Hi all. I'm just back from the diabetes doc. I'm Type 2, take two oral diabetes medications, and have "progressed" to two injections of slow-acting insulin a day. I try to keep my BS low with diet and exercise, but not low enough. She now wants me to start taking a mixture of fast and slow acting insulin in the mornings. I am really concerned though, as she doesn't seem to be that worried about my diet, more interested in getting my BS low through medication. I would like to get to a stage where I am no longer taking insulin. Do you think I should accept her judgement and increase the insulin injected, or should I fight against this and try really hard with diet and exercise to reduce my BS with the aim of eventually coming off insulin all together?
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Increased insulin v diet and exercise
- Thread starter nannoo
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hanadr
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What are your actual blood glucose numbers?
If you feel it might be the way forward for you, you could try reducing your carb intake. that works for most people and generally allows for using less medication. Doctors tend not to go for this approach,they often think it's harmful but there's plenty of evidence for its safety and efficacy. Look up the Neilson study. this followed T2 patients for 44 months on low carb diets.
If you are not sure what a low carb diet entails, There's plenty on this forum and Atkins induction is pretty much all you need to know.
Google these 2 papers.
"Lasting improvement of hyperglycaemia and bodyweight:Low carbohydrate diet in Tye 2 diabetes"
and
"low carbohydrate diet in type2 diabetes. Stableimprovement inbodyweight and glyccaemic control during 22 months follow up."
If you feel it might be the way forward for you, you could try reducing your carb intake. that works for most people and generally allows for using less medication. Doctors tend not to go for this approach,they often think it's harmful but there's plenty of evidence for its safety and efficacy. Look up the Neilson study. this followed T2 patients for 44 months on low carb diets.
If you are not sure what a low carb diet entails, There's plenty on this forum and Atkins induction is pretty much all you need to know.
Google these 2 papers.
"Lasting improvement of hyperglycaemia and bodyweight:Low carbohydrate diet in Tye 2 diabetes"
and
"low carbohydrate diet in type2 diabetes. Stableimprovement inbodyweight and glyccaemic control during 22 months follow up."
Nanoo ........ Just over a year ago i was in the same position as you are now. My GP wanted to put me onto Insulin injections.
Depending on your BMI, would Byetta be an option for you ? Generally you have to be in the Obese range to be considered. Last year that was me, it can be a bumpy ride with the nausea that some get but for most it does the job as you can read on the Byetta threads.
Diet and exercise is pretty much a given for T2, The sticky point is which way you choose to apply the diet bit. The Two main camps are Lo GI or Lo Carb, both have their advocates as you can read on here. The chief payback of the exercise is that it helps overcome Insulin Resistance, It dosnt have to be fanatical, i do a brisk couple of mile walk most days and with losing some flab it has helped.
Good luck with your deliberations
Dave P
Depending on your BMI, would Byetta be an option for you ? Generally you have to be in the Obese range to be considered. Last year that was me, it can be a bumpy ride with the nausea that some get but for most it does the job as you can read on the Byetta threads.
Diet and exercise is pretty much a given for T2, The sticky point is which way you choose to apply the diet bit. The Two main camps are Lo GI or Lo Carb, both have their advocates as you can read on here. The chief payback of the exercise is that it helps overcome Insulin Resistance, It dosnt have to be fanatical, i do a brisk couple of mile walk most days and with losing some flab it has helped.
Good luck with your deliberations
Dave P
Dennis
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Hi Nanoo,
It sounds like whatever dietary regime you have chosen is not one that will lower your blood sugar levels. Can you give us an idea of the sort of things that you typically eat on an average day and we might be able to suggest some changes that will help to to lower those BS figures.
It sounds like whatever dietary regime you have chosen is not one that will lower your blood sugar levels. Can you give us an idea of the sort of things that you typically eat on an average day and we might be able to suggest some changes that will help to to lower those BS figures.
Thanks for your replies. I do try to keep my carbs low, but I find it very frustrating that two similar meals taken a day apart can give totally different BS readings. I'm not so bad with carbs during the day, but I really can't eat protein for breakfast, except at weekends, so I do have wholemeal toast with sugar free jam (but that sends my BS up) and so does porridge, and All Bran. My doctor wants the fast acting insulin to cover these breakfast spikes, but I would rather find a way to treat them naturally.
cugila
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Hi nanoo.
One way to reduce the Bg levels naturally is to keep a food diary on a daily basis for a week and also to test your Bg levels on waking, before meals, 1 hr and 2 hrs after meals.
Do this and you will soon see exactly what foods to avoid and what are safe.
It may be you are eating high GI foods ? You may be eating way too many carbs ? Your portion sizes may just be too big ?
This test regime will pinpoint where the problem is and allow you to change to what is good for you.
One way to reduce the Bg levels naturally is to keep a food diary on a daily basis for a week and also to test your Bg levels on waking, before meals, 1 hr and 2 hrs after meals.
Do this and you will soon see exactly what foods to avoid and what are safe.
It may be you are eating high GI foods ? You may be eating way too many carbs ? Your portion sizes may just be too big ?
This test regime will pinpoint where the problem is and allow you to change to what is good for you.
chocoholic
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Sometimes we just have to accept going to insulin. I did everything I could to avoid the 'insulin' route but if you do need it, don't look upon it as some sort of failing on your part. It's just your body telling you you need some extra help. Lots of people dread having to use insulin but once youget your head round it,you might find it easier to manage your blood sugar numbers.You can still low-carb or follow low GI if that's the way you prefer, on insulin.
Dennis
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Hi Nanoo,
Something that helped for me was to switch from the standard wholemeal bread that I was eating (around 17g carb per slice) to Nimble or Weightwatchers wholemeal bread at around 8g carb per slice. It always does seem strange that we can eat the same thing on two consecutive days but get different BS results. The reason is that your BS level can be influenced by so many external things - how much exercise you had, your stress level, whether or not your liver decided to generate some extra glucose, whether your immune system is fighting a bug, the time of the month, even the weather!
Something that helped for me was to switch from the standard wholemeal bread that I was eating (around 17g carb per slice) to Nimble or Weightwatchers wholemeal bread at around 8g carb per slice. It always does seem strange that we can eat the same thing on two consecutive days but get different BS results. The reason is that your BS level can be influenced by so many external things - how much exercise you had, your stress level, whether or not your liver decided to generate some extra glucose, whether your immune system is fighting a bug, the time of the month, even the weather!
Trinkwasser
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My opinion is that you do whatever it takes to improve.
In the States insulin is often introduced much earlier for Type 2s whereas here it is kept as a last resort and often used as a threat.
It will undoubtedly take some tweaking but should lead to better numbers and more stability when you've learned to drive it, there will be less load on your pancreas so it should still be able to "trim" the results, and just getting your BG down should in itself improve IR which will also improve control. It has far fewer side effects than most Type 2 meds.
In the States insulin is often introduced much earlier for Type 2s whereas here it is kept as a last resort and often used as a threat.
It will undoubtedly take some tweaking but should lead to better numbers and more stability when you've learned to drive it, there will be less load on your pancreas so it should still be able to "trim" the results, and just getting your BG down should in itself improve IR which will also improve control. It has far fewer side effects than most Type 2 meds.
