Not sure what to do - need advice please

The hunger is a response to the time when the insulin starts to take effect and rather later than it ought, blood sugar starts to fall - there is then panic, as the brain is used to a nice sugary bath and eating more carbs starts the cycle again - though different people have different times for the highest resistance to insulin - mine was in the morning, so my typical breakfast is steak and mushrooms. That fixed it pretty well, and so my breakfasts are variations on that theme.
If you are a standard sort of type two reducing the amount of carbs you eat should - with any luck, result in falling levels of blood glucose. You should be able to watch the numbers going down if you eat more protein and fat and fewer high carb foods - you would need to test, and adjust insulin so as not to go low - I have read of others on insulin not needing to inject any at all, or just use a basal, or have tiny amounts of bolus due to the change in diet. They are all fairly definite type twos, and really needed to test their blood glucose levels to see what was going on.

kristeenL27 said:

I have had Type 2 diabetes for about 6 years now, but for the last 2 years have not been testing and I know the diabetes is completely uncontrolled.

Am on insulin. Had a ridiculously high HBA1c which prevented surgery on my knee.

Since then, have been in a terrible mental state and just have not been able to face doing anything about my diabetes.

Now, I am not feeling well and have nerve pain which I know is caused by high sugar levels. I can't see anyone at my surgery, as they are all really unsympathetic and won't help me.

I have decided I want to change this, and need to start from scratch. How do I go about this the best way - do I just start testing and adjust insulin as required? I have just been injecting the same amount of insulin, which is clearly not enough for ages without testing. Am I a lost cause? I feel a complete failure.

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I can relate so much with your post and feel for you. In my case I have allowed it to get to such a state with my health problems I had twisted everything the wrong way round and turned into a horrible person. The reason I say this is to try and express how important it is to ask for help and not just muddle along. It’s not easy and we all meet health care professionals we don’t gel with but that doesn’t mean we should stop listening. Things will change for the better and looking after your diabetes will help greatly with your mental health. All the best.

kristeenL27 said:

I have had Type 2 diabetes for about 6 years now, but for the last 2 years have not been testing and I know the diabetes is completely uncontrolled.

Am on insulin. Had a ridiculously high HBA1c which prevented surgery on my knee.

Since then, have been in a terrible mental state and just have not been able to face doing anything about my diabetes.

Now, I am not feeling well and have nerve pain which I know is caused by high sugar levels. I can't see anyone at my surgery, as they are all really unsympathetic and won't help me.

I have decided I want to change this, and need to start from scratch. How do I go about this the best way - do I just start testing and adjust insulin as required? I have just been injecting the same amount of insulin, which is clearly not enough for ages without testing. Am I a lost cause? I feel a complete failure.

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Nope you're not.
However get testing. 6 times a day until under better control. Yes you need medical support so go back to GP and ask for help. They can refer you to another team of your choice. A fresh start.
Don't reduce insulin unless advised too. I can see where you want to be. This is very very achievable. It's never too late to recover from a burn out.

Jim Lahey said:

Sure. Although you're not type 2 so your metabolism probably isn't broken. T2 is pretty much synonymous with hyperinsulinemia, which prevents the body accessing stored energy. But there are few black & whites in this business, you are right.

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Absolutely right. The thing is our bodies react differently to what we eat. It seems you are less carb-intolerant than many others Being rather tolerant to carbs allows an individual to eat lots and without having BG spikes. Still a fasting insulin or HOMA-IR test would reveal for sure how insulin-resistant/sensitive you are.

kristeenL27 said:

I have had Type 2 diabetes for about 6 years now, but for the last 2 years have not been testing and I know the diabetes is completely uncontrolled.

Am on insulin. Had a ridiculously high HBA1c which prevented surgery on my knee.

Since then, have been in a terrible mental state and just have not been able to face doing anything about my diabetes.

Now, I am not feeling well and have nerve pain which I know is caused by high sugar levels. I can't see anyone at my surgery, as they are all really unsympathetic and won't help me.

I have decided I want to change this, and need to start from scratch. How do I go about this the best way - do I just start testing and adjust insulin as required? I have just been injecting the same amount of insulin, which is clearly not enough for ages without testing. Am I a lost cause? I feel a complete failure.

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Just don't lose hope. Type 2 diabetes is reversible; I am living proof as are so many others out there. Your cause is not lost as long as you are alive and looking for a way out.

NéjiSaïdi said:

Absolutely right. The thing is our bodies react differently to what we eat. It seems you are less carb-intolerant than many others Being rather tolerant to carbs allows an individual to eat lots and without having BG spikes. Still a fasting insulin or HOMA-IR test would reveal for sure how insulin-resistant/sensitive you are.

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Is that a C-peptide blood test?

ickihun said:

Is that a C-peptide blood test?

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No. HOMA-IR is a mathematical formula that uses directly measured fasting insulin and fasting glucose to calculate insulin resistance (according to the HOMA model).

It’s important to get those levels down safely as soon as possible. I’d strongly advise calling the NHS non-emergency number (111) for advice as you may have high ketone levels with high blood sugars. But really well done for testing. I know it’s scary but you are completely taking the right steps.

kristeenL27 said:

Well I did my first test, fasting level this morning, and the meter said "Hi". I suppose I expected it. Not sure what to do now. Where do I start?

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Wash and dry your hands and retest first. Contamination can give some wacky numbers.

If it’s still high are you able to check ketones? Call your dr or 111 if not or if they are high or if you feel in any way unwell and ask about the risk of dka and how to be checked

Do not eat any carbs (not just sugars) for the next few hours til the numbers come down. Stick to fats and protein. Go for a walk. drink plenty of fluids. Keep checking.

@kristeenL27

how’s it going?

Hey KristeenL27, we would be pleased if you could let us know what your latest reading was

kristeenL27 said:

Hi everyone, and thanks for your advice. I called my GP and she has prescribed Gliclazide, which I haven;t started taking yet. My readings, despite following all your advice are still showing just "HI" . I;m a bit worried about taking a new medication; will it really help?

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Yes it will help greatly and the sooner you can start following how your GP prescribed them the better, are you generally feeling well?

Glad you’re feeling ok, the first step is getting those bloods under control and it helps massively with the mental side of things, I know it’s been said a thousand times but that’s because it really is true although easily forgotten. Have you started your new meds yet?

Are you still on insulin? If you are ask your GP for a correction dose to help with your BG numbers. You also might try to check your numbers with another meter or the doctors office to make sure it’s correct.

If you are on insulin that is the best way to get your numbers down. Carbs will make those numbers higher, but so can fats and proteins. So you really need to know if you have ketones. If you have ketones you need insulin. If you start to feel sick you need to contact your GP right away.

If you are a type 2 your body still makes insulin, you just don’t use it well. And it is still possible to go into DKA but not likely. If you end up being a type 1, you slowly stop insulin and don’t make enough insulin or none and DKA is a real threat.

Also when you are on insulin, while it looks like you have lots of room to lower your Bg numbers, you have to keep a close eye on BG levels because big changes in what you eat can mean you need to adjust your insulin or you can drop too much.