Help please

dicktracy121 said:

Hi was told had pre diabetes year ago tried numerous tablets which I had reaction to then they said need get sugars undercontrol we put you on humulin m3 insulin diabetes team cancelled phone call get call 4sept my nurse wasn't happy so they sent 1pen an she showed how works sent home with paperwork about hypo hyper an ketoacidosis pretty much left to help self my sugars before last week were around 20 last week I was trying my best to bing down but take me awhile to understand easy things but this well .I have lost weight didn't have so now exhausted tired no strength struggling to keep hydrated sorry not good writing just scared emotion wreck at mo x

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EllieM said:

OK, try not to panic. Your situation at the moment isn't ideal but in the long term you will manage this. Do you have a follow up appointment booked with the nurse and/or a way to contact her with your results. If you have access to your online medical records you could also look them up and see what your most recent hba1c was?

Just seen that you have a proper appointment (with the hospital diabetic team?) in September, which is excellent.

Have you got a way to test ketones? Though high blood sugars are dangerous in the long term and low blood sugars (hypos) are dangerous in the short term, hypos are easily treated.

Your weight loss and sudden progression to insulin means you have some red flags for T1 diabetes. (Some red flags only, it's probably still more likely that you don't have it as only 10% of diabetics are T1) . This will be why your DN mentioned ketones to you as DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis) is a medical emergency. As you are now taking insulin this becomes much more unlikely as DKA is caused by lack of insulin plus high blood sugars.

As regards hypos I strongly urge you to always carry some form of sugar and your testing kit. (Once you get used to them you should find them much easier to cope with, but they can be scary at the beginning). As a T1 I've been living with insulin and hypos for 53 years so try not to panic.

But I really urge you to phone your GP and get in contact with the DN who gave you the insulin. We can't give you dosing advice and I think you'd feel more confident if you spoke to a medical professional.

Good luck, you will manage this.

And don't hesitate to ask for more support from the diabetics here. There's no such thing as a stupid question when you are attempting to understand diabetes.

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