NEWBIE - ADVICE PLEASE ON MEDICATION/INSULIN

[robinsong]

Hello, I am new to this forum and would be grateful for advice on moving from medication to insulin.
Tomorrow is my annual diabetic review and I expect to be advised to start using insulin.
Will be 50 in a fortnight and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 5 years ago.
Have always been a healthy eater and no dietary changes made any difference to my blood sugars.
Metformin then rosiglitazone have not agreed with me and, being prone to weight gain, my GP and I agree that other drugs are probably not a good idea. He thinks that probably (on the evidence of the drugs I've tried) my body hardly makes any insulin, so there is little use in trying to make it work better when there's just not enough there.
So, tomorow is D day...quite happy and accepting that insulin is now the way...must get my blood sugar levels down.
However, any advice from others who have passed this way would be really appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[chocoholic]

Hi there, I am exactly the same age as you, diagnosed Type 2 five years ago and had to be switched from tablets to insulin pretty quickly. I think you might find it is actually easier in some ways to be on insulin and at least you won'thave upset tummy or anything from medication. To begin with you'll need to keep a very close eye on your blood sugars and if you have good diabetic back up at your local surgery or hospital clinic, that will be an enormous benefit to you in the early days. You might go through a "honeymoon" period, as I did, when my readings became near perfect and I actually wondered if I could come off of the insulin but unfortunately that stable period didn't last and it takes a while to get your balance right for you. Everyone is different, so what is right for me or anyone else on here, won't necessarily be right for you. I worried about hypos in the early stages.....that I wouldn't recognise the symptoms but trust me, you will. Always carry something sugary with you and your test kit. You'll soon settle into using insulin. The actual injecting becomes as unbothersome as brushing your teeth.
I still don't have "perfect" control. Sometimes there seems no rhyme nor reason to my readings but I'm more confident of dealing with hypos or being hyper too. You will be too before you know it.
Good luck.

 

[robinsong]

Thanks for that...I do have a friend who told me she found everything so much easier once she got on to insulin. Will post again once I'm back from my review...my GP is excellent, so not worried.
Just very aware that control of blood sugar is important for my long term health.

Jenny

 

[robinsong]

Hello everyone, especially chocoholic,

sorry for the delay in getting back...have been so busy with our garage conversion!

However, the upshot of my annual review was, as expected, to be advised onto insulin.

In an hour I'll be at the local practice with my GP and practice nurse for my Insulin Initiation appointment (likely to be using the long lasting insulin). Been expecting this for ages but a little anxious...not of injecting but that this is the next step on the slippery slope.

However, if my blood readings normalise I will be thrilled!

Expect to see me on this forum more frequently!!!!

Wish me luck...