type 2 first insulin today

[peabody2]

Hello I am type 2 and today had my first insulin dose as I have been suffering extreme side effects with all other drugs. Should I be aware of any possible side effects?
I am using a PC so will not always be live on the forum but I would be grateful for any advice. Thanks in anticipation.

 

[urbanracer]

Hello I am type 2 and today had my first insulin dose as I have been suffering extreme side effects with all other drugs. Should I be aware of any possible side effects?
I am using a PC so will not always be live on the forum but I would be grateful for any advice. Thanks in anticipation.

The obvious risk is hypoglycemia - when your blood glucose levels drop too low. This can be dangerous.
There are known side effects but I would suggest that you read the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) that comes with your medication and report any issues to your care team.

 

[EllieM]

Should I be aware of any possible side effects?

As @urbanracer said, the main side effect is hypoglycemia, which your team should already have talked to you about.

If your blood sugar goes much below 4 mmol/L your brain becomes starved of energy, you can become irrational, start to hallucinate and even go into a coma. Most people get warning symptoms (varies by person, but include hunger, sweating, shakiness) long before they get to this point, but this is one reason why the UK DVLA require you to do a blood test before you get in a car.

Hopefully your team have talked to you about this and you have a blood testing meter?

What kind of insulin are you taking?

 

[mansingh01]

Hello I am type 2 and today had my first insulin dose as I have been suffering extreme side effects with all other drugs. Should I be aware of any possible side effects?
I am using a PC so will not always be live on the forum but I would be grateful for any advice. Thanks in anticipation.

What insulin are you on and how many times you take it

 

[peabody2]

Apologies for late reply. My computer died!
It is to be injected once a week Semaglutide is on the box. I have 4 doses and have now taken 2. Feeling very sick , nauseous.

 

[peabody2]

The obvious risk is hypoglycemia - when your blood glucose levels drop too low. This can be dangerous.
There are known side effects but I would suggest that you read the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) that comes with your medication and report any issues to your care team.

Thanks for that Urbanracer. My apologies for the late reply.

The obvious risk is hypoglycemia - when your blood glucose levels drop too low. This can be dangerous.
There are known side effects but I would suggest that you read the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) that comes with your medication and report any issues to your care team.

As @urbanracer said, the main side effect is hypoglycemia, which your team should already have talked to you about.

If your blood sugar goes much below 4 mmol/L your brain becomes starved of energy, you can become irrational, start to hallucinate and even go into a coma. Most people get warning symptoms (varies by person, but include hunger, sweating, shakiness) long before they get to this point, but this is one reason why the UK DVLA require you to do a blood test before you get in a car.

Hopefully your team have talked to you about this and you have a blood testing meter?

What kind of insulin are you taking?

As @urbanracer said, the main side effect is hypoglycemia, which your team should already have talked to you about.

If your blood sugar goes much below 4 mmol/L your brain becomes starved of energy, you can become irrational, start to hallucinate and even go into a coma. Most people get warning symptoms (varies by person, but include hunger, sweating, shakiness) long before they get to this point, but this is one reason why the UK DVLA require you to do a blood test before you get in a car.

Hopefully your team have talked to you about this and you have a blood testing meter?

What kind of insulin are you taking?

Thanks for this and I apologise for the late reply. I have a test meter but doc said not to use it ages ago! No leaflet in the box with my insulin. Bit confused and feeling sick

 

[urbanracer]

Thanks for that Urbanracer. My apologies for the late reply.



Thanks for this and I apologise for the late reply. I have a test meter but doc said not to use it ages ago! No leaflet in the box with my insulin. Bit confused and feeling sick

If you didn't get a PIL (you should have done) then there are a few places on the web that list the side effects of many drugs.

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-174490/semaglutide-subcutaneous/details

 

[EllieM]

Thanks for this and I apologise for the late reply. I have a test meter but doc said not to use it ages ago! No leaflet in the box with my insulin. Bit confused and feeling sick

Can you phone your surgery, explain you have been given insulin with no instructions as to when to test your blood sugar, and ask for help? Honestly, I cannot believe that your doctor would put you on insulin without telling you to test your blood sugar. Normally you'd be doing blood tests to determine how much insulin to take. Insulin is a wonderful drug (I am T1 and would be dead without it) but dosage varies from person to person and you absolutely need instructions on how to modify your doses. I am shocked by your team's lack of care.

 

[Shiba Park]

Can you phone your surgery, explain you have been given insulin with no instructions as to when to test your blood sugar, and ask for help? Honestly, I cannot believe that your doctor would put you on insulin without telling you to test your blood sugar. Normally you'd be doing blood tests to determine how much insulin to take. Insulin is a wonderful drug (I am T1 and would be dead without it) but dosage varies from person to person and you absolutely need instructions on how to modify your doses. I am shocked by your team's lack of care.

Sadly I think this is normal... I was discharged from hospital with no advice at all - and with someone else's insulin prescription! It's shocking that a drug that's equally fantastic and lethal is dispensed with such abandon. Fortunately there are people here who can help with the principles, but the nitty-gritty needs to come from the HCP's. Maybe other T2's on insulin in this forum will be along shortly to give some advice?

Shiba.

 

[Resurgam]

Apologies for late reply. My computer died!
It is to be injected once a week Semaglutide is on the box. I have 4 doses and have now taken 2. Feeling very sick , nauseous.

That is not an insulin but a different type of medication. It can have serious side effects and you could go hypo so you need to test your blood glucose levels.
There should be an information leaflet in the box.

 

[peabody2]

Can you phone your surgery, explain you have been given insulin with no instructions as to when to test your blood sugar, and ask for help? Honestly, I cannot believe that your doctor would put you on insulin without telling you to test your blood sugar. Normally you'd be doing blood tests to determine how much insulin to take. Insulin is a wonderful drug (I am T1 and would be dead without it) but dosage varies from person to person and you absolutely need instructions on how to modify your doses. I am shocked by your team's lack of care.

thanks for this I will call my surgery and ask more Q's

 

[peabody2]

Thanks to everyone who has given advice. I will now question care and ask for more information. Grateful to you all

 

[DarrenW29]

See all the other drugs big side effects last thing insulin when insulin should have been the first thing to save and prevent any more beta cell death