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What is expected from first insulin use

Fenn

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,405
Type of diabetes
Type 1.5
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi, I hope im posting this in the correct place, may I ask anyone who has started taking humalin I, what their experience was please?

I ask because I took my first dose last night at 10pm, l have been struggling with my bgs for the past few years after an initial very successful control, going from 126 to 35 and apparently curing myself. The more recent past I have really struggled to get my numbers down whilst trying hard, I never really fell from the wagon in the sense I have kept my carbs lower than a “normal” person, avoid the normal culprits but not technically low carbing or not 25/30g I was originally on. I eat very well, my wife cooks our food from scratch, we dont have take aways, I never drink alcohol etc etc, a pretty healthy lifestyle all in all. This has been frustrating as my numbers have progressively got worse, I have been taking 4xMet Alogliptin, Jardinace and still havent been able to get my numbers down, if I dont eat from breakfast to evening meal, after a 12 hour fast I will still be bg13-18. I havent had alot of fun with it all.

Sorry for droning on, I wanted to give you background to my question so here goes

I took 10 units at 10pm, although my bgs were pretty good last night, nothing spectacular, at 1:30am It had gone down to 8.5, I have no idea if this was good or bad as I dont usually or ever test during the night but today! Oh my, it was up to 9.5but had gone back down to 8.5 by the time I ate, 13.3 after so that was under wealmingly what I would expect but before lunch 15 hours after the insulin 6.4 I was having a false hypo and feeling a little bit wishy washy, 2 hours after eating an M&S chicken wrap 7.5 Thats a massive big deal for me but how can the insulin be doing this 17 hours after a small (I think) dose? Would this be your experience? Can it make this much difference? Is this a one off or what I can expect? Will this amazing effect wear off as I become accustomed?

I have been reluctant to take the insulin as I was worried about being insulin resistant but havent done a test for this, but I have been diagnosed with background retinopathy and my DSN said “we have no where else to go”, I am hoping this means I wont need to keep upping the insulin, throwing good after bad if that makes sense. Fingers tighly crossed this is normal and I am in for some great hba1c numbers once again

So sorry for the long post, thankyou if you managed to get through it.
 
Hi @Fenn

I'm sorry, this is going to sound rude and I don't intend it it to be, but I find your post confusing. You do not give any indications of timing or activity levels.

Where you write it was up to 9.5 - does this mean on waking? What time was this?
It was at 8.5 by the time you ate, how long was this after the first reading?
What did you eat/drink for breakfast?
15hrs from 10pm is 13:00hrs today ? You were 6.4 at this point?
What had you been doing in the morning?

Your Humalin1 is an intermediate insulin so its activity peak will occur around the 5 hour mark and it can last up to 17hrs in the body- according to the info here.....
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/resourc...0of%20Leicester%20-%20Insulin%20Profiles.pdf?
 
I am sorry, I will try to shorten my waffle.

That link has answered a huge part of my question.

I have worried every day about taking this for 6 months, I have been told by DSN this is the starting dose and would maybe need to be taking 80 units, I am to call her twice a week but today ive already achieved my goal? Is it a normal thing that it works amazingly well to begin with but we become accustomed to it and its less effective as time passes? Im not complaining! Im just trying to not be “too” happy.

I was hoping for “yes its amazing, you have won the lottery”.

Time will of course answer my question, sorry to ask a nonsense question, I was trying not to make it too long in an attempt to keep the reader awake

Thankyou
 

SO!- I think you're a T2 and I cannot speak with authority but as I understand it there is a risk that by injecting insulin, your insulin resistance will increase and then you get into a cycle of needing increasing amounts of insulin to combat the resistance, and so your insulin resistance gets worse again.

This is why your DSN made the comment saying that your insulin requirement WILL increase. It may well be the case for some people but it reflects outdated thinking and ignores the differences between individuals, their diets and lifestyles. It is not a foregone conclusion these days.

With a moderate to low carb intake you will start out with a lower insulin requirement and any insulin resistance you have will not increase at the same rate, you are slowing the cycle down by injecting less insulin.

T1's often find that their pancreas springs back into life when they start injecting insulin and it becomes capable of making small amounts of its own insulin for a period of time. This may be anything from a few weeks to a few years and I don't know if the same thing happens with T2's. It can make glucose management tricky as you don't know when your pancreas will shoot out some insulin.
 
You type 2s are complicated people, because in type 2 there is a mix of insulin resistance, and often not enough insulin produced, it does seem that you each have your own personal combination.

So it really depends how much your too high blood sugars are caused by insulin resistance, and how much by not producing enough insulin.

I think that if 10 units have worked well, you may find you don't end up with a very high dose, but obviously it's hard to know.

But the first day sounds good. Hope the second might and day is good as well. Good luck with it.
 
You can expect to get your bgs under great control and then have your body in good condition so you can exercise more to keep on top of your IR. You may need insulin still... on low carb eating, exercising and reduced stress. Or you may be able to reduce your insulin into oblivion on low carb eating and stress free exercise. At least for a period of your life. Time enough to get a grips on your background retinopathy and improving it. Lose any excess weight and keep fit.
Its a start.
 
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