Hi. I’ve been type 2 for about 6yrs. However I am now insulin resistant so have been started on a long acting insulin injection at night as well as oral medication. I was expecting better blood sugars in the morning - however they have gone up! Is this normal? I’m feeling depressed.
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Insulin injections
- Thread starter Lesleymcr
- Start Date
Hi @Lesleymcr & welcome to the forum 
I can’t really help with your question as I’ve no experience of insulin but hopefully some of our members will be along to share their experiences with you, have a read around the forum especially the T2 sub forums and see if there is anything there that may help you. Lots of us T2s on the forum manage our diabetes with low carb diets which we find to be very effective, once again welcome
I can’t really help with your question as I’ve no experience of insulin but hopefully some of our members will be along to share their experiences with you, have a read around the forum especially the T2 sub forums and see if there is anything there that may help you. Lots of us T2s on the forum manage our diabetes with low carb diets which we find to be very effective, once again welcome
Chris24Main
Well-Known Member
Hi @Lesleymcr - That does sound worrying and opposite to what you expect - someone has a problem, they take the meds, the problem goes away, right? so it's very confusing when you take the meds and the problem gets worse.
You've been dealing with being T2 for 6 years, which is a lot longer than me, and though I did have some time injecting insulin, I really cannot advise you of anything.
However, you should understand that nobody just suddenly becomes "insulin resistant" as such.. for most people with a working pancreas, a diagnosis of T2DM means a slowly changing relationship to insulin that goes back years.
For example, if you were presenting with irregular heartbeat, and feeling a bit sweaty and shaky, and also that you were drinking 10 cups of espresso a day, and wanting 12 - you wouldn't say you were suddenly "coffee resistant" - you instinctively know that you have been drinking too much coffee for too long.
It's much the same with insulin, except that we only test for the effect that it has on blood glucose. The coffee example is obvious because you see the effect immediately, but with insulin, everything can seem to be fine for 20 years or more.
What is going on with your body now, is that you still have this need to get blood glucose reduced, and your ability to use the natural hormone that does this (as well as lots of other jobs all over your body) is reduced (in exactly the same way that a single coffee isn't enough in the analogy above).
In order to cope, you have been prescribed even more insulin, but you may be able to see the issue with that - is "more coffee" the answer to "I need 2 more cups of coffee?" - it may be for a while, but soon you are going to need even more... and in the meantime, there are other hormones that affect us in ways that create or release more sugar into the blood from storage; trying to manage only by adding meds is difficult unless you are also reducing the need for these hormones.
[to be 100% clear - please do not take any of this as saying you should change any medication without discussion with your GP]
This is why many of us have had success with lowering carbs (specifically sugars and starches) - because they are foods that turn into blood sugar (and fats, as it happens) and trigger the need for high insulin.
Again - not saying that you need to do anything, but my journey started by leaving the surgery in much the same way as you - totally upset and confused; why am I not getting any straight answers about insulin resistance - what is it and what can I do about it; all the medical system seems to want to do is give me more meds..
My response was to jump down the rabbit hole of better understanding - and I'm still jumping (or falling ...) and I apologise if this seems like I'm being critical - I'm not, I'm just reacting strongly because your story resonates with me and my experience, but the good news is that there is much more in your control than it may seem, and that surprising numbers of people have been able to turn this thing around, regardless of how they are seen by the medical community at large.
You've been dealing with being T2 for 6 years, which is a lot longer than me, and though I did have some time injecting insulin, I really cannot advise you of anything.
However, you should understand that nobody just suddenly becomes "insulin resistant" as such.. for most people with a working pancreas, a diagnosis of T2DM means a slowly changing relationship to insulin that goes back years.
For example, if you were presenting with irregular heartbeat, and feeling a bit sweaty and shaky, and also that you were drinking 10 cups of espresso a day, and wanting 12 - you wouldn't say you were suddenly "coffee resistant" - you instinctively know that you have been drinking too much coffee for too long.
It's much the same with insulin, except that we only test for the effect that it has on blood glucose. The coffee example is obvious because you see the effect immediately, but with insulin, everything can seem to be fine for 20 years or more.
What is going on with your body now, is that you still have this need to get blood glucose reduced, and your ability to use the natural hormone that does this (as well as lots of other jobs all over your body) is reduced (in exactly the same way that a single coffee isn't enough in the analogy above).
In order to cope, you have been prescribed even more insulin, but you may be able to see the issue with that - is "more coffee" the answer to "I need 2 more cups of coffee?" - it may be for a while, but soon you are going to need even more... and in the meantime, there are other hormones that affect us in ways that create or release more sugar into the blood from storage; trying to manage only by adding meds is difficult unless you are also reducing the need for these hormones.
[to be 100% clear - please do not take any of this as saying you should change any medication without discussion with your GP]
This is why many of us have had success with lowering carbs (specifically sugars and starches) - because they are foods that turn into blood sugar (and fats, as it happens) and trigger the need for high insulin.
Again - not saying that you need to do anything, but my journey started by leaving the surgery in much the same way as you - totally upset and confused; why am I not getting any straight answers about insulin resistance - what is it and what can I do about it; all the medical system seems to want to do is give me more meds..
My response was to jump down the rabbit hole of better understanding - and I'm still jumping (or falling ...) and I apologise if this seems like I'm being critical - I'm not, I'm just reacting strongly because your story resonates with me and my experience, but the good news is that there is much more in your control than it may seem, and that surprising numbers of people have been able to turn this thing around, regardless of how they are seen by the medical community at large.
Hi
Yes I’ve had type 2 for 6yrs - my blood sugars averaged 6-7 until 3yrs ago when I went from 500mg Metformin once a day to suddenly taking 2g per day and 2 other meds too. My blood sugars when I get up in the morning average 10-11. I was prescribed 10 units of long acting insulin at night as I seem to have the ‘dawn phenomenon’ but it seems to have increased my results to 12.2! I eat healthy, I’ve never taken sugar in anything, don’t smoke or drink and lead an active outdoor lifestyle! I’m stumped! I’ve tried ozempic but it didn’t help and had too many side effects
MrsA2
Expert
Perhaps you could share what a couple of days eating looks like for you?
Many of us find the common advice of "healthy eating" just doesn't suit those of us with t2. Instead we eat very low carb, not just not adding sugar but reducing carbs across the board.
HCPs tend to be very cautious when first prescribing insulin. It is not possible to know exactly how much anyone will need, it can vary enormously, so the initial dose will be an educated guess which will almost certainly need adjusting. They err on the low side because of the danger of hypos. Are you in contact with whoever prescribed the insulin to report back on your levels and advise you on adjusting the dose? If they have not arranged a time to contact you for this, then you need to contact them.
No need to be depressed, it's really common for the initial dose not to do much, better and safer than it doing too much.
