Hello im new

[JayCeeEnergy]

Hello im new and probably about to start insulin for type 2, as my blood is regularly 16 when I've been to a hospital blood test (I've not been testing at home much in lockdown) any thoughts/advice, long acting or short etc?, much love Jay

 

[Leadinglights]

Hello im new and probably about to start insulin for type 2, as my blood is regularly 16 when I've been to a hospital blood test (I've not been testing at home much in lockdown) any thoughts/advice, long acting or short etc?, much love Jay

How long have you been diagnosed and what is your HbA1C that has led to the decision to put you on insulin. I assume you have made significant changes to your lifestyle, diet and exercise and medications and that has not been successful. Were you given dietary advice about reducing carbohydrates as this would have been important steps to have taken. blood sugar levels of 16 are high but not as high as some people start off at and are able to bring it down by oral meds and reducing carb intake,
I bit more information will help people advice about possible insulin regimes and give you some idea of what to discuss with your G P or specialist.
Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

[goodybags]

Hi @JayCeeEnergy

My thoughts (as someone who previously didn’t test even though I knew I should)
is test,test,test
test on waking, then before and 2 or 3 hrs after eating
as I did and you will learn how different foods are spiking your BS levels.

if you do go on insulin (which if you need it you will need to use it then you might come off it when your Hba1c drops)

whilst on insulin you must test before driving,
if they haven’t already given you a testing kit & the strips on prescription you will be entitled to them free

regular testing is a real eye opener,
it was a shock to find out how certain foods were causing my high blood sugar levels
I’m no longer testing before and after every meal but still testing on a regular basis.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Jay, welcome to the forum.

Glad that you've found the site and been able to begin the journey that is managing your diabetes. Were you given your HbA1C number? Your HbA1C along with testing in the morning and 2 hours after meals, alongside keeping a food diary can help you to find out how your meals impact you so you can make the appropriate changes.

We've got a lot of info on the site so do have a look around and let us know if we can support you in any way.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @JayCeeEnergy

The type of insulins you are offered will possibly depend on the level of additional support that your body needs. For some people with insulin resistance, adding a little extra background insulin to help take the pressure off the pancreas means it can cope better around food.

The most flexible system is Multiple Daily Injections (MDI) also called basal:bolus where you have a long-acting insulin working in the background and additional fast acting doses delivered shortly before eating meals. The handy thing is that you can adjust all the doses separately, eg for larger or smaller meals (or even missed meals).

Many forum members find premixed insulins rather cumbersome and inflexible. It does suit some people, and means only 2 injections a day, but you have to keep to a pretty regular routine.

 

[JayCeeEnergy]

Hi guys, thanks all for your welcomes and information.
A bit more, I recently bloodtested at 81,
2 years ago before, when diagnosed I started, 1, 2 then 3 tablets (metformin, gliclazide, sitagliptin- recently, my blood was over 100.
1 year Before lockdown i was 61.
This year I'm walking 15k average a week, and on a low Calorie diet, but with 50+ units of alcohol a week, and smoking. I've ordered nicorette spray, to try.
Very normal weight.

 

[Leadinglights]

Hi guys, thanks all for your welcomes and information.
A bit more, I recently bloodtested at 81,
2 years ago before, when diagnosed I started, 1, 2 then 3 tablets (metformin, gliclazide, sitagliptin- recently, my blood was over 100.
1 year Before lockdown i was 61.
This year I'm walking 15k average a week, and on a low Calorie diet, but with 50+ units of alcohol a week, and smoking. I've ordered nicorette spray, to try.
Very normal weight.

Yes, that level is rather high especially with all the medications you are already having. What is ringing alarm bells ids you saying you are on a low calorie diet as that is not necessarily low in carbohydrates and certainly the 50 units of alcohol may be very high in carbs depending on what you are drinking beer being particularly high, spirits and wine less so. I think you need to have a serious look at your diet as it is carbohydrates that as a Type 2 diabetic that your body cannot handle. Fats and protein and vegetables are what you should be basing your meals on.
I think a few people may suggest that you may actually be Type 1 as you are not overweight and the medications are not working well for you. There are tests that could check that out. But it could be that it is just some poor dietary choices that are not helping with your high glucose levels.
If you give us an idea of some typical meals, there may be some suggestions for some changes which would help.