I've always been able to work with my doctors since I found out I had diabetes for the past 13 yrs. If one thing didn't work we'd try another. I've gone to the same bunch of doctors for abt 15 yrs. We moved, though and I am having to find a new doctor. But my sugar has run high for most of the yrs I'v had it. The first one I went to was a diabetic specialist. He took me off my 70/30 humilin but left me on the levimir.. He put me on a sliding scale starting with 30 units of novolog and adding 2 units for each 50 points over 150. I immediately started feeling bad - just didn't feel like doing anything and by the end of the first month I was getting dizzy, nauseated, heart pounding, shortness of breath and felt like something was crawling under my skin and my sugar was always 300-400 every morning. Bec my sugar was so high, he had me take the levimir twice daily - 38 units each. He also said to up my sliding scale to 35 before ea meal. I became so ill that I couldn't work. I would feel better as the insulin wore off after every meal but then take another shot only to feel worse. I went to another doctor in his group who wouldn't change anything and shrugged when I told her my symptoms and said I had to take insulin. So I decided to go to a general practitioner. She had me make a correction for every reading over 150 and take 1unit of Humalog for ea 5 grams of carbs I eat at meals. I went to see her today bec I got an infection in my finger from checking my sugar but also left work early because I started seeing spots in addition to the other symptoms which are the same as Novolog. She prescribed Keflex for my infection and I told her it would cause a yeast infection (which will spike my sugar) and she shrugged and said antibiotics caused infections. She also told me to eat more whole grains, and veggies like broc, caul, etc I told her I really like all those type of foods but was diagnosed with colitis and have severe stomach and bowel problems if I eat very much of those types of food. I was hoping she could give me some kind of alternative or just some kind of ideas for foods. But she became angry and said I was shooting down all her ideas. Am I missing something? I'm not an offensive person so why are these doctors acting like this? Are they being taught to blow off their patients or what? She refuses to change my Humalog back to 70/30 and told me to decide how I wanted to handle my diabetes. I was puzzled because 1. The Humalog I'm taking is making me sick but she refuses to change it 2. A yeast infection will make my sugar go even higher 3 I told her the reason I was coming to her is so I can get my sugars under control and if I knew how to do that I wouldn't need a doctor. Are there doctors on this forum? Oh, another thing. I'd love to go to a nutritionist but my ins will not pay for one and i can't afford one. Could doctors or nurses on this forum tell me why the doctors are acting this way. I'd love to move back where we were but it just isn't going to happen. Help!
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Doctors and working with the patient
- Thread starter genjulie
- Start Date
phoenix
Expert
- Messages
- 5,671
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Pump
Hi,
There are no doctors or nurses on here, just ordinary people. Indeed it would not be ethical for a doctor or nurse to give individualised advice without knowing you.
What jumps out to me is that you say you have been high for many years on the mixed insulin. I'm sure you realise that it really isn't good to have high levels for any length of time, being at high levels may cause you to feel unwell . You want to go back on the old insulin regime but from what you say, you weren't achieving good control.
You have an infection in your finger and if you have been running high glucose levels then it may not heal quickly , small infections can become bigger ones very quickly. That is the reason for giving antibiotics.
You're right that antibiotics can also kill the 'flora' in your gut leading to thrush but the infection may be the greater risk. A lot of people find that taking live yoghurt can help to replace the gut bacteria, it can also be applied if you develop thrush. If you develop it your doctor can also prescribe a drug that will normally get rid of it .
Personally, I'm doubtful that if it is the humulog per se that is making you feel ill, humulin 70/30 contains the same sort of insulin.
I think that your latest doctor is trying to introduce you to what can be an effective way to control glucose levels. It takes time and needs you to be fairly accurate in your carb counting . The ratio she has started you on (1u to 5 g carbs) may not be ideal for you but is a starting point .
What you need to do is to keep records. Take your glucose levels before the meal, count the carbs and record it and the insulin dose, take and record your glucose levels two hours later.
You are eventually looking to have a premeal level of below 130mg/dl and to be below 180mg/dl at 2 hours (these are the ADA levels). My doctor says to aim for a rise of not more than 50mg/dl and I personally wouldn't want to be as high as 130mg/dl pre meal.
It will take time to get there but you will need the records so that your doctor (or even yourself) can adjust your carb ratio.
It is also important to get the background insulin right . Again you will need records (glucose levels before bed and on waking)
It sounds difficult but the work is worth it and it does get easier .There are a books that can really help you with all this. You might like to look at Scheiner's Think like a Pancreas.
The diet is a different matter and obviously a specialised diet. There are several sites on the web that may help, I found this one
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2009/ma ... litis.html
but this is truly something that you need individualised advice based on your own medical history.
(by the way, this is a UK site and so most of the posts you read will use different units for blood glucose units than you do. The
300-400 mg/dl you mention would here be 16.6mmol/l- 22.2mmol/l)
to convert divide mg/dl by 18 to get mmol/l . Multiply readings in mmol/l by 18 to get mg/dl
There are no doctors or nurses on here, just ordinary people. Indeed it would not be ethical for a doctor or nurse to give individualised advice without knowing you.
What jumps out to me is that you say you have been high for many years on the mixed insulin. I'm sure you realise that it really isn't good to have high levels for any length of time, being at high levels may cause you to feel unwell . You want to go back on the old insulin regime but from what you say, you weren't achieving good control.
You have an infection in your finger and if you have been running high glucose levels then it may not heal quickly , small infections can become bigger ones very quickly. That is the reason for giving antibiotics.
You're right that antibiotics can also kill the 'flora' in your gut leading to thrush but the infection may be the greater risk. A lot of people find that taking live yoghurt can help to replace the gut bacteria, it can also be applied if you develop thrush. If you develop it your doctor can also prescribe a drug that will normally get rid of it .
Personally, I'm doubtful that if it is the humulog per se that is making you feel ill, humulin 70/30 contains the same sort of insulin.
I think that your latest doctor is trying to introduce you to what can be an effective way to control glucose levels. It takes time and needs you to be fairly accurate in your carb counting . The ratio she has started you on (1u to 5 g carbs) may not be ideal for you but is a starting point .
What you need to do is to keep records. Take your glucose levels before the meal, count the carbs and record it and the insulin dose, take and record your glucose levels two hours later.
You are eventually looking to have a premeal level of below 130mg/dl and to be below 180mg/dl at 2 hours (these are the ADA levels). My doctor says to aim for a rise of not more than 50mg/dl and I personally wouldn't want to be as high as 130mg/dl pre meal.
It will take time to get there but you will need the records so that your doctor (or even yourself) can adjust your carb ratio.
It is also important to get the background insulin right . Again you will need records (glucose levels before bed and on waking)
It sounds difficult but the work is worth it and it does get easier .There are a books that can really help you with all this. You might like to look at Scheiner's Think like a Pancreas.
The diet is a different matter and obviously a specialised diet. There are several sites on the web that may help, I found this one
http://www.diabetesforecast.org/2009/ma ... litis.html
but this is truly something that you need individualised advice based on your own medical history.
(by the way, this is a UK site and so most of the posts you read will use different units for blood glucose units than you do. The
300-400 mg/dl you mention would here be 16.6mmol/l- 22.2mmol/l)
to convert divide mg/dl by 18 to get mmol/l . Multiply readings in mmol/l by 18 to get mg/dl
tizzy
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 256
I had the same gp for many years moved changed surgery new drs like step ford wives if I remember correctly didn't actually watch the whole film but they ignore everything I say with smiles and nods I actually asked if they had secret note about me(not paranoid really) since I've been there I have asked for help with sugar levels it's fine they said high teens in the 20 s all fine even disdainfull to me in the end I thought maybe ok it's me last visit I went as I have painfull foot neuropathy he tells its not just when sugars are temporarily high I do dispute that but it's years of bad blood sugars control I think I hate them they don't look further than hb1 c and ticking boxes because let's face it if I need amputation later it won't be there budget but the hospitals not there problem then I have heard even worse from a person with 6 months to live given cancer drugs that made them so ill they refused them then Were given a drug then they could tolerate and told now I can give this to we had to give the cheap ones first my god 6 months and some of those extra suffering not needed its vey scary really isn't it
dawnmc
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,453
- Location
- Sheffield
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
It really is ridiculous when you think the doctor gets paid over 100k a year, to hear of the appalling treatment they dish out.
Personally I would complain.
Personally I would complain.
