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Fixating on insulin is starting to annoy me!

Patrick66

Patrick66

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,046
Location
Dorset UK
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
People. Noise. Swearing. Many foods.
I don't mean to be unkind, but my doctors (or more specifically a nurse or two) seem determined to put me on insulin, and after a few months of this, it's really getting annoying.
Currently I'm on canagliflozin, was previously on dapagliflozin and before that metformin. Various side effects negated the previous drugs and when I got my highest ever HbA1c of 81, the nurses went OTT with me, constantly (almost threatening me) with insulin whilst knowing I'm needle phobic and struggle with finger-pricking.
My latest finger results have been between 4.0 and 8.8 depending upon time of day, what I have eaten etc, and that's much better than the 10's I was before, but I turn up for an appointment (not my diabetic review) and almost the first words uttered are "How do you feel about going on insulin?"
I know my reading was high, but I can explain why, and in the past I have controlled my sugars by exercise and weight loss and meds, and since I started my new diet a month ago, I have lost 9lb in weight and my readings are pretty consistent with the occasional blip.
But boy oh boy, are they fixated on insulin or what??
 
I used metformin to start with having a massive Hba1c of 129 th metformin didnt do a grat deal other than give me severe diorrhoea once a week.. I beggerd to come off metformin and asked to use insulin instead, yes it is rather daunting at first having to prick fingers and inject bot after time you do get used to it and learn how to overcome it's side effect
It does work though
 
I would never want to go back on quick acting insulin ever again. The nurse at the time who put me on it said ‘you will feel much better’ I didn’t understand what she meant by that and still don’t really because I wasn’t feeling ill or anything!! It was like a vicious circle for me, the insulin made me constantly hungry so I was always having to inject to eat. I put on so much weight because of it thankfully my consultant took me off it.
 
I was put on insulin while in hospital for something else, and I wasn't even told I was diabetic - though I could guess what the injections were all about. When I came out, I saw my GP, said I wanted to come off insulin, and he put me on Metformin. I changed my diet, which painlessly lost me lots of weight and stabilised my blood glucose to non-diabetic levels. I then came off the Metformin, and have maintained those levels by diet ever since. Hospital food is the worst for diabetes patients - once we are out, we can take control and make it all work. I had another long stint in hospital last year, and the food on offer was appalling for diabetics, so my lovely husband brought in more suitable food, and the staff were okay about that. I think it a big lack in modern nursing training that nobody knows anything about diabetes, when it is such a common illness.
 
At least some are beginning to recognise the lack of knowledge about D and are attempting to get hospitals to improve - they are recognising the safety issues, both in-patient and when sent home. But more still needs to be done both in-patient hospital and in general practice.

Insulin: supporting safe administration in inpatient settings

This report considers the safe administration of insulin for people with known diabetes mellitus, who may be at risk of harm during admissions to hospital. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in England and the number of people with the condition is on the increase. It is a...
www.hssib.org.uk www.hssib.org.uk
 
I had a DN that seemed to have a fixation with me going onto insulin which I was resistant to, My thoughts being if I'm insulin resistant, why would I want to inject more instead of reducing the resistance? I turns out I've got a higher than "normal" red blood cell count, changing the blood test I have without changing anything else has brought my readings down from 70 to 52. at the end of the day, a Doctor/nurse can try and prescribe any medication, but unless they rock up every day to medicate you it's better to work alongside and with your consent
 
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