Humulin I/Sitagliptin/Victoza

[DFiona]

Hi Folks

Been diagnosed type 2 for 16 years. On and off insulin. Just cannot get BM down without me feeling very hypo below 10. Victoza given on Tues as insulin and tablets making sugars rise and my weight gain.

Since last Feb 2013 when restarted insulin my weight has increased by 7 kg and hba1c from 10-12!! I feel awful and was lighter, happier and more mobile before restarting on insulin.

Symptoms since tues are constantly feeling cold, tummy rumblings, bad headaches and generally not feeling well. How long till initial side effects subside?

Feeling low and needing support - especially with all this chocolate around at Easter!

Have a great Easter weekend.

Fiona

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Can you tell us what sort of diet you have? How many carbs do you have per day?

 

[Mazzer]

Hi Fiona,

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear that you are having a bad time at the moment. I am only recently diagnosed type 2 on Metformin 1000mg per day so a bit of a novice really. Unfortunately I don't know much about insulin, but I am sure someone will be along shortly to help. You have come to the right place for support, everyone is very friendly, so you are not alone.

Marilyn

 

[DFiona]

Hi. Can you tell us what sort of diet you have? How many carbs do you have per day?

Thanks for reply. Sorry but I dont even know how to count carbs! Nor do i feel this is a healthy thing to do, mental health wise - i dont want to become OCD! Obvipusly I do know what carbs are tho.

Only just had 2 days of 0.6 victoza. V early days. Wish i felt better

Diet yest'y:

1 slice brown toast with houmous no butter/flora
I coffee sk milk
Glass water

4 mushrooms + houmous
1 bowl pea and ham soup ( tesco)

1/2 small cauliflower - in cheese sauce bake
A few pieces choc easter egg
Glass water

 

[DFiona]

Hi Fiona,

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear that you are having a bad time at the moment. I am only recently diagnosed type 2 on Metformin 1000mg per day so a bit of a novice really. Unfortunately I don't know much about insulin, but I am sure someone will be along shortly to help. You have come to the right place for support, everyone is very friendly, so you are not alone.

Marilyn

Thanks for listening. I am just so fed up. Been yoyoing with insulin injectables having a massive effect on everything in my life particularly weight. Off insulin I feel and look amazing and tbh hba1cs aren't much higher when not on it.

Thanks for support.

 

[Mazzer]

Hi Fiona, as I said earlier I am new to diabetes, so far I have not had any dietary advice or any guidance from my GP or my DSN. I have learned so much from this Forum and have got my bg under control by following a low carb/high fat diet and have lost 24lbs since diagnosis in February this year without even trying. Carbohydrates are foods such as cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, cakes, biscuits etc., I know you are on insulin, but you will see if you have a good look round this site that diabetics on insulin, also reduce their carbs which helps to reduce their bg and in some cases reduces the amount of insulin they need. I now do not have any great cravings for sweet things and if I do I eat a couple of squares of dark Lindt Excellence 85% cocoa chocolate, which again is lower in carbohydrate. If you have any further questions, please ask there are some very knowedgeable people here who will be will to give you more advice.

Marilyn

 

[DFiona]

Thanks Marilyn. You will see from my reply with average diet to Daibell that I really don't eat many carbs. Some dieticians say I don't eat enough! The DSN who gave me the Victoza script on Tuesday told me I had to cut my food intake by half! . How can I cut it by half when I am eating so little anyway..? My liver will think it's being starved! It would be ok and manageable if I only had diabetes to contend with but I have osteoporosis, a bowel condition, arthritic pain in hands and feet and am gradually losing my sight. I am 48. single with teenage children who need me mobile and happy. Insulin has always made me more unwell than healthy. I am dearly hoping my body can adjust to Victoza.

 

[Mazzer]

Hi Fiona, I too have osteoporosis, although I am quite a bit older than you at 61. Do you check the labels on everything you eat, as I have just looked at my Baxters tin of pea and ham soup and for the whole tin it is 28g of carbs, houmous has 14g per 100g, brown bread is about 15g per slice and chocolate is about 64g per 100g. There are loads of low carb receipes on the low carb Forum on this site and http://www.food.com/recipe-finder/all/low-carb have some easy recipes. You don't say what kind of bowel trouble you have, so I don't know what sort of food you need to avoid. It is suprising how much you can eat, still lose weight and keep you bg under control with the right food. Please don't be fed up there is a lot of support on here and you are not alone.

Marilyn

 

[DFiona]

No, my reading vision is now very poor. Even with magnifiers the tiny print is way too small. TBH, I don't feel it is healthy to be checking food labels constantly. What I eat is not that high in calories. I rarely eat cake, never eat pudding and need to be careful not to eat too much veg/pulses etc because of my bowel. I don't eat choc on a daily basis either. There's only some in the house now because it's Easter and my daughter likes it. When she's home and we're cooking tea she does read the cooking labels but I can't read them without her, and she is rarely with me when I'm out grocery shopping. Life is very difficult -- I have no adult support nearby. Often I have been housebound and sometimes unable to get food into the house. Online shopping is difficult because it times me out though I do shop this way now and again. It is the combination of health issues which is so difficult to deal with, not only for me - for my doctors too. And I have been unable to work. I would like to live the rest of my life happy; I've not been happy since restarting injectable diabetic meds in Feb 2013.

 

[Mazzer]

Hi Fiona, I really feel for you, it must be very difficult for you not being able to see very well, I don't know much about insulin, but hopefull someone else will no doubt be along to offer some advice. In the meantime if I can help in any way please let me know.

Marilyn.

 

[DFiona]

Hi Fiona, I really feel for you, it must be very difficult for you not being able to see very well, I don't know much about insulin, but hopefull someone else will no doubt be along to offer some advice. In the meantime if I can help in any way please let me know.

Marilyn.

Thanks for listening, Marilyn. Hope I haven't dampened your Easter celebrations with my woes. Most people can't deal with any of it so isolation is another problem. A longer life-expectancy is sometimes not as important as living what remainder of life you have left, happy. However, I don't want some of the other nasty diabetes complications yet ... so I will try hard with my sugar control. At least my feet are fine, as are my kidneys for now. That's something. . See you around, and thanks again x.

 

[Mazzer]

Hi Fiona, you haven't dampened my Easter Hols at all, I am not put off by illness and I know what you mean by being isolated, some people just can't deal with it and avoid you, which is a real shame. I am not one of those people I am glad to say, I am only sad that I can't be of more help. However, if a chat helps feel free to message me.

Take care
Marilyn x

 

[Mothership]

I take Victoza in the morning after breakfast. Some people inject in the evening. Perhaps changing the time will help with the side effects.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. I'm afraid carb counting is an essential feature of taking insulin; you have no choice. It is not being OCD as it is essential to either avoid hypos or having blood sugar too high; how else can you work out how many units to inject? Your typical diet for yesterday strikes me as being very good which seems strange as weight gain with insulin or tablets such as Gliclazide usually results from having too many carbs. There could be some other medical factor at play here. Insulin normally has no side effects as such and hypo symptoms should only occur when your blood sugar goes below around 4 although you can have false hypo symptoms when you suddenly change your regime. I'm afraid I can't suggest anything else, but do keep your blood sugar down as it could be contributing to your eyesight deterioration as I expect you realise.

 

[Crimsonclient]

Hi Fiona and welcome, I see that you are on insulin and other medication, as well as the Victoza. What type of insulin are you on and are you on metformin?. Unfortunately there isn't much help with the carb counting for type 2 diabetics however I personally found the X-pert course really helpful. However it does vary region to region on the different experience you get with the course. At the end of the day all these experts have different opinions on what is best for your health, but only you know what is good and bad for you, and instead of the experts saying you need to do this, that, and the other, without listening to you are wrong. They should sit down listen to what you have to say and then work on a plan that both of you are happy with.


Type 2 diagnosed 24/01/2013.
Novomix 30, Victoza, metformin 2000mg sr (but not taking them as they play havoc with my insides,