How did you feel about switching onto injections?

I for one an happy injecting knowing that my HBA1cs are dropping.

On Byetta my daily readings were going higher and higher despite eating very little. Yes I lost a lot of weight, but what was the point to this when readings were getting worse not better. Changing to insulin has improved them, yes the twice daily injections can be a pain - especially if I am eating out - but in the long run I know that it's for my own good.

Initially I was very fearful of switching from tablet meds to injections.
Not with a fear of needles thing - but with my inability to tollerate medication etc...

Tablet meds had been very hit and miss with myself - either I couldnt tollerate them
or the ones that I could FAILED to get my BG levels down !!!
It was very frustrating and traumatic for me in terms of time [12months of being tried on every
pill/tablet going!]

Then had them pushing the suggestion of straight onto lanctus insulin for me .
Read up on it and refused lanctus - so they offered me levemir insulin , within 3 months of using
levemir developed large wide spread abdomen area, painful lipos .
A reaction to the preservatives in the levemir insulin.
So another intollerance :evil:

I stayed up for 48hrs - trawling the internet for an alternative that 'would' work with myself.
Spoke with jenny at IDDT and setttled on hypurin porcine isophane, as being the
best option to try again with .

Went to vist my DSN armed to the hilt with all my bumpf and info collected over the 48hrs...
Plus bags under the eyes from being up over 48hrs plus the stress and worry of it all too roblem:
To my amazement she agreed to let me try this option.
Here I am still happily using it without any severe side effects

It has got my BG levels down and am settled in my own regime and routine now :thumbup:
I far prefer to inject now than take a tablet as it seems I can tollerate this routine far better .
The lowered blood sugar levels using injected insulin is far more effective for 'ME' than any of the tablet meds
I tried.
I feel much better in my health and wellbeing for the change onto injections.
Wish I had done this much sooner actually, rather than being messed about with for the 12months previously :evil:

Anna.

I was fearful of injections before going on to them some months ago but now am very glad I did. BS is much easier to control and I can at least let go of the strict diet to some degree. I always enjoyed my food and am able to once again. The needles I use are tiny and hurt alot less than finger pricking. My only very minor problem is that I don't have much fat around my middle so site rotation is limited and I get the very occasional bruise at an injection site but thats it, the rest is all positive.

Dr's told me oral medication doesn't work any more as my pancreas has stopped working so it's injections whether I like it or not. Waiting to change to faster working insulin.

hi,injecting is not a problem now,but the first one was the one i had to over-come,once i did that its easy,im at the diabetic clinic tomorrow (thursday 29th nov) but thats more to do with the fact im now face to face with my kidneys packing it in,tomorrows vist is to see how much worse the kidneys are. :shock: .wishing fello suffers well..regards den.

I moved to long acting insulin when the side effects of glicticide became a pain. I still use metformin as it assists the insulin in your body to work better. My other and better half is type 1 so as a type 2 injections were a every day thing I had witnessed! The nova4 pen my excellent surgery supplied is so simple even I can use it easily and mostly painless. My hba1tests are not perfect but are at a level that my body finds acceptable and my diabetic nurse marks my results as no more action and most importantly I am relaxed and happy even though they are just below 7 at 5.5 or less I get the sweats and shakes so at the gym I check before and after to ensure that a hypo does not happen I also always carry sugar lumps and have them in my locker at the gym along with my spare testing kit.

I've been on Novomix since 2009, I was diagnosed Type 2 by accident after a RTA and major surgery.
I was placed on Metformin for 6 months and felt so ill that i asked my diabetic nurse to go onto insulin.
This by far is the best decision I have made to date managing my levels.
I started on small doses n6 units a day and have slowly progressed upto Novomix Rapid 3 times a day usually 30 units per time and Insultard at night (40 units)
I certainly maintain my levels far easier and I feel a lot better.

regards
martyn

Best thing I ever did, my control is so much better and as said above injections with a pen are no fuss at all. I am still on Metfomin though which I believe (though not an exert) is fairly standard so don't assume Carbo that insulin will mean an end to Metformin.
The main problem I have with insulin are the lows that you can get but once you get used to the warning signs you get and don't over compensate it is fine.

benedict said:

As part of our Diabetes Week questions, here's a question for people with type 2 diabetes who have gone onto injections -or are considering going onto injections.

How did (or do) you feel about switching onto injections?

Did/do you have any worries about going onto injections?
If/when you made the switch, how did you adapt to being on injections?
- was it easier or harder than you thought?
- was there any part of it that struck which you hadn't considered before going onto injections?

This question covers injections for insulin or for incretin mimetics like Byetta, Victoza and Bydureon

Click to expand...

good morning, new to this site, still trying to find my way around it, have picked up some great extra info already,I have recently started insulin, due to absolute nessc ity, cos, I was so very much against even trying it ,due to weight gain as I also have COPD, and will become more breathless and mobility will suffer, if I put on too much extra weight, however had NO choice as already had an operation cancelled due to high blood sugars , and op now due AGAIN this WEEK, ( jan 10th 2013 ), so over xmas & new year have been having injections increased every few days!!levels now between 4-1 and 12-2, so getting there!!!!!I would very much appreciate some " support", thanks in anticipation .

It had to be done in my case as Dr told me my pancreas had stopped working. I know how a pin cushion feels now!

Just been told that my pancreas is operating at 50%, so tablets not doing what they should (after 4+ years of trying). So insulin injections to begin early February. Nervous does not come into it! :? Hopefully that should help - just need to get mental side of diet and eating to resolve! Will be dropping in on the forum once I start to seek advice and tips etc.

I don't want to have injection as much as possible. I know metformin and any other drugs is not good for the body. I have read one article that you can actually reverse diabetes if you only have type 2. So I am on my way to target that.

So what do I do? As of the moment, I am on medication to control my sugar for the next three months so I take diamicron and metformin. But, I also take a food supplement and some herbal tea that can help me protect my kidneys. And if I will go normal for three months (actually my blood sugar is already normal now), I will try to stop taking medicine, instead will go for natural herbs and strict diet, plus herbal food supplement then. I will also continue my daily exercise like what I am doing right now. I will try to observe it for a week. If my blood sugar levels go up again, I will try going back to meds, but if not, I will continue the natural medication.

I just started injecting Victoza on Saturday, and although I felt a wee bit apprehensive at first - mainly to do with picking a time of day which covered all possible issues, like night outs, meetings at work etc - I have plumped for 8.30am as it gives me the rest of the day to myself. Like others I was worried that this was insulin, but was reassured when the Diabetic nurse at my clinic explained it fully. I am looking at this positively as my Gilclazide tabs have been reduced to 1 per day and may even be removed depending on how I manage my blood sugars.

I had been controlling my diabetes with tablets at first but my diabetic nurse suggested that i try Victoza and asked how I felt about injecting, my blood sugar levels were all over the place so I agreed, it worked well at first with Metformin but recently i have had to come off of Metformin as it was playing havoc with my stomach and i was unable to leave the house due to upset stomach. I was issued Glicazide instead and this is doing nothing to reduce my sugar levels and also got told it can help put weight on. Great, I am trying hard to get my weight down and now I get tablets to possibly increase it. I seen the diabetic team on Thursday and it was mentioned that perhaps I should go on to insulin which I was hoping to avoid but after finding out that the diabetic driving has been improved so it is not such a hassle i am not so against it now, spoke to my partner regarding this and have decided now is the time to start on insulin as my levels will not come down, constant 14 to 16 and I have no energy and have to force myself to do things some days. My stomach also feels hard and bloated most of the time and i am told this is likely to be the victoza so now i want to get onto insulin and hope it improves my life. I am slightly worried about hypos but am sure I will learn to spot one coming on and deal with it accordingly.

I have started insulin about three months and have been putting weight on

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I have been on Victoza injections for around 6 weeks in conjunction with metformin 2000mg per day, Gliclazide + simvastatin for Cholesterol and so far so good. Have lost 6kg in weight (without trying too hard) and BS levels as they should be. I too have stomach problems but am now getting a slow release metformin (metabet) which seen to take away the urgency I was having

Best thing I have done! The tablets were no longer effective so the choice was limited. First thing - the needles are TINY. Just 4mm long and extremely thin. you hardly feel a thing. and completely non threatening. The injection pen is nea. tReally, honestly, nothing to worry about. :thumbup:

Am worried about having to go on insulin. Last HbA1C was 10 and has been rising every time I have it.. Can anyone give me an idea what level it will get to before insulin is recommended?

My weight is dropping and it's worrying me. The diabetic consultant has always been telling me if I keep losing weight I will have to inject, the thought of which horrifies me. I got 3/4 of my pancreas removed in 2002 I had pancreatitis and gallstones made their way into my pancreas and it turned to gangrene. I'm lucky to be alive. If I'm losing weight it's a sign that the remainder of my pancreas is not making insulin. What scares me about injecting is 1: it sounds impossible to calculate carbs in a meal especially if I eat out or in someone else's house 2: it is a sure sign that my life/health is deteriorating, don't think I can deal with that thought. I got 50 test strips a month as I am type 2 and last week I didn't get them I was told I have to discuss strips with DSN who I am seeing today ( I made appointment few weeks ago as I am concerned about weight). If I'm told I can't have strips that's another low blow. Just not getting better is it?


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I was petrified at the thought of needles when the subject was first mentioned until I had my first pen.
no six foot long needle just a very fine needle that felt like a rose bush thorn witout the long lasting trouble of getting it out. I am seventy years old with a history of Joining the forces at sixteen and standing in a long line to recieve god knows how many jabs all at once
I never forgot that. I still can't get my blood sugar under controll, but we will keep trying .