Starting on Insulin - Looking forward to it!

MalcolmB

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14
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Other
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Hi All...

I've finally decided to go with my Nurse Practitioner's advice and start on slow release insulin (Insulatard) My HbA1c has been gradually rising and I'm bothered about the long-term effects of my oral meds.

I was diagnosed fifteen years ago and started with one Amaryl tablet daily and now I'm taking 2 Grams of Metformin, 320 Milligrams of Gliclazide and 100 Milligrams of Sitagliptin. When I start on insulin next week I'll stop taking Gliclazide but continue with the Metformin and Sitagliptin plus 8 Units of Insulatard for the time being.. The meds will be reviewed in a couple of months time and I'll see how I go from there.

On the whole, I'm quite looking forward to kicking Gliclazide into touch. I was always skinny as a rake until T2 was diagnosed. I started taking Gliclazide about seven years ago and I put on a stone and a half. The hospital specialist who diagnosed me was surprised as I was so thin and didn't fit the normal diabetic profile but I'd had an immune system problem that affected my thyroid and a gall stone attack which ended up giving me pancreatitis! I went into hospital with stomach pains and came out with thyrotoxicosis and diabetes. Talk about buy one and get one free!

The only downside is having to tell the DVLA that I'm now using Insulin.

I had to wait a couple of months to see my Nurse Prac so I had a go at cutting out as many carbs as possible and I actually started to have hypos on a regular basis - normally I never had hypos when I was eating a proper diabetic diet so there must be something in the high fat high protein diet.

I'd be grateful for any comments from those of you who are following the same regimen, i.e. insulin plus oral meds, and what to watch out for, apart from hypos.

Best wishes

Malcolm
 

ickihun

Master
Messages
13,698
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Insulin
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Bullies
Hi Malcolm. Im on mixed insulin and have just had my metformin reintroduced as it stopped working as of sitagliptin and Gliclizide.
Ive added weight on insulin even on a low carb diet but I have severe insulin resistance not pancreatitis.
I too have underactive thyroid.
Insulin floating around via injections even on low carb.
Low carb more effective if insulin is kept low too.
I was producing insulin for protein too.
High protein just has high as carbs for me.
Vegtables and sparse protein has been adviced.
Some veg are not compatable with thyroid problems.
I'm just experimenting to see any difference at mo.
Metformin helps my female hormones at a pcos sufferer. I'll be reluctant to give it up.
Your insulin replacing gliclizide should only add weight if heavy on carbs and heavy protein.
You should be a lot better off.
Have you got any insulin resistance?
 
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MalcolmB

Member
Messages
14
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Other
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Politicians
Hi...
Thanks for the reply.
I'm not sure as to the extent of my insulin resistance, I've moved from my GP's Nurse Practitioner to the Insulin Clinic at my local walk-in centre. I'll let you know how I'm getting on in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed!

Malc
 

Mep

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,461
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi Malcolm - I started using insulin at the beginning of 2010 after having diabetes T2 at that time for 12 years. Although I was placed on insulin after they ran the diagnostic tests on me again (GAD test and c-peptide test). The result of the c-peptide showed that I hardly produced any insulin (whereas I used to when diagnosed years back). My endocrinologist said I had to be on insulin for life from that point, he immediately took me off my oral meds as he said they only work if sufficient insulin is produced. I wasn't kept on metformin either as I didn't tolerate it. I take apidra for bolus and lantus for basal. I've not used a mixed insulin or just basal insulin.

I hope your new treatment works well for you. :) If you haven't had the diagnostic tests done again it may be worth asking they do that for you as being on oral meds plus insulin will probably only be useful if you still are producing sufficient insulin yourself as most of the oral meds work on stimulating your pancreas to produce insulin. There is no point being on them if you do not produce sufficient insulin. I think the only oral med they may choose to keep you on to manage insulin resistance is metformin if you tolerate it. Some type 2's are placed on insulin when they do have sufficient insulin in order to gain control. Considering you've been T2 for a while now you could be in the same position I was? It is worth finding out I think before you spend lots of time taking meds that may be of no value to you. Eg. if you produce insulin then yes that would probably work, if not then you probably need to be on both basal and bolus insulins.
 
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