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Type 2 Insulin for Type 2

E

Elizabeth69

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Type 2
I’ve been taking Trulicity for the past 12 weeks . Latest hbac1 bloods came back at 80 . I have an appointment with my diabetic nurse tomorrow and she wants me to try insulin . Has anybody had the same experience ?
 
Elizabeth69 said:
I follow a low carb diet
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How "low carb" do you think you are?

If you have been on Trulicity and still get an HbA1c of 80 mmol/mol then you might want to ask for a c-peptide test to see how much insulin your body is making?

How long have you been diagnosed and what were your previous HbA1c results?
 
Diagnosed 3 years ago. Prescribed Metformin . Which really upset my stomach . Slow release wasn’t any better . Then alogliptin which was fine on my stomach but hbac1 levels went to 74 . So 1.5 trulicity combined with glicazide which gave me awful kidney pains dr diagnosed “sludgy kidneys “ took me off the glicazide and reduced trulicity to 0.75 latest hbac1 80 . I eat less than 20 carbs a day. Have cut all sugar for sweeteners and drink Pepsi max etc. I feel awful most of the time . Constantly tired . Just really fed up
 

In your shoes I'd definitely be pushing for an insulin test of some kind to see what your endogenous production is like.
 
My nurse is lovely but most of the time I feel fobbed off and not listened too . I will ask about the tests you mention at my appointment tomorrow but I don’t hold much hope of having any further tests . Thank you
 
Elizabeth69 said:
My nurse is lovely but most of the time I feel fobbed off and not listened too . I will ask about the tests you mention at my appointment tomorrow but I don’t hold much hope of having any further tests . Thank you
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Some doctors believe all T1s are diagnosed when under 30 and just assume T2 in anyone older. Given your fast progression despite the extremely low carb I'd definitely want to rule out LADA (slow onset T1) as many many LADA folk are initially misdiagnosed as T2.

So you need a c-peptide test, which will detect how much insulin you produce. Typically, an insulin resistant T2 produces a lot and a T1/LADA produces less and less as their insulin production wanes.

The good news is that if lack of insulin is your issue then insulin injections will make you feel much much better. Also, T1s have much more freedom in their food choices, as they can inject for their carbs.

Good luck.
 
Agree with @bulkbiker. Your medical people need to know your own circulating insulin before adding more.
 
Elizabeth69 said:
Thank you . I have a list of things to ask my nurse now .
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One more point. If your issue is lack of insulin and your blood sugar levels are running high (teens) be aware that diabetic ketoacidosis is a potential issue. Ask your nurse for ketone testing equipment. DKA requires immediate hospital treatment because it can kill quite quickly.
 
Couple thoughts to add:
Diabetic ketoacidosis is EXTREMELY rare in Type 2. (The medical community might say it "never" happens but "never say never".)
Over time Type 2 diabetics can also loose beta cell function. Depending on the amount of beta cell function lost, insulin is needed. In these circumstances, a person is STILL a type 2 diabetic, they are just a type 2 diabetic requiring insulin.

If the C-peptide doesn't reveal you have Type 1 or 1.5, you may want to think of asking your doctor to rule out Cushing's. It is extremely unlikely because it is quite rare but it is not impossible.

Also see if you can have them check your thyroid and iron levels. If you have iron deficiency that could contribute to fatigue.
 
I think you need an antibody test in order to confirm or disconfirm autoimmune. C-peptide is only an indicator of circulating insulin. A deficiency could be autoimmune, or some other reason. Typically this would be fatty pancreas in type 2, but there are other potential causes of pancreatic failure or insufficiency.
 
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