• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Need Advice

C

Conrad74

Well-Known Member
Messages
51
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Last year I was diagnosed with diabetes. Until recently I was not given a type, but my doctor and diabetes nurse assumed a 1.5 because my c-peptide test levels came back slightly low. I recently had another test done and saw an endocrinologist and she said I was a type 2. I am wondering how they can determine what type just by a c-peptide test. From what I was reading online usually type 2 have high c-peptide levels and are insulin resistant. What tests should they be doing? I’m asking because it seems none of the oral medications they are giving me have any effect on me. The only thing I have found that works is insulin. I am supposed to take 2x1000 mg of metformin, but I decided to stop taking it a while ago, and have noticed zero difference in blood sugar levels. They tried putting me in Forxiga but had to stop taking it after a week as my blood sugar levels kept rising day by day, and the only thing Forxiga did was make me feel like total ****. Everyone does agree that I have had diabetes for a very very long time, as I’m 43, in fairly good physical shape, but have quite a few diabetes complication, such as eye damage, kidney damage, high blood pressure, that all the doctors say usually people don’t develop in their 50’s or 60’s. Is there tests they should be doing that aren’t being done? I don’t eat a lot, most days only about 30-75g of carbs a day and I don’t eat high calorie foods either. Some days if my blood sugars are too high(over8) I don’t eat anything at all until it comes down to normal. Any help on what to do and ask doctors would be so much appreciated. I just want to be on medication that’s right for me, not just stuff thrown at me hoping it may work.
 
Hi. A BS over 8 isn't too high but once it gets into and stays in the teens as mine did (and the 20s) then you need to challenge the GP. You could well be a LADA in the honeymoon period but it may be bit early to tell. The c-peptide test is mainly used on the basis of being very low or vey high. If in between then it's merely a guide. Metformin never does much so I'm not surprised you didn't notice much difference. Many GPs like mine would try Gliclazide to help the body produce more insulin. Insulin wouldn't do any harm but it may be a bit too early to take it?
 
I do take levemir every night. I doubt I am LADA as I’m very sure I’ve had diabetes for at least 15 years. I just never had it checked until last year when I finally went for an eye exam and they strongly adviced me to go to emergency and have my blood sugar tested. At that time my BS was 29 and my A1C was 13.8 %. All my life I remember drinking a lot, I just thought it was from being physically active all the time. The day after my diagnosis last year, was the first time I wasn’t constantly thirsty.
 
Conrad74 said:
I do take levemir every night. I doubt I am LADA as I’m very sure I’ve had diabetes for at least 15 years. I just never had it checked until last year when I finally went for an eye exam and they strongly adviced me to go to emergency and have my blood sugar tested. At that time my BS was 29 and my A1C was 13.8 %. All my life I remember drinking a lot, I just thought it was from being physically active all the time. The day after my diagnosis last year, was the first time I wasn’t constantly thirsty.
Click to expand...

What is your BG like now, and what is your most recent HbA1c?

Like you, I was diagnosed relatively young at 40 (I'm now 49). I start on Lantus insulin today and wish I had started 18 months ago.

This explains why:

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/15478720.php
 
Daibell said:
Hi. A BS over 8 isn't too high but once it gets into and stays in the teens as mine did (and the 20s) then you need to challenge the GP. You could well be a LADA in the honeymoon period but it may be bit early to tell. The c-peptide test is mainly used on the basis of being very low or vey high. If in between then it's merely a guide. Metformin never does much so I'm not surprised you didn't notice much difference. Many GPs like mine would try Gliclazide to help the body produce more insulin. Insulin wouldn't do any harm but it may be a bit too early to take it?
Click to expand...

As I understand it, the decision to start insulin isn't based on age but on BG or HbA1c levels. I wish I had started it a long time ago. I could have prevented some of the permanent damage to my beta cells:
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/15478720.php
 
My last HbA1c was 2 weeks ago, and it was 7.4%. Much better then the 13.8% when I was originally diagnosed last July.
 
I don’t have many issues with insulin. I take 35 units of levemir a night and 2 units of novorapid per 15g of carbs. My fasting bs is normally between 4 and 6, with the odd time a little higher. The novorapid works extremely well, and usually my blood sugars are lower afterwards then before eating. If I eat less then 15g of carbs and my bs before eating is less then 5 i don’t take novorapid as it would drop my bs below 4.
 
I do wish novorapid pens came in a much smaller size, as it is only good for 28 days once out of the fridge and I never use more then 1/4 of the pen. Such a waste throwing out so much medicine each month
 
Conrad74 said:
I do wish novorapid pens came in a much smaller size, as it is only good for 28 days once out of the fridge and I never use more then 1/4 of the pen. Such a waste throwing out so much medicine each month
Click to expand...
I don't know what options are available but would it be cheaper for the system if they gave you disposable syringes and a very small vial instead? On the other hand, it's possible that despite the wastage with the pen, the simpler process of managing the distribution and supply chain actually makes it the cheaper option.
 
Conrad74 said:
I don’t have many issues with insulin. I take 35 units of levemir a night and 2 units of novorapid per 15g of carbs. My fasting bs is normally between 4 and 6, with the odd time a little higher. The novorapid works extremely well, and usually my blood sugars are lower afterwards then before eating. If I eat less then 15g of carbs and my bs before eating is less then 5 i don’t take novorapid as it would drop my bs below 4.
Click to expand...

Because it's been a few days I had forgotten what you were asking at the start of your thread, so I went back and copied some of it to here:

" ...have quite a few diabetes complication, such as eye damage, kidney damage, high blood pressure, ...

Is there tests they should be doing that aren’t being done?

Some days if my blood sugars are too high(over8) I don’t eat anything at all until it comes down to normal.

Any help on what to do and ask doctors would be so much appreciated.

I just want to be on medication that’s right for me, not just stuff thrown at me hoping it may work."

It sounds like you are using the right types of insulin for your current needs and are getting satisfactory results. I'm sorry if I didn't see this but what was your latest HbA1c result and how long ago?

If you are currently prescribed other diabetes meds that aren't insulin or metformin, then I don't understand why your doctor or nurse believes you need them. If there are any, what are they?

Regarding eye and kidney damage, do you know exactly what is wrong and whether any of it can be changed, and if not, is there anything you can do reduce symptoms? Good BG control should be able to stop it getting worse.

My understanding is that high blood pressure isn't so much a complication of diabetes but a condition that many diabetics have in addition to diabetes. Do you know what your latest BP reading was? How often do you get it checked?
 
Back
Top