Insulin switched today!

Janeliz66

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15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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RUDE MANNERS, MEAT EATERS (I'M A VEGETARIAN) DARK WINTER MORNINGS
@Janeliz66. How is the switch going. Currently on M3 and may have to switch soon myself.
Hi fasting level this morning 8.7 so it's halved more or less took 30 units last night still a way to go with the novorapid as readings very high 2 hrs post meal but it's just finding the right level.. It's great taking it when I eat rather than 40 minutes before though so it's suiting me well
 

cott97

Well-Known Member
Messages
329
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi fasting level this morning 8.7 so it's halved more or less took 30 units last night still a way to go with the novorapid as readings very high 2 hrs post meal but it's just finding the right level.. It's great taking it when I eat rather than 40 minutes before though so it's suiting me well
I was told my Insulin amount would increase if I switched - do you agree? My Hba1c was 57 so not over high but post meal peaks are in the teens
 
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cott97

Well-Known Member
Messages
329
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi fasting level this morning 8.7 so it's halved more or less took 30 units last night still a way to go with the novorapid as readings very high 2 hrs post meal but it's just finding the right level.. It's great taking it when I eat rather than 40 minutes before though so it's suiting me well
I find the time before meals almost impossible to keep to and quite often it seems to hit it's peak way after I've eaten. I'm glad you've got into the swing of things - I felt for you when you described your hesitation
 
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Janeliz66

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
RUDE MANNERS, MEAT EATERS (I'M A VEGETARIAN) DARK WINTER MORNINGS
I was told my Insulin amount would increase if I switched - do you agree? My Hba1c was 57 so not over high but post meal peaks are in the teens
Well its only been 6 days since my switch I was on 48 units per day of Humulin m3 but DN said it obviously wasn't enough did today I'm taking 12 units with each meal and 32 tonight so yes its going up
 

Janeliz66

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
RUDE MANNERS, MEAT EATERS (I'M A VEGETARIAN) DARK WINTER MORNINGS
I find the time before meals almost impossible to keep to and quite often it seems to hit it's peak way after I've eaten. I'm glad you've got into the swing of things - I felt for you when you described your hesitation
Thanks I wasn't in a good place and saw the switch as a failing but already I know I have done the right thing for me like you said I barely managed to do the right timings of m3 due to the nature of my job. I didn't always eat breakfast early and now if I don't I don't need to take it until I do
 

Janeliz66

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
RUDE MANNERS, MEAT EATERS (I'M A VEGETARIAN) DARK WINTER MORNINGS
What I've found is insulin resistant diabetics on m3 would just need to add and add their units to reduce there hba1c @DCUKMod . I admire OPs diabetic team as they have recognised early that more units would reduce her hba1c but feed the insulin resistance. Making her type2 condition more difficult to manage. Like dr beinstein wrote.... smaller changes cause smaller errors. So less likelihood of a hypo.
That is why she has been advised to just adjust in small units not like some who have to adjust in larger amounts of units due to severe insulin resistance.
Her team will always evaluate the risk of her hypo for her, first and for most. The reduction of hba1c to none diabetic range may never come for some. No matter what treatment is offered.
Insulin treatment is the best treatment for lowering hba1c. In type 2s too!
Anyone can sustain lower hba1cs on insulin treatment.
The more insulin you take, the lower the hba1c if hypos are not more frequent than ideal bgs.
Hypo treatment is essential but too many hypo treatments can interfer with your hba1c result.
The less hypos, the better, all round. Nasty side affect to too much insulin injected.
Hello you refer to me as insulin resistant diabetic.... what does that mean please?
 

cott97

Well-Known Member
Messages
329
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hello you refer to me as insulin resistant diabetic.... what does that mean please?
My understanding is that type 2's initial problem is that they have too much glucose circulating but that our cells have lost the ability to use Insulin properly to mop up this glucose. Eating a low carb diet seems to help with this cell resistance meaning that a lot of type 2's can either slow down/ reverse their condition by changing to low carb. If you are at the stage you need Insulin then my understanding is that eating low carb can reduce the amount of insulin you need to use if you can reduce this cell resistance as the circulating glucose is better mopped up.
 

Janeliz66

Member
Messages
15
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
RUDE MANNERS, MEAT EATERS (I'M A VEGETARIAN) DARK WINTER MORNINGS
Thank you
 
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ickihun

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13,698
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Hello you refer to me as insulin resistant diabetic.... what does that mean please?
Type 2 diabetes is the type which has a processing insulin into a fully healthy metabolic system fault. (Not like type1s who have an antibody fault which causes death to their prancreas' s cells.)
We type 2s at the begining of the disease still produce insulin as our cells are alive. They overwork as not all insulin gets pathway to generate energy. It's established that fat cells block insulin entering the cells to release energy. Fat slows down all systems.
Insulin not being recognised and processed efficiently compared to none type 2s is called insulin resistance.
That is why thin type 2s and morbidly obese type 2s have different amounts of fat cells blocking insulin being processed. No matter your BMI your insulin resistance strength may vary. IR is being researched and may be cause of some forms of dementia and polycystic ovaries, bauldness in men and a huge more problems.
IR apparently is prevailent before diabetes symptoms in many type 2s.
3000 genes are related to diabetes too so there is a bigger picture.
Research is on going.

I use insulin injections as I've had diabetes symptoms for 40+yrs. Only been diagnosed for 14yrs of that. Luckily my infertile body responded to long term metformin and I recently had to get sterilised after giving birth to two wonderful boys. Pcos caused my first marriage to breakdown after failed ivf.

Its ok to be insulin resistant but your actions can make it worse. On the positive note: your actions from now on can improve YOUR insulin resistance. We are all different and are at different positions in our journey.
Assess where you are by testing with a meter and listen to your blood test results from gp and diabetic nurses.
We are here for you. It can be a long journey for some more than others.
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I was told my Insulin amount would increase if I switched - do you agree? My Hba1c was 57 so not over high but post meal peaks are in the teens

Cott- I would ask you not to be too caught up in how many units of insulin you are taking, versus what that total number might be on MDI.

If your post-meal spikes are too high, then something isn't working quite well enough for you.

If you are content with your way of living and eating, then tweaking your meds to deal with that makes sense.

I would tend, perhaps, to ask you to consider that the style of insulin you are taking can't be adequately tailored to suit your way of living, due to it's mixed nature, so splitting the long and short acting could provide you with a better fit. If the total number of units is higher, so beit.

Once you are experienced in both carb counting, adjusting your doses and the timings of your injections, you may find the number of units drops back a bit again, but to reiterate it is only a number.

I've never used diabetes drugs, so can't give you any personal wisdom, but I have observed some steep learning curves, but they really can be worth it.

Good luck with it all.
 

cott97

Well-Known Member
Messages
329
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Cott- I would ask you not to be too caught up in how many units of insulin you are taking, versus what that total number might be on MDI.

If your post-meal spikes are too high, then something isn't working quite well enough for you.

If you are content with your way of living and eating, then tweaking your meds to deal with that makes sense.

I would tend, perhaps, to ask you to consider that the style of insulin you are taking can't be adequately tailored to suit your way of living, due to it's mixed nature, so splitting the long and short acting could provide you with a better fit. If the total number of units is higher, so beit.

Once you are experienced in both carb counting, adjusting your doses and the timings of your injections, you may find the number of units drops back a bit again, but to reiterate it is only a number.

I've never used diabetes drugs, so can't give you any personal wisdom, but I have observed some steep learning curves, but they really can be worth it.

Good luck with it all.
You're in line with my thoughts and it's why this thread is so interesting as I do believe it's my next step. Both parents are T2 and I have severe cardiovascular issues on both sides with my father recently dying with vascular dementia. I am also disabled meaning exercise is limited to less than 3000 steps total a day. Physio is finding solutions but for me I need every bit of help to ensure I minimise my risks. I also low carb but that wasn't enough though it has helped with weight loss. This forum has been so helpful in giving me information so that I make informed choices to ensure I stay healthy plus it helps when you're low to know that others have been through it and come out the other side.
 
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DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
You're in line with my thoughts and it's why this thread is so interesting as I do believe it's my next step. Both parents are T2 and I have severe cardiovascular issues on both sides with my father recently dying with vascular dementia. I am also disabled meaning exercise is limited to less than 3000 steps total a day. Physio is finding solutions but for me I need every bit of help to ensure I minimise my risks. I also low carb but that wasn't enough though it has helped with weight loss. This forum has been so helpful in giving me information so that I make informed choices to ensure I stay healthy plus it helps when you're low to know that others have been through it and come out the other side.

Cott97, a friend of mine, who decided to leave the NHS now does various holistic style things, as a well as a some sessional Diabetes Specialist Nurse work. Amongst her portfolio of offerings are some FABS classes. The FABS site is here: https://www.moveitorloseit.co.uk/classes/

She recently did a session for our local Diabetes UK group, which I participated in, and it was good fun. It is marketed with a "use it or lose it" strap line, but in essence the class is about doing what the individual can. Some sit throughout, some stand throughout (unless the exercise itself demands sitting), and some do a bit of both. There may be something like it in your area.

Some work published out of the National Institute for Health and Research in Leicester showed that in terms of bang for the buck, merely actually standing for 5 minutes an hour had a decent impact. It appears it's the deployment of the large muscle groups that kicks off the positive benefits.

I was amazed.