should i be on insulin pen

barney06 · Jul 23, 2010

i have been diabetic for the last 7yrs (type2) and i was diet controlled for 6mnths and didn't get any better so my doc pt me on Metformin 850mg which i have been taking 3 a day for the last 6and a half yrs last yr he put me onto glyclazide 80mg 2 twice daily but the same old symptoms have been reappearing in the last 6mnths where i am getting high levels from my meter but i am also very lethargic i cannot plan a day out i cannot plan when i need to go shopping as i constantly fall asleep

6wks ago my doc put me on pioglitazone 15mg b4 breakfast i always wait half an hr when i get up to take this pill then half my other meds after breakfast ie:this morning got up at 10 past 7 took the 15mg pill waited half an hr then had my breakfast and waited a further 10mins to take the rest of ym meds before my breakfast my levels were 6.5 which for me after a nights sleep is pretty normal but within half an hr of this at 9 o'clock i was falling asleep again and when i did another test it was sitting at 23.3 which in my book is too high espescially as i had taken all my meds.

Have just been to the doc today again and she has told me to get a referal bk to the hospital as the docs at that practice cannot prescribe a nova pen insulin injection for me which i think is pretty ironic as they have 2 diabetic jps in the practice which has and can prescribe the insulin can anybody help as my levels are going through the roof and nobody seems to be listening to me and as i finish this i am ready for sleeping again i have just had my tea and this always happens can anybody help and give me some advice plz

sugarless sue · Jul 23, 2010

Even though you are not newly diagnosed I think some of this advice may be of help to you.

Here is the advice we usually give to newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics.This forum doesn't always follow the recommended dietary advice, you have to work out what works for you as we are all different.

It's not just 'sugars' you need to avoid, diabetes is an inability to process glucose properly. Carbohydrate converts, in the body, to glucose. So it makes sense to reduce the amount of carbohydrate that you eat which includes sugars.

The main carbs to avoid or reduce are the complex or starchy carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, starchy root veg and also any flour based products. The starchy carbs all convert 100% to glucose in the body and raise the blood sugar levels significantly.

The way to find out how different foods affect you is to do regular daily testing and keep a food diary for a couple of weeks. If you test just before eating then two hours after eating you will see the effect of certain foods on your blood glucose levels. Some foods, which are slow acting carbohydrates, are absorbed more slowly so you may need to test three or even four hours later to see the affect that these have on your blood glucose levels.

Buy yourself a carb counter book (you can get these on-line) and you will be able to work out how much carbs you are eating, when you test, the reading two hours after should be roughly the same as the before eating reading, if it is then that meal was fine, if it isn’t then you need to check what you have eaten and think about reducing the portion size of carbs.

When you are buying products check the total carbohydrate content, this includes the sugar content. Do not just go by the amount of sugar on the packaging as this is misleading to a diabetic.

As for a tester, try asking the nurse/doctor and explain that you want to be proactive in managing your own diabetes and therefore need to test so that you can see just how foods affect your blood sugar levels. Hopefully this will work ! Sometimes they are not keen to give Type 2’s the strips on prescription, (in the UK) but you can but try !!

As a Type 2 the latest 2010 NICE guidelines for Bg levels are as follows:
Fasting (waking).......between 4 - 7 mmol/l.
2 hrs after meals......no more than 8.5 mmol/l.
If you are able to keep the post meal numbers lower, so much the better.

It also helps if you can do 30 minutes moderate exercise a day. It doesn't have to be strenuous.

Sue/Ken.

barney06 · Jul 24, 2010

i have just read what you have said and as i am about to point out i do not eat a lot of pasta ,potatoes or root vegetables and as i am lactose intolerant i do not eat a lot of milk products as this causes havoc with my ibs so what ur forum is pointing out to me does not apply to me i eat a lot of other foods which ie include veg and fruit i would rather have fruit and veg than anything else and this isn't making any difference to my levels so there must be something other than what you are suggesting that i do and as i dont eat a lot of bread your forum for me and probably a lot of other type2 diabetics does not apply to me is there any other thing you can suggest

anniep · Jul 24, 2010

Hi

I just thought I would add that I find most fruit really spikes my sugars, even a small amount of orange juice has my levels sky high, also for some reason yogurts, even the lowest carb ones that I can find. (Although I know that this won't apply to you as you are lactose intolerant.)

cugila · Jul 24, 2010

barney06 said:
i have just read what you have said and as i am about to point out i do not eat a lot of pasta ,potatoes or root vegetables and as i am lactose intolerant i do not eat a lot of milk products as this causes havoc with my ibs so what ur forum is pointing out to me does not apply to me i eat a lot of other foods which ie include veg and fruit i would rather have fruit and veg than anything else and this isn't making any difference to my levels so there must be something other than what you are suggesting that i do and as i dont eat a lot of bread your forum for me and probably a lot of other type2 diabetics does not apply to me is there any other thing you can suggest

I am sure there are many things we could suggest but we don't really have much information to go on.
Maybe you could tell us what a typical days intake of food and drink consists of, that might help us to help you better. High Bg levels are usually caused by larger intake of carbs, if there is no medical reason for the rise.

If you think that doesn't apply to you then obviously you should ignore the standard advice which works extremely well for many Diabetics as proven here and elsewhere.......myself included. Too much fruit can raise your Bg levels as well. Portion sizes are also very important.

Ken

theblokefromstoke · Jul 25, 2010

Hiya Barney,

I have to be really carefull with fruit and veg. Total no no 's for me are Oranges, bananas, Potatoes, peas, and grapes. Apples and pears and carrots only in moderation and part of my measured daily carb intake.

Good fruit and veg for me are tomatos, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage, raddsh and peppers of all colours. I try and make meals more intersting with some low carb cheese sauce or gravy.

Its different for all of us. I am that sensative to what i eat, i keep a running diary of all the foods i eat during the day, how my BG reacts and try not to exceed 60grams carbs per day. This for me seems to work well my my 2 metformin a daily brisk walk with the dog of 1/2 hr and a run for 20 mins.

mrburden · Jul 27, 2010

barney06 said:
i have just read what you have said and as i am about to point out i do not eat a lot of pasta ,potatoes or root vegetables and as i am lactose intolerant i do not eat a lot of milk products as this causes havoc with my ibs so what ur forum is pointing out to me does not apply to me i eat a lot of other foods which ie include veg and fruit i would rather have fruit and veg than anything else and this isn't making any difference to my levels so there must be something other than what you are suggesting that i do and as i dont eat a lot of bread your forum for me and probably a lot of other type2 diabetics does not apply to me is there any other thing you can suggest

Just wondered if the IBS started before or after you started to take the Metformin?
My father was T2 for a number of years. Before he was diagnosed he was regarded as having "cast-iron guts" and would eat any and everything. Over a peroid of time on Metformin his ability to eat various foods deminished. Staring with red meat, then eventually almost any food would bring on bouts of what some doctors considered to be IBS. He was eventually taken off Metformin and put onto insulin injections and was again able to eat a whole range of things without trouble. It appears that many Metformin users also suffer similar effects.
If your IBS was present before the use of Metformin I guess that taking it may not help your symptoms.

should i be on insulin pen

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should i be on insulin pen

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