Type 2 How does insulin work?

[UsmanMo96]

Hi

So my DSN showed me how to inject and everything else to do with the pen. But i still don't know what exactly it does for T2 who produce insulin *my Endo told me he didnt want me on insulin for that reason* but unfortunately things got bad and i ended up having to go down that route.

I started from 12 units and now 35 units. I still dont get the fact i needed to start with 12 units and move up by 3 units every 3 days till my levels are stable. Meaning in could actaully be needing to go up by a lot.

It hasn't helped me bring my levels down at all. I normally inject and wait 15 minutes to 30 minutes before i eat. And i am still the same level. Of course the insulin isn't out of date its from the pharmacy straight to my fridge. I am planning to stop using it as soon as i speak to the endo because whats the point in using medication if it isnt working.

I wish it could help bring my levels down but unfortunately it hasn't. As far as diet. Lifestyle. I am active and i eat a meat based diet majority. Only carbs i have are from my actimel and sauses i have stopped the rice and pasta entirely.

 

[Antje77]

It takes time to find the right dose. For safety reasons you get started on a relatively low dose and slowly work your way up.
There is no way to predict if you'll need 10 units or 300 units. So if you need a larger dose it takes longer to see effect.
But imagine you need a low dose and you're started on a high dose, you might have ten times the amount of insulin going around than you need, which will cause huge problems.

 

[UsmanMo96]

It takes time to find the right dose. For safety reasons you get started on a relatively low dose and slowly work your way up.
There is no way to predict if you'll need 10 units or 300 units. So if you need a larger dose it takes longer to see effect.
But imagine you need a low dose and you're started on a high dose, you might have ten times the amount of insulin going around than you need, which will cause huge problems.

Hi

What if my blood sugars is 26mmol how much insulin would i need to bring that down to a safe level. My DSN wasnt able to tell me that though.

 

[Rokaab]

Hi

What if my blood sugars is 26mmol how much insulin would i need to bring that down to a safe level. My DSN wasnt able to tell me that though.

It is different for everyone, it really is trial and error until you find what works for you.

We cant help with dosing questions here anyway because it would frankly be dangerous, some on these forums take amounts that most certainly would kill me off for example

 

[Antje77]

Hi

What if my blood sugars is 26mmol how much insulin would i need to bring that down to a safe level. My DSN wasnt able to tell me that though.

Like I said, the only way to find out the dose you need is by titrating up.
But if you're at 26 I'd call your DSN for advice, or call 111 if you can't reach her. 26 is dangerously high.

 

[UsmanMo96]

Like I said, the only way to find out the dose you need is by titrating up.
But if you're at 26 I'd call your DSN for advice, or call 111 if you can't reach her. 26 is dangerously high.

111 or 999 just advice to come to A&E and then when there. I am seen in a few hours as it is and am discharged without any advice only to contact the GP or endo. Never again ti A&E.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. You don't appear to fit the norm. You say you have low carbs which is good but high insulin injections imply insulin resistance thru too many carbs in the diet. Do you have any excess weight? You could discuss one of the weekly injectables with the GP instead of insulin? Yes, taking insulin when T2 may not always be helpful as many T2s already have too much insulin due to insulin resistance. There are always exceptions of course.

 

[Zhnyaka]

Some people need 5 units of insulin for the same effect that gives 100 units for other people, but hyperglycemia is not as terrible as an overdose of insulin, so they start with small doses. I think you just haven't reached the dose you need yet, but if your bg is 26, then you definitely need insulin

 

[UsmanMo96]

Hi. You don't appear to fit the norm. You say you have low carbs which is good but high insulin injections imply insulin resistance thru too many carbs in the diet. Do you have any excess weight? You could discuss one of the weekly injectables with the GP instead of insulin? Yes, taking insulin when T2 may not always be helpful as many T2s already have too much insulin due to insulin resistance. There are always exceptions of course.

Hi. You don't appear to fit the norm. You say you have low carbs which is good but high insulin injections imply insulin resistance thru too many carbs in the diet. Do you have any excess weight? You could discuss one of the weekly injectables with the GP instead of insulin? Yes, taking insulin when T2 may not always be helpful as many T2s already have too much insulin due to insulin resistance. There are always exceptions of course.

I don't need to lose anymore weight. I am 67kg at 170cm - can i ask what the name of the once weekly injection is called?, my endo nor my dsn have ever mentioned anything other than insulin. i have maxed out on all the medications. i am active i walk everyday and i do go to the gym. but training whist having high blood sugar makes it hard because you're tired

 

[UsmanMo96]

Some people need 5 units of insulin for the same effect that gives 100 units for other people, but hyperglycemia is not as terrible as an overdose of insulin, so they start with small doses. I think you just haven't reached the dose you need yet, but if your bg is 26, then you definitely need insulin

i am working on getting my levels down from exercise and activity. but unfortunately even that hasn't helped so thats why i am trying insulin and hopefully it will start to work soon.

 

[Zhnyaka]

i am working on getting my levels down from exercise and activity. but unfortunately even that hasn't helped so thats why i am trying insulin and hopefully it will start to work soon.

I don't know if this is true for you, but if my bg is above 15, then physical activity only increases it.
The blood glucose meter starts to go off scale with bg above 33, it seems like a coma should occur with such bg, but I was ok when my bg was higher than the blood glucose meter could show, but perhaps this is because it did not last long, because I immediately began to inject insulin (I has no insulin resistance and to reduce my bg to 15, I needed 20 units of insulin for my weight, which at that time was 40 kilograms), so BG at 26 is a lot and if you get worse, call a doctor

 

[Fenn]

Hi, you low carb, are not overweight and insulin isn’t working? No wonder your frustrated, you don’t seem to have much choice than to keep upping the juice until it works? For me it’s a fine line between it doing nothing and working too well, when I started on insulin I was convinced it wasn’t working so I took a number units on an empty stomach, knocked me silly, not nice, especially as I was at work,
I’m pretty sure it will work once you get the right level but you don’t want to go too far, try to be patient, best of luck.

 

[UsmanMo96]

I don't know if this is true for you, but if my bg is above 15, then physical activity only increases it.
The blood glucose meter starts to go off scale with bg above 33, it seems like a coma should occur with such bg, but I was ok when my bg was higher than the blood glucose meter could show, but perhaps this is because it did not last long, because I immediately began to inject insulin (I has no insulin resistance and to reduce my bg to 15, I needed 20 units of insulin for my weight, which at that time was 40 kilograms), so BG at 26 is a lot and if you get worse, call a doctor

Yes and No. i used to go slightly up when i was doing weights. - i never been high before in my life for the duration i have been which is 2 months now. i check 4x a day. My DSN never mentioned going to a&e only to increase the insulin. i know people on here and even people at my work mention going to hospital but having gone to hospital in the past for high blood sugar the doctors and nurses just want to get rid of you quickly.. for example last time i went for a diabetes related problem to a&e because my levels were high and causing me chest pain.. they spent more time trying to come to a conclusion for my chest pain than helping with my levels and as soon as the ECG came back normal...DISCHARGE. never again.

 

[UsmanMo96]

Hi, you low carb, are not overweight and insulin isn’t working? No wonder your frustrated, you don’t seem to have much choice than to keep upping the juice until it works? For me it’s a fine line between it doing nothing and working too well, when I started on insulin I was convinced it wasn’t working so I took a number units on an empty stomach, knocked me silly, not nice, especially as I was at work,
I’m pretty sure it will work once you get the right level but you don’t want to go too far, try to be patient, best of luck.

Thank You. I am not knocking insulin it did work for me when i was diagnosed but.. i was only on it for 3 months and now being back on and it not working is not nice. also i do take gliclizade 80gx3 with sitagliptin and metformin. yet i don't seem to come down. i haven't had anymore checks done again. because my DSN doesn't think having C-peptide checked for the 3rd time is necessary or that theres nothing else to check for.

 

[Lamont D]

Hi

So my DSN showed me how to inject and everything else to do with the pen. But i still don't know what exactly it does for T2 who produce insulin *my Endo told me he didnt want me on insulin for that reason* but unfortunately things got bad and i ended up having to go down that route.

I started from 12 units and now 35 units. I still dont get the fact i needed to start with 12 units and move up by 3 units every 3 days till my levels are stable. Meaning in could actaully be needing to go up by a lot.

It hasn't helped me bring my levels down at all. I normally inject and wait 15 minutes to 30 minutes before i eat. And i am still the same level. Of course the insulin isn't out of date its from the pharmacy straight to my fridge. I am planning to stop using it as soon as i speak to the endo because whats the point in using medication if it isnt working.

I wish it could help bring my levels down but unfortunately it hasn't. As far as diet. Lifestyle. I am active and i eat a meat based diet majority. Only carbs i have are from my actimel and sauses i have stopped the rice and pasta entirely.

Why has your dsn taken no notice of your endos summary? Who actually prescribed the insulin regime?I
Remember your endo had been to medical school but your dsn hasn't!

The weekly injection for T2s, is called ozempic. It has had some very good results if you don't get side effects.
The other meds are for insulin resistance and insulin first phase response. If you have good control, the insulin should work if your pancreas is not producing enough.
Or because of the weight, your insulin resistance maybe very high, and any produced won't be of any use!
You could even have very high levels of circulating insulin or hyperinsulinimia. A problem many T2s suffer from if insulin resistance is hjgh.
That is why your insulin levels need to be tested as well as a c-peptide test.
I hope you get sorted what ever the true diagnosis is.

 

[UsmanMo96]

Why has your dsn taken no notice of your endos summary? Who actually prescribed the insulin regime?I
Remember your endo had been to medical school but your dsn hasn't!

The weekly injection for T2s, is called ozempic. It has had some very good results if you don't get side effects.
The other meds are for insulin resistance and insulin first phase response. If you have good control, the insulin should work if your pancreas is not producing enough.
Or because of the weight, your insulin resistance maybe very high, and any produced won't be of any use!
You could even have very high levels of circulating insulin or hyperinsulinimia. A problem many T2s suffer from if insulin resistance is hjgh.
That is why your insulin levels need to be tested as well as a c-peptide test.
I hope you get sorted what ever the true diagnosis is.

I appreciate your message. I do have a appointment booked with my Endo now in 3 weeks. - I have had C-peptide checked 3x now and my endo probably won't check again because i did ask him in my last appointment if my C-peptide is gone down because it was high in my last c-peptide check. I remember back in 2014 i was checked for T1 and it all came back negative and i was then put on metformin. I exercise and am active.

 

[Daibell]

I appreciate your message. I do have a appointment booked with my Endo now in 3 weeks. - I have had C-peptide checked 3x now and my endo probably won't check again because i did ask him in my last appointment if my C-peptide is gone down because it was high in my last c-peptide check. I remember back in 2014 i was checked for T1 and it all came back negative and i was then put on metformin. I exercise and am active.

Hi again. You really are in a difficult position. I would talk to the Endo about Ozempic.

 

[UsmanMo96]

Hi again. You really are in a difficult position. I would talk to the Endo about Ozempic.

I will mention it when i go see my endo in 3 weeks.