Help with insulin please

[mrsportion]

Hi there. Not been in here for a good few years.
Been type 2 for 10 yrs. Hba1C was 99 for a year and it took that long to get a referral to a diabetic clinic in 2022.

I have now been in insulin since mid Nov 22. I’m getting there. Hba1C, yesterday, was 66

However, I normally have good skin( I’m 62) but since insulin I keep getting awful spots on my face. They’re like bites rather than acne. Just wondered if it was the insulin? I’ve got my follow up clinic in 2 weeks but just thought I would ask here and reintroduce myself.

Also weight!!! Spent so many years following the Diabetes low carb diet and have put 1 stone on since insulin.

 

[EllieM]

Hi @mrsportion, two thoughts from this T1 insulin user

1) some people are allergic to the preservatives in insulin brands, though I believe it to be extremely rare, so most likely to be something else.

2) As for the weight gain, are you on fixed dosed (so you have to eat enough to cover your insulin) ? If you are allowed to adjust your insulin to match your carbs, I suspect that weight gain is much less likely. As a long term insulin user (albeit T1 not T2 so am cross posting) I find low carb plus exercise is finally allowing me to lose weight.

Congrats on the improved hba1c.

 

[mrsportion]

Hi @mrsportion, two thoughts from this T1 insulin user

1) some people are allergic to the preservatives in insulin brands, though I believe it to be extremely rare, so most likely to be something else.

2) As for the weight gain, are you on fixed dosed (so you have to eat enough to cover your insulin) ? If you are allowed to adjust your insulin to match your carbs, I suspect that weight gain is much less likely. As a long term insulin user (albeit T1 not T2 so am cross posting) I find low carb plus exercise is finally allowing me to lose weight.

Congrats on the improved hba1c.

Thanks for reply. I just take insulin morning and night and just slowly increase till my bloods become normal. Hope this makes sense x

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Are you still following the low-carb diet?

 

[Marie 2]

Skin problems can be common with diabetics, it's common in higher blood sugars and/or lack of skin hydration that can help cause it. But you could be allergic too. Allergies are weird and sometimes rashes only show up in an isolated area. You could try to research different insulins for one that has different ingredients. Switching brands works for a lot. There are a few people that have had significant problems. Some go back to the old animal insulins because of it. But it's harder to get and more difficult to use so you don't want to if you have a choice.

Weight gain with starting insulin is unfortunately common. All of a sudden you have this hormone in your body all the time. As a type 2 using insulin, maybe you have the same issue as a type 1 who starts using insulin. All of a sudden you can utilize all the food you eat because you have the insulin to do so. With a type 1 they have a tendency to eat more food than they needed before insulin because they can't actually utilize the food right. Hence weight gain when they get insulin and can.

It usually can be managed by making sure you are taking the insulin you need at the right time, instead of taking insulin and then eating extra so you don't drop too low. They like to start someone in the US on a long acting first as a type 2, it's safer and easier to use. It gives you a low rate all day/night to try to have your levels not go too high. But it's easier with a fast acting added because you can adjust the amount you actually need. It's best to get the long acting dosing right first before you add a fast acting. The long acting is considered a basal insulin and in a type 1 it's to cover what your liver makes in glucose all day. With a type 2 I think they use it to commonly cover some food too.

I also wonder is if you could be a type 1. After 10 years if you were still following your low carb diet that was a high A1c level. An LADA/Type 1 makes some insulin for years, 8 years or more. Following a low carb diet is theorized it might let your pancreas hold out for longer. Plus with a long acting you didn't come down enough. Although that could be because they have a tendency to start you out at a low dose to be safe and slowly increase it. I'm not saying you are, but you need to keep it in mind. 35% of us are misdiagnosed as a type 2 before we finally get the right diagnosis. I was misdiagnosed for over 8 years, although I was put on insulin after about 5 years, but that was because the drugs they kept trying made me sick. They were going to keep trying drugs. It wasn't until I switched doctors that I was tested and diagnosed right.

 

[mrsportion]

Hi. Are you still following the low-carb diet?

 

[mrsportion]

Hi there. To a degree but nurses Telling me to have a biscuit before bed if my sugar is low. I don’t. Also telling me to have carbs with every meal.

Ps - I am new here. How do I link it that I can get an email when I get a response please? I have to search for my post to see if I have a reply

 

[mrsportion]

Skin problems can be common with diabetics, it's common in higher blood sugars and/or lack of skin hydration that can help cause it. But you could be allergic too. Allergies are weird and sometimes rashes only show up in an isolated area. You could try to research different insulins for one that has different ingredients. Switching brands works for a lot. There are a few people that have had significant problems. Some go back to the old animal insulins because of it. But it's harder to get and more difficult to use so you don't want to if you have a choice.

Weight gain with starting insulin is unfortunately common. All of a sudden you have this hormone in your body all the time. As a type 2 using insulin, maybe you have the same issue as a type 1 who starts using insulin. All of a sudden you can utilize all the food you eat because you have the insulin to do so. With a type 1 they have a tendency to eat more food than they needed before insulin because they can't actually utilize the food right. Hence weight gain when they get insulin and can.

It usually can be managed by making sure you are taking the insulin you need at the right time, instead of taking insulin and then eating extra so you don't drop too low. They like to start someone in the US on a long acting first as a type 2, it's safer and easier to use. It gives you a low rate all day/night to try to have your levels not go too high. But it's easier with a fast acting added because you can adjust the amount you actually need. It's best to get the long acting dosing right first before you add a fast acting. The long acting is considered a basal insulin and in a type 1 it's to cover what your liver makes in glucose all day. With a type 2 I think they use it to commonly cover some food too.

I also wonder is if you could be a type 1. After 10 years if you were still following your low carb diet that was a high A1c level. An LADA/Type 1 makes some insulin for years, 8 years or more. Following a low carb diet is theorized it might let your pancreas hold out for longer. Plus with a long acting you didn't come down enough. Although that could be because they have a tendency to start you out at a low dose to be safe and slowly increase it. I'm not saying you are, but you need to keep it in mind. 35% of us are misdiagnosed as a type 2 before we finally get the right diagnosis. I was misdiagnosed for over 8 years, although I was put on insulin after about 5 years, but that was because the drugs they kept trying made me sick. They were going to keep trying drugs. It wasn't until I switched doctors that I was tested and diagnosed right.

 

[mrsportion]

Thank you so much for that comprehensive reply.
I agree with hydration. I will aim to drink more. I have added a kiwi mid morning too for extra Vit c.

However I never got spots when my Hba1C was 99. Now it’s 66 you would think my skin would be better.

The Dr rang me, yesterday, to discuss blood results. I told her about my skin. She just said send a pic! That’s what it’s like in the UK now. Hard to get face to face with a Dr. I will wait for my diabetic nurse appointment in 2 weeks.

 

[Marie 2]

@mrsportion Sometimes someone will be able to answer you with how you set up stuff. But tagging the moderators, especially the ones online will usually get you a response the fastest.

@Antje77 , @Jaylee, @KennyA @mrsportion above has a question about getting e-mail notifications for responses to her posts?

 

[KennyA]

@mrsportion Sometimes someone will be able to answer you with how you set up stuff. But tagging the moderators, especially the ones online will usually get you a response the fastest.

@Antje77 , @Jaylee, @KennyA @mrsportion above has a question about getting e-mail notifications for responses to her posts?

@mrsportion
Everyone should get some notification of acrivity via an alert, which will show you if someone has replied to a post or thread, quoted, or reacted to - eg "liked" the post.

The button for checking alerts is on the top right of the screen and looks like a little bell. It's next to the personal messages button, which looks like an envelope.

If you want an actual email rather than a forum notification I seem to remember that I did mine when I set up the account, but just at the minute I can't recall the process. I'll have a look. I rather wish I hadn't enabled email notifications as my email is clogged by hundreds of messages about things I've already seen/read on the forums - I'm getting round to turning it off.

I'll have a look to see if we have a link.

 

[KennyA]

@mrsportion Sometimes someone will be able to answer you with how you set up stuff. But tagging the moderators, especially the ones online will usually get you a response the fastest.

@Antje77 , @Jaylee, @KennyA @mrsportion above has a question about getting e-mail notifications for responses to her posts?

@mrsportion

Here we go: click on your name on the top right of the screen next to your message and alert buttons. This should open a drop down menu. Find "Preferences" on the list of options, and click on that. A further menu should open, and you'll see "email options" about half way down. Set them however you want. There are other account options available as well.

 

[Antje77]

Ps - I am new here. How do I link it that I can get an email when I get a response please? I have to search for my post to see if I have a reply

And in addition to that, there is a watch/unwatch button at the top of every thread.
If you use it you'll get a notification if someone posts on a thread, even if you've never posted on that thread yourself, very useful when you find something interesting.

 

[mrsportion]

And in addition to that, there is a watch/unwatch button at the top of every thread.
If you use it you'll get a notification if someone posts on a thread, even if you've never posted on that thread yourself, very useful when you find something interesting.

View attachment 59655

 

[mrsportion]

This is all I have at the top of the page. I am on iPhone app xx. It took me ages to find this post againxx

 

[Antje77]

This is all I have at the top of the page. I am on iPhone app xx. It took me ages to find this post againxx

I'm sorry I can't help you with that. I tried the app once and couldn't find anything, so I deleted it and simply use the forum through my browser.
You might like to give that a try, or you could start a thread asking for help with the forum app, I know some people use it but I can't remember who they are.

 

[Marie 2]

@mrsportion I don't use the phone ap either. It's easier for me just to have the main forum page saved (bookmarked) and then go to my notifications bell to check for notifications..

On the regular forum home page. Hit your profile picture, pick preferences and scroll down to find options for e-mails and notifications. It has a spot to check to be notified on content you posted. I have all checked on everything and I can just trash the e-mails if I've read it already. But for some reason a few posts (not often) show up in e-mails, that don't show up in my notifications.

 

[becca59]

I use the app as I prefer it and have missed lots of notifications in the past. Though if I had started or commented on a post would search that post out. Then 2 weeks ago I randomly started getting emails, helpful but strange considering I’ve being posting years.