I might have to start on insulin & want to delay it if possible

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Dizzydi

Dizzydi

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
I saw my consultant on Friday and overall he was pleased with all my results

HbA1C 5.4
Cholsetral 4.1
Fasting blood 6.6

I've managed to keep all my weight of that I lost 12 months (3 stone), still going to the gym and running twice a week (was 3 times), and walking to and from the office (I park 10 minutes away so I get a little more exercise 5 days a week)

However my morning bloods have sneaked up from 5 to 5.5 to being between 7.0 to 7.5. I know these are within good range but as I am currently trying for a baby the consultant wants my levels back to 4 to 5 and he had already explained right from the start that as I and/or when I get pregnant I will have to go on insulin.

What I want to try and do though is avoid insulin until I really have to go on it, if I get pregnant.

So my question is really will increasing my exercise and losing more weight (not much weight not got a lot to spare) help bring the levels down or do I need to just accept that this is how my body is working now and I need the insulin.

Thanks

xx
 
hi di just wanted to say great numbers for you i cant really advise on your question but wanted to say im so jealous lol thats great hbA x
 
Hi Di, those really are great numbers, but it is also good to hear that your doc is considering how your waking levels can be improved - some docs wouldn't care from what I hear! I'm guessing that he would want to put you on a slow-acting 'basal' insulin like lantus or levemir - one or maybe two injections a day, as your own pancreas is not currently producing enough of its own insulin to cope with the background glucose released by your liver. I don't know enough of the science to say whether reducing your weight further and increasing exercise would combat this alone. Both would leave you requiring less insulin, but this still might mean you need a 'top-up'.

I know it's a big step for Type 2s to start using insulin, but if your body needs it, I think you should try it and see what happens. Once you start getting above 7 on your fasting levels, this is when the problem with complications starts to rise dramatically, and I believe could also have a greater effect on foetal development.
 
I can't really give any advise on the pregancy issue, but yes, diet and exercise can improve your control, but don't worry too much about insulin. It's really not as bad as people think.

I'm sure everyone taking insulin has at some point heard some variation on "Oh I couldn't inject myself", but you do it if you have to.

If you want to reduce the morning bloods, make sure you don't eat too late. Go with the old saying -
"Breakfast like a king,
Lunch like a prince
Dine like a pauper".

That way, you get most of your energy at the start of the day when you need it, and less at the end of the day before you sleep.
 
AlanJardine said:
I can't really give any advise on the pregancy

If you want to reduce the morning bloods, make sure you don't eat too late. Go with the old saying -
"Breakfast like a king,
Lunch like a prince
Dine like a pauper".


wow i've not heard that before Alan but a very useful saying ,I could copy that and put it on my fridge door
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It's one of those things that make complete sense when you hear it, but it's the opposite of what we tend to do in modern life.
 
Well done on your results, thats a great A1c.
What type of diet are you following at the moment? One way to prevent the need for insulin would be to try reducing the amount of carbohydrate in your diet. thats if you currently are eating a highish carb diet. Might be something worth looking in to.

And when you do start on insulin, you will probably find it's not as bad as you thought it would be.
 
Thanks for your replies.

With regards to diet: i have a low sat fat (1.5g or less per 100g) - low or no sugar. I don't buy prepacked foods and make everything from scatch.

I generally have bran flakes or porridge for breakfast with skimmed milk
I eat at least 4 pieces of fruit a day and try to eat 1 to 2 veg a day
Lunch time I eat a granary roll with turkey or chicken and a fat free youghurt
Evening meals I rotate my carbes: Pasta, Rice and then jacket potatoe - generally eaten with chilli, curry's or griddled meat (I use turkey mince instead of beef mince and tend to griddle chicken or turkey - I will have steak or pork as a treat every couple of weeks)
I only drink coffee (bout 3 a day) or water and nothing else (I might have a checky rose once in a blue moon)

I have either a small jacket potatoe 100-120g, 50 g of basmalti rice (white or brown) or 50 g pasta (brown) at each evening meal

I'm now going to try and not to eat to late in the eveing as kindly suggest to see if this makes any difference.

Do you think my carb intake is to much ? If I reduced them more what do I need to have to replace them?

I know going on insulin is not the end of the world, and I need to keep healthy and ultimate control, but I think I was in shock.

PS I hate fish I have tried it every which way and just cannot eat it :(
 
Hi Dizzydi!

Glad to hear you have a switched on doc!

Are you on 5mg folic acid? If you're trying to conceive, as a diabetic you really need to be on this high dose ideally for 3 months before conception...

Re the insulin, my advice would be if the doc agrees, go for it, get stable & used to it before you add the complications of being pregnant...the early days of a diabetic pregnancy can be scary & hectic enough (Trust me! Going through it now & the diabetes adds a whole strata of stress of it's own) & the deaded "pregnancy brain" makes even the most mundane tasks (ooh lets see, locking the car, putting the cereal box / milk in the right places, getting dressed...!! 😱) sooo much harder lol!! At least if you get settled onto a regime before you conceive you'll have a stable starting point - the early days of pregnancy can play havoc with your levels, but if you're already on insulin you might be able to tweak your control much more quickly (just my opinion, mind you!)

I know injections seem like a massive step now, but the main priority has to be your & baby's health...and honestly, I find the blood sugar tests worse! Once you get over the worry of doing the jabs it is so much easier than you'd think (if I can manage it in my current befudlled state, he he!...)

Anyway, just my thoughts! All the best,

Twitchy x
 
Hi Twitchy

Thanks for your reply.

I am on Folic acid 5mg and have been since May 08 - this is part of a long battle for me to get pregnant - I've had all the tests and my partner and there is nothing wrong. Now taking Clomid to see if this helps. Fingers crossed hay - the drug worked exceptional well last month - just was unable to catch a chucky !!

I've just started my second course and am keeping nothing crossed it works this time - would be nice to catch now as I'm of to Mauritius in 3 weeks to get Married !! Be nice to have a honeymoon baby.

I've got my next appointment with my consultant on the 16th October (who is also looking after my fertility side of things as well). I have accepted that yeah I probably do need the insulin - think I got scared when he first mentioned it as I've only been diabetic 18 months nd expected to get at least 10 years on meds before insulin.

Thanks Again

Di
 
Dizzydi said:
I saw my consultant on Friday and overall he was pleased with all my results

HbA1C 5.4
Cholsetral 4.1
Fasting blood 6.6

I've managed to keep all my weight of that I lost 12 months (3 stone), still going to the gym and running twice a week (was 3 times), and walking to and from the office (I park 10 minutes away so I get a little more exercise 5 days a week)

However my morning bloods have sneaked up from 5 to 5.5 to being between 7.0 to 7.5. I know these are within good range but as I am currently trying for a baby the consultant wants my levels back to 4 to 5 and he had already explained right from the start that as I and/or when I get pregnant I will have to go on insulin.

What I want to try and do though is avoid insulin until I really have to go on it, if I get pregnant.

So my question is really will increasing my exercise and losing more weight (not much weight not got a lot to spare) help bring the levels down or do I need to just accept that this is how my body is working now and I need the insulin.

Thanks

xx
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Dear Dizzidi,

Your HbA1c is fantastic, well done - so your average BG levels must be excellent. If your fasting levels have been going up recently, could it be that some extra carbs are creeping into your diet, in your evening meal?

Warmest Regards Dodger
 
Hi Dodger

Thanks for your reply.

I have not recently increased the carbs I eat, I have pretty much eaten the same since diagnosis.

I'm now trying to increase the exercise and not eat after 7 in the evening and am going to see how levels are. I've not tested since last Friday as I ran out of strips and then didn't order till Monday. Getting them today so will start morning tests tomorrow.

Just another one on the carbs - when I do test before bed ( i only test occassional then) the reading is never normally about 7.5.

I'm a bit confused by it all still :(
 
Hi DizzyDi,

As everyone else has said great results, especially as you're only 18 months in.

Now, I am clearly not of the fairer sex and am therefore unable to speak about pregnancy with any authority, however, and I stand to be corrected (as I am sure I could well be), but during 'gestational diabetes' isn't insulin only administered during pregnancy and removed quite soon after birth?

If this is the case, won't it simply be that you will be on an insulin regime while pregnant, which by the sounds of it from your great sounding consultant will only actually be if you need to be on insulin and as soon as you've given birth if all is ok you'll be off insulin again?

I think you have someone caring for you who has only your best interests at heart and if they suggest you do something they are only saying it for your and your babies health.

Good luck with everything, keep us posted on the progress and hope to see some pictures of your baby soon!
 
Dizzydi said:
Thanks for your reply.

I have not recently increased the carbs I eat, I have pretty much eaten the same since diagnosis.

I'm now trying to increase the exercise and not eat after 7 in the evening and am going to see how levels are. I've not tested since last Friday as I ran out of strips and then didn't order till Monday. Getting them today so will start morning tests tomorrow.

Just another one on the carbs - when I do test before bed ( i only test occassional then) the reading is never normally about 7.5.

I'm a bit confused by it all still :(
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Dear Dizzydi,

From the info' you have just provided, I would say that you still have significant beta-cell function left (just my opinion!). I usually test just before I get into bed and then first thing in the morning - not every day maybe once a week. I have been trying to see if I have the dawn phenomenon , not so you would notice! Anyway, have you tried:

1. Test before a meal
2. Test 1 hour after and
3. Test 2 hours after

If 1 and 3 are the same you are fine. As you know I am a controlled carber but I have to modify the above because my beta-cell function is almost gone.

Have a look at this:

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php

Warmest Regards Dodger
 
Hi Dodger,

I've had a quick look at the site look interesting.

I'm just gonna carry on doing the random tests for now and stick to my usual eating plan. I'm gonna check with my consultant about reducing carbs etc if my morning bloods don't come down.

I'm doing a week of tests from today to see how they are. I'm not eating after 7.30 pm in the evening and I've upped my excercise. I will then do random tests for a few weeks and then do a solid 2 weeks worht of test before I see my consultant on 16th Oct. (I'm also going to do as suggested a pre breakfast, one hour and two hour - I'm gonna do it this weekend as during the week I'm usually travelling to work one hour after eating)

There is a major event happening soon, I'm going to Mauritius on the 14th Sept and getting married on the 25th and I'm a little concerned about eating while I'm away. This is the main reason I asked my consultant if we could hold of on the insulin till after my hols.

Thanks again for your kind words.

PS you don't live a million miles away from me 🙂
 
Dizzydi said:
Hi Dodger,

I've had a quick look at the site look interesting.

I'm just gonna carry on doing the random tests for now and stick to my usual eating plan. I'm gonna check with my consultant about reducing carbs etc if my morning bloods don't come down.

I'm doing a week of tests from today to see how they are. I'm not eating after 7.30 pm in the evening and I've upped my excercise. I will then do random tests for a few weeks and then do a solid 2 weeks worht of test before I see my consultant on 16th Oct. (I'm also going to do as suggested a pre breakfast, one hour and two hour - I'm gonna do it this weekend as during the week I'm usually travelling to work one hour after eating)

There is a major event happening soon, I'm going to Mauritius on the 14th Sept and getting married on the 25th and I'm a little concerned about eating while I'm away. This is the main reason I asked my consultant if we could hold of on the insulin till after my hols.

Thanks again for your kind words.

PS you don't live a million miles away from me 🙂
Click to expand...

Dear Dizzidi,

Congratulations on your forthcoming marriage, and have a wonderful time on holiday (honeymoon?). I had not noticed your location. I used to visit Stockport regularly when my daughter lived there, but she now lives in Sharston.

Warmest Regards Dodger
 
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