Need Someone With Experience [Archive]

gobbly2100

02-21-2007, 12:52 PM

I was just wondering what peoples opinion is on my situation and having diabetes.

I was diagnosed with it at 10 and for the first year or so things were fairly level blood sugar wise but when I was about 12 I started abusing my body with TONS of sugar right up to the age of 18 when I have now started to be responsible for myself.

It is tough but am strating to see more normal readings but it is really hard to totaly rid my self of those high 20mmo readings.

I have been told I have very early signs of diabetes damage to my eyes but it is apparently reversable but I don't know if that is true or not so an answer to that would be nice but the big question I have is this:

Hearing a brief story of my life providing I start taking care now am I very likely to develop any problems in life?

I don't smoke or drink atall if that helps.

BriOnH

02-21-2007, 02:24 PM

If you control your blood sugar and make sure you maintain a healthy lifestyle there is no reason you can't reverse any damage that's been done and prevent damage to occur.

gobbly2100

02-21-2007, 03:17 PM

That is really good to know because the whole thought of having complications made me feel so depressed.

Am currently seeing between levels of 12 - 21 but am still working hard at getting them where they should be but considering my meter often would tell me I was "HI" then am getting there, also I have been having a good few lows which actualy makes me feel good knowing that what am doing is taking effect.

One question I have is because I have been running so high for so long will it take a while for my body to rid itself of stored sugars? I don't know if the body stores sugar atall.

xMenace

02-21-2007, 04:09 PM

Storing sugars is what bodies do ;)

No, you can get your sugars down immediately and keep them there. But that's quite a bit unrealistic. Here's my prescription.

1. see your endo. work closely with him/her to find the correct regimine for you.

2. Test 7 times a day: wakup, 2hrs after bf, pre-lunch, post lunch, pre-dinner, post-dinner, bedtime.

3. Start counting carbs and finding your i/c ratios. Accurate bolusing is critical.

4. Lower your glycemic index. The best control is achieved with complex carbs.

5. Lower your food intake at breakfast and after 8pm. These are most likely to screw you up for long periods.

5. Understand your basals. basal is the basic release of said stored sugars. It happens 24/7, but at different rates throughout the day. It is vital you document your 'curves' so you can treat them properly. For us pumpers it means a CGMS or hourly bg testing after skipping a meal. I do it over several days and weeks by skipping every meal and repeating over a few days. Ask Dr. Google.

gobbly2100

02-21-2007, 07:26 PM

BriOnH

02-21-2007, 08:01 PM

So seeing as I have been running high for so long am I right in thinking that it will be a good while before I see normal blood sugars as the body has alot stored?

I have not been quite as controling as the previous post suggests but I have not been far off.

Am on maximum insulin for my weight so it is a diet thing now but I really am eating so liitle now it is crazy so I really was wondering if it takes a long time for my body to get rid of all the stored sugar?

Thanks for the replies guys I really appreciate it.

No. You are not correct. The body doesn't store sugar as sugar (glucose). It stores it in other chemical forms, such as glycogen, that can be converted back to glucose. You should get your numbers back to regular as soon as you can. Running high for so long it is likely that you will feel "low" while in a normal range. So it may take time to good again in normal range, but their is no excuse not to get back into normal range asap.

cheryl

02-21-2007, 08:19 PM

Hi,

What kind of insulin are you on exactly, sometimes our requirements changed and that weight and insulin thing goes out the window, my friend weighs about 20 pounds less then me is about the same height and she requires a lot more insulin than I do....go figure, you'd figure me the stocky one, but not always so.

Hey you sound a lot like I did so confused, and I was so used to the old way of thinking and sometimes old habits are hard to break.......just let us know what insulin you are on, do you carb count. Do you use fast acting insulin for each meal, and long lasting once or twice a day........I was not educated very well, and I had to join a forum and buy books to actually get it.......no dr really explained things the right way.

Hope you are doing ok?

Cheryl

gobbly2100

02-22-2007, 09:07 AM

Well I don't count carbs atall and never have done, I am on Humalog Mix 25 and take that twice a day.

I have been offered the insulin you take everytime you ar gonna eat but I can't bear any more injections as they are a big deal for me.

I am 112 pounds and take 90 units in total a day, am not sure where I can find out what my maximum should be though.

To be honest if I had to count every chip that went in my mouth or anything like that I don't think I would cope very well.

BriOnH

02-22-2007, 10:14 AM

What about trying a pump gobbly? How many shots a day are you on now? I am sorry you are having a rough time, but I am confident you will get through it and come out better than ever.

cheryl

02-22-2007, 10:54 AM

Supposedly your weight x's four will give you what you should be on tdd and if your on more your either way off which one way could be determined that your low and high and can't find a happy medium or your very insulin resistant......but with the humalog mix you could be on more insulin then being on the four shot a day regimine..........Like Brian said have you looked into a pump or instead of a syringe an insulin pen.......it is very hard to control sugar usually on that mix insulin, I mean a few can but more and more people can't. I thought it was very odd to take so many shots at first but it is a heck of alot easier to get a better control, and all, just a thought for you, but I understand if it is needle phobia, a lot have a hard time with that, that is why a lot use the insulin pen or the pump.......I hope this helps......and yes counting carbs wasn't in my vocabulary for years, but after high's and low's and ughhhhhhhh the fustration I finally gave in........but it takes us all time at different rates to get where we need to be......we are here for ya and trust me I have been there and am still trying....Good luck and take care.

cheryl

HollyB

02-22-2007, 11:13 AM

Hi Gobbly,

I just want to say, the carb counting and extra shots probably seems like a lot when you're not used to it, but it would give you more freedom as well as better control. My son, dxed two years ago at 13, was started right on a regime of taking an injection with every meal plus long-acting insulin once a day. It is more needles, but with the pen not that big a deal. And he learned carb-counting really fast. You don't have to count every chip, but if you know that each french fry is about 1 carb, you can make a pretty good estimate as to what's on your plate. And then you can eat when you want, however much you want, and just take the insulin to cover it. It takes more knowledge (and yeah, more shots), but the trade off is better numbers, no need to go hungry, being able to sleep in without worrying about waking up way high or low, feeling better...

You can only do what you're comfortable with, but you might want to start learning a bit about carb-counting and MDI, especially if your numbers stay stubborn about coming down. Then you can try on the idea and make an informed decision.

LancetChick

02-22-2007, 02:50 PM

Wait...... you weigh 112 pounds and your TDD is 90 units????? That's more than twice what mine is, and I weigh 33 pounds more and consume a lot of carbs. If your basal insulin is set too high, you can expect to go hypo periodically through the day and have to snack, then go low at night, sleep through it, and rebound so that you wake up with jacked up sugars. If you're on steroids, I can maybe see 90 units a day, but otherwise I can't. I agree with the pump suggestion if you're that whacked out about needles, because there's no way you can have good control using a basal/Humalog mix. Plus, it gives you zero flexibility. If you can't get a pump, for whatever reason, there are insulin ports which you can wear for the same number of days as an infusion set.

Cyborg

02-22-2007, 03:02 PM

You may want to consider discussing an MDI type of treatment based on a combination long acting (basal) insulin and fast acting (bolus) insulin that is carb count based. Good luck.

Doug

02-22-2007, 05:35 PM

I think something is up
I weigh 220 and only take 40-50 units ...
how many lows do you have a day ?
I bet you are rebounding from too much insulin ...

I know it sucks to change but you need to be on a long acting insulin for basal and a short acting for meals and corrections - Its been proven that MDI or a pump are the BEST treatments ..

As was mentioned - if you can swing the $$ you should look at a pump. no more shots and you will feel SO much better once you get the numbers right

THing is dont let it get you down. Once you get some success with this it will get easier ...

BriOnH

02-22-2007, 07:20 PM

cheryl

02-22-2007, 07:30 PM

Hey,

I think the only thing everyone is really saying is that insulin really sucks.....and really last year when I didn't carb count and I didn't really know how to use my insulin in the proper way I was on like 50 units a day, and I suffered from low's to major high's like 40's too 400, now I am down to 33 units a day in just four months.......that is all I think most are saying, if the sugars are wacky it could very well mean too much insulin......but I do agree that it is not always the case, but you only know for sure if the sugars are actually stabilized.

Cheryl

LancetChick

02-22-2007, 07:53 PM

Weight doesn't always dictate insulin requirements. I have a 6'4 230 pound friend that takes less insulin then me and a 5'6 150 lb freind that takes more then me. I am 5'8 and 160 lbs. We all are in very good shape. Weight to insulin is a rule of thumb in type 1 diabetes which is usually considered when starting insulin, it is by no means a law.

Gobbly could be experiencing insulin resistance as well. I don't believe there is a need to alarm anyone here.

While it's true that a weight-to-insulin estimation is not written in stone, it is a good general indicator, allowing for gender, age, activity and various other things. Insulin resistance is a possibility, but is unlikely in this case. Overdosing on insulin is actually very common, and I believe it does warrant a wake-up call. I would suggest that the original poster find a good endo who specializes in diabetes to set her (or him) on a better path, and in the meantime, here is a link to an insulin wizard that estimates TDD, basals and other things based on a variety of information (it overestimates my basal dose, but it gives a good ballpark figure). Diabetes Mall Tools Section (http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_tools/tools_tdd.php)

Doug

02-22-2007, 08:05 PM

BriOnH

02-22-2007, 08:14 PM

While it's true that a weight-to-insulin estimation is not written in stone, it is a good general indicator, allowing for gender, age, activity and various other things. Insulin resistance is a possibility, but is unlikely in this case. Overdosing on insulin is actually very common, and I believe it does warrant a wake-up call. I would suggest that the original poster find a good endo who specializes in diabetes to set her (or him) on a better path, and in the meantime, here is a link to an insulin wizard that estimates TDD, basals and other things based on a variety of information (it overestimates my basal dose, but it gives a good ballpark figure). Diabetes Mall Tools Section (http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_tools/tools_tdd.php)

Why is it unlikely? A type 1 male diabetic is having problems with high blood sugars all day long despite being on 90 units per day. If he were OD'ing he would be complaining of hypoglycemia, not hyperglycemia. Either way I do agree he should get medical help.

LancetChick

02-22-2007, 08:34 PM

Why is it unlikely? A type 1 male diabetic is having problems with high blood sugars all day long despite being on 90 units per day. If he were OD'ing he would be complaining of hypoglycemia, not hyperglycemia. Either way I do agree he should get medical help.

I don't believe that's true, for the most part. It would be true for me, because I don't rebound from lows, but many (if not most) do rebound, and their livers and pancreases release hormones and glucose in response, which often goes way overboard, causing wildly fluctuating blood sugars. I've heard of situations where endos didn't catch on, and in the end, an overdose of insulin proved to be the culprit. Rebounds disguise insulin overdose very well if you aren't looking for it, and I think it's important for this poster to at least rule it out.

gobbly2100

02-22-2007, 09:47 PM

Well all this support is fantastic and I really appreciate it, the only thing is I have problems with alot and it is really getting me down now :(

The idea of a pump is not great for me as I have a lifestyle that it would get knocked about like mad and it would generaly get in the way I think.

The idea of the insulin you take 4 times a day well, that would just be too much as I struggle as it is.

This talk about insulin ressistance sounds interesting if someone could explain a little about that, I am gonna check this link you gave me so thanks for that.

I actualy got so furustrated tonight I jacked my insulin up again to no effect, am really not gonna bother with more insulin, I just find myself making myself starve for such little results.

At the moment life is beginning to get a little tough and part of me wants to give in and throw in the towel but that would be stupid I know.

I have raised about £3,000 for research into diabetes and unless they cure it I don't know if there is anything out there for me.

LancetChick

02-22-2007, 10:45 PM

I actualy got so furustrated tonight I jacked my insulin up again to no effect, am really not gonna bother with more insulin, I just find myself making myself starve for such little results.

At the moment life is beginning to get a little tough and part of me wants to give in and throw in the towel but that would be stupid I know.

I have raised about £3,000 for research into diabetes and unless they cure it I don't know if there is anything out there for me.

I don't accept that, because your quality of life is at stake (yes, I know it isn't any of my business). I think you need to educate yourself about insulin management...... Using Insulin by John Walsh is my dog-eared reference book, and even though John Walsh is American, he gets mm as well as mg/dL, and his logic rises above both. If you are injecting, here is a link to insulin port info: Auto Control Medical - Insuflon Catheter (http://www.autocontrol.com/diabetes_products/insuflon_catheter.htm)

For the record, education and frequent testing have made me live the life I lived before diagnosis (minus 1/2 hour every day), and provide me with stable A1c's in the non-diabetic range. You need to make your own decisions, of course, and I hope you'll choose what's best for you.

BriOnH

02-22-2007, 11:16 PM

I don't believe that's true, for the most part. It would be true for me, because I don't rebound from lows, but many (if not most) do rebound, and their livers and pancreases release hormones and glucose in response, which often goes way overboard, causing wildly fluctuating blood sugars. I've heard of situations where endos didn't catch on, and in the end, an overdose of insulin proved to be the culprit. Rebounds disguise insulin overdose very well if you aren't looking for it, and I think it's important for this poster to at least rule it out.

If this were true he would show some signs of hypoglycemia in the day, in which he does not. This would absolutely present itself as an issue if overdose was an issue.

Gobbly here is a breif memo that mentions insulin resistance in type 1 diabetics:
Normal Insulin Sensitivity During the Late Preclinical Stage of Type 1 Diabetes -- Larger et al. 27 (7): 1842 -- Diabetes Care (http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/full/27/7/1842)

Many type 1's start to get insulin resistance. The number 1 cause of this is running so high.

You really should listen to Lancet Chicks advice on learning the proper methods to control your diabetes. Whether if be MDI or a pump. You really need to do one or the other brother. If you dont you are asking for a ton of problems. I also promise it wont be as bad as you think. Either way get to a diabetes specialist right away. You really need to get your levels in check. The complications that come from high blood sugars are just awful. They literally pale in comparison to mdi and pumping.

You are still so young, only 18. You need to get this under control! Please!

gobbly2100

02-22-2007, 11:24 PM

Funnygrl

02-22-2007, 11:29 PM

If you are not willing to take more than 2 shots a day, you aren't going to achieve control. It's that simple.

BriOnH

02-23-2007, 12:39 AM

If I read that correctly, insulin resistance is basicaly when your body does not actualy use the insulin very well atall, if this is the case then what would be the answer because I have never heard anything like this before.

One other question is if I do have this then why did I get it, is it something I have done to make it not work very well?

Thanks for that link, I saved it for future reference also.

That is correct about insulin resistance.

It used to be that type 1's would require more and more insulin the longer they had the disease even while maintaining the same body weight. These days that doesn't happen as much, and to be honest I dont know why for sure it happened more back then, but I believe it's because back then (1970 and 80's) a good HGA1c was 10. Today insulin resistance is most common in type 2 diabetes, but for completely different reasons. Though type 1's that gain a lot of weight often experience the insulin resistance that type 2's do.

You have a lot to learn brother, and you have come to the right place, and I have no doubt you are going to catch on really quick. As you noticed a consitent theme of recommendations so far has been that you really need to use Multiple Daily Injections or a pump (in your case a pump really would be your best bet, you would notice such a huge improvement it would be like the difference between night and day also the pump handles a lot of calculations for you to make your life easier) in combination of carb counting. Talk to your endo, talk with us, use the net and get your diabetes under control. You can't run that high. If you do you are going to ruin your organs.

HollyB

02-23-2007, 06:11 AM

If I understand it right, being high in itself increases insulin resistance. So once your numbers come down to normal range, you will probably see your total daily insulin needs come down some as well.

cheryl

02-23-2007, 07:22 AM

Hi again Gobly,

I really do feel your pain, it is so fustrating when the books say so and so and so do the dr's but your not going down that same path.....do keep in mind seriously that the insulin you are on now is not working for you, I know the whole concept of shooting four times a day or more is a little off, and maybe it makes one feel at first oh does this mean I am worse, because the way we were taught so long ago.

Honestly though, you really should start paying attention to what you eat, I hope i don't get anyone mad here, but the more I follow a type 2 diet the less insulin I am requiring, so I get fustrated with carbs too, because they all don't think alike.....lol.........what I believe is the more bad foods you eat regardless if it is low cal or less carbs, they aren't necessarily good for you......and if your trying to get on lower doses of insulin or just trying to get less insulin resistance, why don't you eat wheat instead of white, stay away from high fatty foods......and watch what you snack on certain oils cause insulin resistance or insulin requirements to be higher , for example hydrogenated oils and msg, I cut all this out of my diet and wow, what a difference in insulin dosages for me......it could help you out too.....to get a little more controlled and get your body not used to resisting insulin....it did me and now I can eat white occasionally or something with the bad oils and I can count for them perfectly, just a thought for you too

cheryl

DeusXM

02-23-2007, 08:12 AM

If I read that correctly, insulin resistance is basicaly when your body does not actualy use the insulin very well atall, if this is the case then what would be the answer because I have never heard anything like this before.

One other question is if I do have this then why did I get it, is it something I have done to make it not work very well?

The answer? Well, there's several solutions. Firstly, the insulin that you're taking simply isn't doing the job. If you're only on two injections a day then you're probably on a mix insulin. Mix insulins aren't very good for control and taking large amounts of them won't really decrease your BGs in the way you'd like - you get an initial blip and then a very long, drawn-out drop.

If you want to get your diabetes under control then I'm afraid you are going to have seriously consider moving over to multiple daily injections.

Otherwise, things you can do to assist would be to exercise more and reduce your carb intake. These will reduce your insulin resistance but because you are only on two injections a day you are still going to have erratic blood sugars.

As for whether you've done something to cause this - I don't know enough about your lifestyle to cause this. If you eat a lot of carbs and don't exercise much then you're certainly not helping. However, the problem you've described is the same problem that EVERYONE on two injections a day has. So no, you haven't really done anything to cause this.

mzizgayle

02-23-2007, 09:36 AM

Gobbly, I really don't have much more to add since you have excellent advice from above posters, but once you get the hang of counting carbs it becomes a natural part of your day, since most people tend to eat the same foods, you will know how many carbs are in that food item and not even blink when eating it. Get yourself a good book on carbs etc and do talk to your medical team...you will be able to do this and come thru it very well

gobbly2100

02-23-2007, 01:59 PM

Well the thing with more injections is that I have a phobia and when I do an injection it can take 10 minutes and I also like doing it sat in a sofa that is of a certain height because I only inject in my legs, before you think about maybe I need to move sites well my legs are not too bad yet.

I think the key here is more exercise from what I am seeing, what kind of exercise is best for lowering sugar? I am guessing cardio related. also I do eat pretty poorly when I do eat as in I don't have healthy foods, here is a rough plan of what I eat in a day and see what you think.

Breakfast: 2 bowls of cereal
Morning Snack: A few digestive biscuits
Lunch: Anything From bacon, soup or something simple
Afternoon Snack: 2 packets of crisps (I think in the states you call them chips)
Dinner: French fries, burgers, chicken, beans and that kinda stuff.
Evening snack: This is where I sometimes eat alot of junk but usualy things listed above like a bowl of cereal and things like that

If fatty foods cause my insulin to not work well and lack of exercise too then I think that is really where my problem lies, I am a very fussy eater but I think I could change my diet alot easier than changing my insulin.

This thread is starting to all make sense with what you are all saying so now it is time to take some action and sort out a gym membership for starters and then look at food intake.

Thanks for all this help guys and girls, if you have anymore ideas then please suggest them because it is really helping me.

cheryl

02-23-2007, 06:55 PM

Wow, you eat a lot of carbs, I see why your on a lot of insulin now.......I'd say not eat 2 bowls of cereal maybe one bag of chips instead of two.....and yes the french fries will make ya spike here and there if they arent' dosed for correctly.....lowfat milk if you don't already use it, try some turkey bacon......eat either the burger or the fries not both well not daily anyway.....just my opinion,

How often do you test your number to see what the foods are doing to your blood sugar, just my thoughts, I bet if you cut your meals just by a little you would see a difference.......

I like very active exercise, Have you ever heard of taebo just love it and it burns alot of calories....good luck,

Cheryl

moorejames

02-24-2007, 04:05 AM

Breakfast: 2 bowls of cereal
Morning Snack: A few digestive biscuits
Lunch: Anything From bacon, soup or something simple
Afternoon Snack: 2 packets of crisps (I think in the states you call them chips)
Dinner: French fries, burgers, chicken, beans and that kinda stuff.
Evening snack: This is where I sometimes eat alot of junk but usualy things listed above like a bowl of cereal and things like that

Without trying to spark a whole debate over the benefits of low carb, I gotta say, you're hitting the carbs pretty hard, and since it doesn't seem to be working for you, you might want to give your diet a seriously hard look.

The cereals are basically sugar, same for the biscuits and the crisps, and fries, an the bread/bun that probably goes with the burger.

And I didn't see a non-starchy vegatable in the lot. :eek:

Broccoli and califlower and asparagus are your friends, you should get to know them. :)

gobbly2100

02-24-2007, 12:51 PM

BriOnH

02-24-2007, 02:26 PM

The problem with being on 2 shots of 25/75 a day is you have to be exactly consistent with amount carbs you take in and the amount of exercise you do. With 2 shots a day you aren't really allowed to deviate from carbs and exercise. When you add in stress, sickness, or high blood sugar that needs to be corrected, 2 shots a day just isn't going to cut it. I really wish you would listen to us and get on MDI with lantus or levimer for a 'base' (base = basal insulin.) insulin and humalog or novorapid for meals/corrections (Bolus). Or go on a pump. The pump really would be your best option as it can teach you alot and handle the computations to get you running healthy. Right now your numbers are extremely high as you know, and will stunt your growth and cause havoc on your organs. This is also why you are probably so thin.

Since you insist on using what is now considered an ancient method to treat your type 1 diabetes you are going to be very constricted.

You need to count how many carbs you are taking in a day and with each meal. You can find carb amounts on the sides of food packages. Eventually you will be able to eye ball foods and guestimate accurately how many grams of carbs are in a meal.

There is some trial and error here. Test right before you eat and approximatly 2-3 hours after each meal. Take note of the amount of carbs you eat. Once you fine tune the amount of insulin you are taking to the amount of carbs you are eating in each meal to the amount of exercise you do you must stick to that schedule exactly.
-----------------------------------------------------------
You must do this with every meal and stick rigidly to it
Lets say you test and are 4.3 before breakfast, consume 35g of carbs at breakfast and 2.5 hours later you test and are 6.0. 35g of carbs then are what you need to eat everyday at breakfast. You then need to do this with every other meal you eat.
-----------------------------------------------------------
If you go on MDI or a pump you can fluctuate how many grams of carbs you take in, or if you choose to you can even skip meals. You can't do that on 2 shots of 75/25. You also can't correct high BGL's due to a bad carb guesstimate, stress, injury or sickness.

Obviously I can't cover everything and didn't want to overwhelm you, with things like types of carbs, protien, fat. I am sure many can help chime in on this to help you too.

If you go on diabuddies.com and create a diagrid you can paste in your resuts like this:
http://www.brionh.com/images/chartcache/diagrids/dnc-f6qyu1g3.png?633079245567728750

Which will help us help you.

SueM

02-24-2007, 02:55 PM

In the UK there are strict guide lines for a pump and gobbly does not qualify for one.

As he has a needle phobia his best bet would be to have syringes and mix both insulins in the same syringe this way he can alter the amount of shorter acting insulin he needs.
Also a radical change in diet would help :)
Problem solved.

cheryl

02-24-2007, 03:25 PM

So cereal is a no no which is abit annoying because I always grab a bowl when I dunno what to eat, I have never been a very good eater when it comes to vegetables.

Maybe you could suggest some food that is not so high in carbs that I could eat more of maybe.

What about noodles?

If I was to stick with this kinda high carb diet what amount of exercise should I be doing with it or is it not gonna really work?

I will update you all and the latest is I am managing to see more BG's between 5 and 18 which is getting better, I am starving myself to do it though which is tough but I will learn to not eat so much I guess.

Also what kind of things am I looking for on food to see if it is heavy in carbs?

Honey you can eat a bowl of cereal just not two bowls.....it is important to stick with a plan that is all.....and insulin that your on can't be adjusted to the amount of carbs you are consuming in a day......Brian really summed it up,up there the best.......From what I can see your just on way too much carbs......but you don't have to go to barely no carbs if you don't want too, that is a personal choice of a lot of people, not all, but the type of insulin you use cannot handle that many carbs and even the insulin's we use it would be hard to figure all those carbs also......my first suggestion is to try to aim for 250 carbs a day then 200...... and let me tell you, you can manage diabetes with the four shots a day on 200 or 250 carbs a day.....it is really just all about balancing........

Cheryl

moorejames

02-24-2007, 05:10 PM

Maybe you could suggest some food that is not so high in carbs that I could eat more of maybe.

Just google low-carb, you'll get more hits than you'll know what to do with.

I'm not necessarily saying you should go low-carb, btw.

It' just that if you won't/can't change your insulin regimen, then there really doesn't seem to be any other way you're going to get things under control, and that's what's important, getting those numbers down.

I'm not a type one, so take my advice with that in mind, but from I've learned, you really only have 3 options:

more shots with varying kinds of insulin,
really (really( strict carb control
or a pump.

Since a pump may or may not be an option for you, then you're either going to have to learn to live with the shots or get serious about controlling your diet.

You DO NOT want to mess around with this.

jim

gobbly2100

02-24-2007, 07:41 PM

This thread should be now called "Lets All Help Gobbly2100" hehe

Well trying this lower carb stuff for just a day and a half is not really working great for me as I am unhappy not eating my usual amount and I seriously miss some of the great tastes of food.

I think this lantis is maybe worth a try atleast, the needle phobia is really going to be a challenge but I need to work around it, I mean surely am not the only diabetic diagnosed with a needle phobia am I?

Also would I be right is saying that with something like lantis I could eat pretty much anything (within reason) and live an almost perfectly normal life?

Some info on this would be great, thanks for help everyone it is really great :)

BriOnH

02-24-2007, 09:11 PM

Gobbly it's great to see you interested in learning and helping yourself. The earlier you take control the less likely you are to develop complications. This is a great place to get help. Many are glad to offer you suggestions and it's your choice (hopefully in conjunction with your dr) what to do with that information.

Lantus is a 24 hour basal insulin (a lot split the dose into 2 12hr shots though). It's your base insulin. You need to then take a shot of humalog/novorapid everytime you eat or need to correct. A fair number of us MDI'ers use an insulin pen which makes shooting up pretty discreet and easier to tote around. There are other type 1 diabetics with needle phobias but the ones I have heard of are on the pump.

Can someone help define basal and blouses a little better then I can to gobbly?

HelenM

02-25-2007, 12:58 AM

Gobbly, I’ll try to explain a little bit about how MDI works in practice for me.
I take lantus and Novorapid.. The lantus ‘mops’ up glucose between meals and needs to be accurately adjusted for the individual. Mine is and at the moment and I am able to go to bed knowing that my BS will be within 1mml of what it was when I went to bed. Last night my BS was 88(4.8) at bedtime , this morning it was (4.1). (this was a slightly higher drop thanusual but I had run 5miles yesterday in the afternoon). The Novorapid is taken with a meal and varies according to what I eat , what my BS is and my activity level. Using this method I have been able to keep my average BS in the normal range without eating a restricted diet. (although I try to eat healthily)
Todays schedule:

I have a fairly regular breakfast (porridge) and know how much rapid insulin to take for it .As I am going to sit in the car doing very little this morning I did not adjust it and took my normal amount.(4u).
At lunchtime I am going to eat out, so having read the menu, ordered and waited to see my meal I will estimate how many units to take . I will check my BS and then inject the dose at table. (I use a pen and it easy to do it discreetly). Again I will probably take a normal dose since in the afternoon I’m going to watch a Carneval, so I won’t be active. If I had been going for a long walk or a run I would reduce the amount of insulin. After about 2 hours I will test my BS again , just to make sure that I dosed accurately at lunchtime. If I took too much insulin and my BS is a bit low then I will eat a biscuit or a handful of smarties.
I will repeat the same test, estimate, dose procedure for my evening meal, it will be easier to do since I will be at home and know from experience how much insulin different meals need. I will also take my lantus at this time. I sometimes test at two hours after my evening meal, but often leave it until 3 hours so that I know what my BS is for bedtime and whether I need to eat a few carbs before bed.

Not all days are as simple as this because I exercise a lot and have to take this into account but it really does allow flexibility.
The other day I started a journey at 4am and just had a cereal bar before travelling with a small dose of insulin, I had my next meal 7 hours later at 11 am (traditional breakfast) at the airport and at 6pm a dinner at my destination. My BS fluctuated a bit more than usual (especially after a 40min hold up on the M25) but relatively little.

For both my lantus and my Novorapid I use pens with tiny 5mm needles. If you can overcome your fear of needles I’m sure that you will be able to both control your diabetes and lead a flexible life. I think that you will need to learn more about nutrition etc but that really isn’t difficult. If you do decide to change you will need the support of your doctor to help you adjust doses etc. I’m not in the UK but from what I have read this help is more likely to come from a clinic than from many GPs

Sorry to be a bit long winded but I think like others here I’m a bit worried about your high BS and would like to convince you that MDI does work and is really not a big hassle.

DeusXM

02-25-2007, 03:23 AM

At the risk of chucking in a spanner in the work....

...whilst I will continue to absolutely insist that the only real option for you is to go on MDI, if you really do have a severe needle phobia then you do have a couple of last gasp options on Mixtard. There are other Mixtards available - when I was on 2 jabs a day I would have Mixtard 30 (30% bolus, 70% basal) in the morning and Mixtard 50 (50% of each) in the evening.

However this is only a stop gap and won't actually solve the underlying problem.

cheryl

02-25-2007, 05:28 AM

Hi,

Lantus is a base insulin, this is to keep your blood sugars level when you are not eating......This is taken once a day, most of the time at night, there are some who take it twice a day, but we won't go into all those explanations and confuse you right now.......

But, then you will be on a fast acting insulin, which would either be Humalog, novolog or novorapid, or even apidra, well those are the different type. Now you inject these insulins with every meal........See how this works, you are thinking like your pancreas on this type of insulin regimine.....

You are right in thinking that you will have more control of bg's with the lantus, and you can, but it takes a little work at first in knowing how your body works and what your body needs......but hey, your bg's were higher on this your doing anyway, and it is not working so it is decision time to what you want health wise to live a normal, healthy life. Diabetes takes a little work anyway, but once you got it down it becomes so normal that it becomes second nature.......

Do look into atleast the insulin pens if you can, because a few people who do have needle phobia do better on the pens and what not if a pump is not an option for you, but a pump takes a lot of work to even more than all the shots so after you do change you med's and figure the pump maybe an option then go for it, but I suggest you go on mdi's first.........

Cheryl

LancetChick

02-25-2007, 07:56 AM

You know something Gobbly, Lantus will not make it possible for you to eat everything you want. And you can't eat whatever you want on 2 shots a day without paying the price in complications down the road. Aside from sugary sodas, I actually do eat whatever I please, live on a high carb diet and get away with it, but I inject many times a day, test 15x a day and keep a log of everything that affects my blood sugar. People who don't take this disease seriously don't fare well, and I don't feel like you really get that blindness, dialysis, Charcot foot and early death are par for the course for people with uncontrolled blood sugars. Screw your needle phobia and screw your junk food...... one or the other has to give, and it isn't even as simple as that. At least you're looking for answers, though. You definitely get points for that.