

I am also trying to lose weight and lower my BG by eating low carb foods etc.

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[Daibell]

Hi. I'm on most of the 'other' meds in tablet form as well as insulin now. If you are overweight and hence probably insulin resistant then the other meds may not help much. Gliclazide stimulates the pancreas but if you are insulin resistant you may already be swimming in insulin. Sitagliptin also extends the time the pancreas produces insulin after a meal but again this may not be helpful for you. There are other injectables such as Victoza. At the end of the day, I've found insulin to be very little problem since I started 4 weeks ago. My needles are 4mm long and very thin. Most times you can't feel the needle at all. I'm on once a day at night which is very convenient and this has made a big difference to my blood sugar. If you are insulin resistant then it may take while for your resistance to fade away and the insulin to become more balanced. If you are not already on a low-carb diet then do get going as you may be able to reduce your blood sugar without any insulin.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi eveshamgal I have heard that Byetta (Exenatide) has proved useful to some who are trying to lose weight although like insulin it is injectable. More info here http://www.byetta.com/

I believe there are lots here who use it so perhaps one of them will comment as I've not used it myself

As Daibell has said though dont fear insulin or other injectable medication you do get used to the routine very quickly and they can be very effective too, I was on insulin for 12 months after diagnosis until I lost 4 stone and was able to wean myself off it, I found that as the weight came off so my insulin resistance improved and I was able to inject less and less insulin until I was only injecting a few units a day at which point my diabetes nurse told me to stop altogether and handed my care over to my GP. I was even apprehensive about coming off it I felt so comfortable with it.

So its nothing to be scared of although I can understand your apprehension, I hated needles before I had to inject myself, now I am so blasé about blood tests that I will often jokingly offer to do it for any nurse who is struggling to find a vain :lol:

If injectable meds are the only option then you really will get used to it very quickly, honestly :thumbup:

 

[The Radinator]

Hi To be honest I resisted injecting for more than a year because of a needle phobia. I inject Lixisenatide (Lyxumia) once a day and it has made such a big difference in my BGs. I had ben through all the types of oral meds with little or no success but plenty of nasty side effects for the last 3 years. Not only has lixisenatide lowered my BGs from the mid to high teens to normal levels, I have lost loads of weight too.

It works in three ways: forces the pancreas to increase insulin production, stops the liver dumping glucagon, and slows the emptying of the stomach - making you feel fuller for longer. I also have a slightly decreased appetite so eat less too!

I feel more positive and more confident and less depressed than before too.................. so it a win win for me!

 

[mrman]

You said that you havn't always been good at taking the met, resulting in a high hba1c. any idea what your hba1c would be if you took them, and is your dsn aware that you were skipping doses.

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