Doctors Ongoing Treatment

[Lode]

Hi everyone, I am new to the site and am wondering if anyone has a similar experience with their GP practice?
I am a long term Type 2 Diabetic, which is relatively under control.
I received a letter recently informing me that I no longer need to use the finger prick blood testing, instead this will be monitored with my practice 6 monthly review. This soon after requesting new testing strips.
Also received another letter which is more worrying, in which they said that there was a UK wide shortage of Byetta injections, they said that there were no alternatives and that I needed to manage without the medication.
I know the NHS is going through hard times but this seems to be worse than I ever imagined.
Thanks in advance for your experiences.

 

[KennyA]

Hi Lode and welcome to the forums. I have had nothing of the kind you describe, but I have had very little contact with my practice anyway about diabetes - I'm now on yearly monitoring.

I guess you've been lucky enough before now to have had test strips prescribed - that seems to be fairly rare for T2s.

I'm sure other people will be along later with more relevant experiences.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi everyone, I am new to the site and am wondering if anyone has a similar experience with their GP practice?
I am a long term Type 2 Diabetic, which is relatively under control.
I received a letter recently informing me that I no longer need to use the finger prick blood testing, instead this will be monitored with my practice 6 monthly review. This soon after requesting new testing strips.
Also received another letter which is more worrying, in which they said that there was a UK wide shortage of Byetta injections, they said that there were no alternatives and that I needed to manage without the medication.
I know the NHS is going through hard times but this seems to be worse than I ever imagined.
Thanks in advance for your experiences.

From what I've gathered, it's not just the NHS that's in trouble. And it's been difficult to get all sorts of medication in the Netherlands too. (I actually paid over 200 euro's to get T2 unrelated medication from a German pharmacy just across the border, until they ran out too.) Strips, well... I have self-funded from the get-go, the Dutch get 40 euro's in strips per year. About a pot and a half of strips for 365 days=Next to nothing. So not surprised they got nixed, though I have to admit I don't know whether your injections could give you hypo's... Then they should be perscribed. but with the meds unavailable. i dunno. It does sound a bit like, welcome to Sh*t Creek, bring your own paddle.

Anyway, having said all that... If medication is unreliable for whatever reason (unavailable, side effects, whatever), there's always a low carb diet to get your numbers into or nearer normal range. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html Might be worth a shot, and could make quite the diff when it comes to pharmacy-stress! You don't have to stress over what you don't need, after all.

Good luck, eh.
Jo