Insulin Initiation...Worried.

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Ellowyne

Ellowyne

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
As a type 2 and it being nearly nine months since being diagnosed, I have tried various Oral medication with no success (Side effect problems). As a result of ongoing other health problems and my blood sugars being all over the place, mainly just high, on the 29th December I have appointment at the hospital to initiate Insulin medication. I have been feeling a mixture of diffrent emotions regarding the onset of taking Insulin, in some ways I feel it may be a blessing and get my sugar readings down, but on the other hand it feels like defeat in some way....I am just all over the place...sorry!

Mostly, I am unsure of what to expect?...will I feel ill? Will I feel better? The only experience I have of Insulin is when I was last admitted into hospital with Gall Bladder problems. My sugar readings were 28 so they put me on an Insulin drip for 4 days. My sugars came down slowy over this time. I felt no ill affect, but, well, I'm guess this is because it was being fed very slowly into my system rather than at a more quick rate.

Any advice or thoughts would be really appretiated because as the time draws nearer I am becoming more anxious.

I hope everyone is feeling ok and wrapping up well in this cold weather!

Thank you....Ellowyne
 
Hi Ellowyn,

I think its perfectly normal to feel anxious like this. When I was diagnosed they didnt know what type of diabetes I had and I was on oral medication for ages and I was really anxious starting insulin (Im not implying you are Type 1, I was misdiagnosed). I started it the week before going on a carribean holiday and I felt like I was going abit mad on information overload. There is a lot to process.

I hope you have good support. I was going to suggest taking someone with you to the appointment. Starting insulin can be overwhelming and someone with you will help you to remember some details you find you may have missed when you get home.

Also I would question what support is available to you over the new year from your team? When are they in the office to recieve calls over the new year period? Are you going away during this time yourself? I feel it is perfectly reasonable ellowyn to expect there to be a package of support for you during this time.

Luckily for me my DSN sent me off to the carribean with her email address! Sounds bizarre, but the reasurrance of this from the otherside of the world was like giving me a gold bar!

xx
 
Don't feel bad about starting insulin, it's not defeat, it might be the very thing that works for you.
I've only had insulin twice, back when i was very first diagnosed, like you i was on a drip for a few hours, which made me feel a lot better at the time. Then before i was discharged a nurse hastily showed me how to administer my own insulin, because it was late, the Diabetes nurse couldn't make it to see me (not her fault) and at that stage they weren't sure if i was type 1 or type 2. The prospect terrified me at the time (needle phobia) but i'd just about accepted it when they told me i didn't need to worry, coz i was type two and it looked like Metformin was working for me. It didn't hurt, maybe i've got my stupid muffin top to thank for that, subcutaneous fat has it's uses... I think the biggest problem is working out how much you need and in rotating injection sites, hopefully the specialist staff will be able to explain that.
Oooo, i know the answer to one of your questions. When you inject insulin it doesn't suddenly just go to work right away. Different insulins have different action profiles, that is to say that some work fast and some work slower, the first ones (like Novarapid and actrapid) reduce your blood sugar quicky and by a lot. Others (like Levemir and lantus) lower the blood sugar slower but work for longer. You can also get biphasic insulins that are mixes of a long and a short acting insulin.
It might take a little time trying out different regimes before you find the right one.
Side effects are rare, especially if you vary where you inject.
Hope this helps a bit, i hope that get some more practical advise from our insulin-dependant friends out there, and you get the best advice from your healthcare team. Don't feel bad about it, diabetes is a horrid disease for making you feel guilty isn't it? I used to feel miserable coz i'm not diet controlled, after all, my friend's dad is, my grandma is... But i realised it wouldn't fit into my lifestyle and wouldn't work for me. Aside for attacks of the runs from time to time, Metformin is. One day i may have to take insulin as well, but i'll worry about that when it happens and try to make the best of what i'm doing at the moment. Good luck

Rachel
 
Hi Ellowynne, I really think that the insulin will make you feel much better and put you in much better control of your diabetes. Insulin is perfectly natural (well, most of it is synthetic, but you know what I mean!), and it's extremely rare for a person to experience any side-effects. The only thing you will need to watch out for is the possibility of your blood sugar levels dropping too low - but you will get plenty of warning that this is happening and will be able to treat it quickly and simply (you've no doubt noticed how we talk a lot about jelly babies and lucozade!).

Don't worry about injecting yourself, it is very simple and quick and rarely hurts at all (well, that's my experience!). A lot will depend on what sort of regime you are put on. Some T2's are just put on a slow-acting (basal) insulin, like Levemir or Lantus. Some also get something like Novorapid to inject with meals, and this can be a little trickier because you may need to calculate the amount you need to inject. But don't let that worry you, I am sure they will help you all they can as you get used to it.

I sometimes think that T1's are lucky in a way, because it's usually the case that we go straight onto injections so there's no time to work up any kind of fear about it. You certainly should not feel any sense of failure - diabetes, like people, is a very individual thing and so there is a huge range of treatments.

And don't forget that you have hundreds of people here to answer any questions you might have!🙂
 
Don't feel a failure, just see it as an ongoing part of your treatment, tablets didnt work for you so the next step is insulin, it doesnt mean that you have failed at anything... it is a daunting thought when you are first told that you are going on to insulin, but you get used to it.. my DSN was very good when it came to putting me on insulin, I sat there for a good 10mins looking at the pen and needle saying I cant do it..lol she just said take your time and do it when you are ready and I did, now 6 years down the line it is as if I have always injected myself.. 9/10 it doesnt hurt and you dont even feel it, only very occasionally does it sting rather than hurt and sometimes you do draw a little blood but with one wipe its gone and stopped. Not sure what they will start you on, for about a year and a half I was on Novomix 30 which I took morning and night, then I was put on Novorapid for when i eat and Levemir at night (which i now take morning and night)...

Dont feel scared, and you have all of us on here to ask stuff of if it overwhelms you, and your DSN should check on you for a while when you first start on insulin. Mine rang me every week to see how my sugars were and whether to up my insulin.
 
If you drive....

Don't be scared, although that's a very normal reaction to this odd situation. Hope you get the right insulin regime for you - worth discussing with whoever is prescribing for you, so that you get something that suits your life - regualr / irregular meals / excercise /activity, thoughts about injections (but remember the needles are much smaller than for vaccinations) etc.
If you have a driving licence, you need to inform DVLA when you start on insulin, and they will re-issue you with a licence for 1, 2, or most usually, 3 years. However, you will lose the right to drive anything bigger than a motorbike or car or small van (up to 3.5 tonnes), with or without trailer; you can also drive a minibus only on a voluntary unpaid basis. Details here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/MedicalRulesForDrivers/DG_10030957
 
Thank you everyone for your kind messages 🙂

One of the reasons I am more nervous is because , my usual DSN, is off long term sick...This is sad because, I had built up a repport with him and I was just begining to build up some trust. I know it can't be helped, he is unwell, but, it worries me that a DSN I do not know is going to be initiating my treatment.

I am unsure of what support I will be offered over the New Year period, as I say, I do not know this DSN. My partner is going to be coming with me to help me remember things, so that's ok. To be honest, the way my previous DSN worked was that, he would state which med's for me to take and, instead of giving me a prescription, he would just forward the letter to my GP to prescribe...he said that they did not give out prescriptions at the hospital?

This is all why I am so worried!...I have received very poor treatment in the past with various health care workers and I just don't wnat to go through any more tramatic experiences :(

At least I am not scared of needles, testing does'nt worry me at all so I am hoping injecting Insulin won't be too much of a problem...I say that and yet I am now begining to cry!!....What's wrong with me!! * Sighs *

As a type 2, is this right? Surely I still produce Insulin...yes :confused:

So, will I have to carry Insulin bag and glucose tablets with me when I am on Insulin?...what about Medical ID braclets stating I am diabetic?...I won't need them will I?

So sorry to take up your time here, I really do appretiate all your supportive comments.....Just so confused and worried 🙂

Much love, Ellowyne xXx
 
Ellowyne said:
Thank you everyone for your kind messages 🙂

One of the reasons I am more nervous is because , my usual DSN, is off long term sick...This is sad because, I had built up a repport with him and I was just begining to build up some trust. I know it can't be helped, he is unwell, but, it worries me that a DSN I do not know is going to be initiating my treatment.

I am unsure of what support I will be offered over the New Year period, as I say, I do not know this DSN. My partner is going to be coming with me to help me remember things, so that's ok. To be honest, the way my previous DSN worked was that, he would state which med's for me to take and, instead of giving me a prescription, he would just forward the letter to my GP to prescribe...he said that they did not give out prescriptions at the hospital?

This is all why I am so worried!...I have received very poor treatment in the past with various health care workers and I just don't wnat to go through any more tramatic experiences :(

At least I am not scared of needles, testing does'nt worry me at all so I am hoping injecting Insulin won't be too much of a problem...I say that and yet I am now begining to cry!!....What's wrong with me!! * Sighs *

As a type 2, is this right? Surely I still produce Insulin...yes :confused:

So, will I have to carry Insulin bag and glucose tablets with me when I am on Insulin?...what about Medical ID braclets stating I am diabetic?...I won't need them will I?

So sorry to take up your time here, I really do appretiate all your supportive comments.....Just so confused and worried 🙂

Much love, Ellowyne xXx
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Yes you are probably still producing some insulin, but your body has become resistant to it and doesnt recognise it when the body needs it, that is why some T2's need insulin.

Depends on your regime whether you have to take insulin out with you, when I was first on insulin it was morning and night so as it was a mix of long and short acting insulin. I am now on 5 shots a day and if going out for a meal have to take my short acting insulin with me, and i should take my meter and check b4 i eat but i tend not to all the time. You should carry some form of glucose with you incase you do hypo.

It would be advisable to get some form of medical ID stating you are a type 2 diabetic, there are a few threads on here about med ID's there are plenty of choices around.

Take care
Dave x
 
squidge63 said:
Yes you are probably still producing some insulin, but your body has become resistant to it and doesnt recognise it when the body needs it, that is why some T2's need insulin.

Depends on your regime whether you have to take insulin out with you, when I was first on insulin it was morning and night so as it was a mix of long and short acting insulin. I am now on 5 shots a day and if going out for a meal have to take my short acting insulin with me, and i should take my meter and check b4 i eat but i tend not to all the time. You should carry some form of glucose with you incase you do hypo.

It would be advisable to get some form of medical ID stating you are a type 2 diabetic, there are a few threads on here about med ID's there are plenty of choices around.

Take care
Dave x
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Thank you Dave....🙂

What I don't understand is this, if I am producing Insulin, but my body does'nt recognise it...Then how will it recognise the Insulin I will inject?

Also, I am so worried that I will put on so much weight, Insulin does tend to make you put on weight....right? Or at least make it harder to lose weight?

Ellowyne x
 
Ellowyne said:
Thank you Dave....🙂

What I don't understand is this, if I am producing Insulin, but my body does'nt recognise it...Then how will it recognise the Insulin I will inject?

Also, I am so worried that I will put on so much weight, Insulin does tend to make you put on weight....right? Or at least make it harder to lose weight?

Ellowyne x
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The insulin you are producing is probably not enough to cope with the sugar, or that it is "faulty".. so it will recognise the injected insulin instead..

Insulin does put on weight, which is why you have to keep up with a healthy diet and lifestyle and exercise if you can..
 
You will be producing insulin but not enough to overcome the insulin resistance. Once you add in the injected insulin there will be enough to meet your needs and control your blood sugars.

The insulin drip you were on works alot quicker than any insulin injections, the insulin is used up within a few minutes when given IV.

Do you have any idea which insulin regieme you want to be on? If so the ask for it, that is what I did. If you don't then ask for them to explain why they think whatever they have chosen for you is sutiable.
Let us know if you have any questions once you start.
 
Just wanted to say good luck, I hope it all works out for you and you feel better. There are lots of insulin users here and you have already been given loads of good tips. Anything new is a worry, and I hope you are reassured by the replies here.
 
Just wanted to say not to worry too much about going onto insulin.

I was recently started on insulin (24th October) and my main worry was the thought of injecting as I have a needle phobia. Over the years I have got gradually better with needles due to all the tests and stuff but the though of actually injecting myself was somewhat daunting.

Now my nurse Liz was aware of my phobia and gave me 5mm needles for my insulin pens which was great as you very rarely feel the injection.

Between Liz and the DSN they explained everything I needed to know about insulin use and showed me how to inject on the toy thing they use for demonstrations. Then came the difficult part doing a dry run injection on myself. After a few minutes to psych myself up I managed to do it ok.

For me the worst injection was the 1st one I did at home on my own. I must have spent about 15mins going over everything in my mind that I had been told before plucking up the courage to actually do the injection.

Since the initial injection they have got subsequently easier and now it takes me next to no time to do them.

As for the effect, when I first started my BSL's were really high and I had been feeling really crap most of the time, tired all the time, not sleeping, spending half my time in the loo etc. Now gradually over the weeks as my dose has been increased I have felt a lot better and with no side effects.

I know this has been a bit of a long winded post but just wanted to show how going onto insulin is not a bad thing, even if you do have a needle phobia, if you get the support of your diabetic team.
 
PhilT said:
Just wanted to say not to worry too much about going onto insulin.

I was recently started on insulin (24th October) and my main worry was the thought of injecting as I have a needle phobia. Over the years I have got gradually better with needles due to all the tests and stuff but the though of actually injecting myself was somewhat daunting.

Now my nurse Liz was aware of my phobia and gave me 5mm needles for my insulin pens which was great as you very rarely feel the injection.

Between Liz and the DSN they explained everything I needed to know about insulin use and showed me how to inject on the toy thing they use for demonstrations. Then came the difficult part doing a dry run injection on myself. After a few minutes to psych myself up I managed to do it ok.

For me the worst injection was the 1st one I did at home on my own. I must have spent about 15mins going over everything in my mind that I had been told before plucking up the courage to actually do the injection.

Since the initial injection they have got subsequently easier and now it takes me next to no time to do them.

As for the effect, when I first started my BSL's were really high and I had been feeling really crap most of the time, tired all the time, not sleeping, spending half my time in the loo etc. Now gradually over the weeks as my dose has been increased I have felt a lot better and with no side effects.

I know this has been a bit of a long winded post but just wanted to show how going onto insulin is not a bad thing, even if you do have a needle phobia, if you get the support of your diabetic team.
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Thank you for all the kind comments 🙂
Luckily I am not too worried about needles!...Like you PhilT, I have been feeling very tired, on the loo like I could live in the toilet!...and i am only getting around 5/6 hours sleep if I'm lucky! I get really bad sweats as well. Can I ask PhilT, have you gained very much weight since taking Insulin?...This is a issue that worries me, although I am able to keep to a healthy diet ect, I am not able to excersise as I have very limited mobility. It is so hard trying to lose weight, I feel like the odds are kind of stacked against me :(

I am hoping that the dose will be low and maybe a slow acting Insulin, like Levimer or Lanctus?....I think I have the names wrong!

Thanks again, Ellowyne.
 
If you want to avoid putting on weight you should ask to be put on separate basal and a bolus (slow and fast) insulins rather than mixed insulin. It does mean more injections - 4 or 5 a day - but you can adjust the amount of insulin to suit what you are eating.

With mixed insulin you have to adjust the amount of carb you eat to match the insulin you are taking and this almost always leads to weight gain because you have to eat even if you are not hungry.

As far as which basal (slow) insulin you take is concerned the two most common ones are Lantus and Levemir. Of these Levemir has less tendancy to cause weight gain. I don't think there is any difference between the bolus (fast) insulins as regards weight gain.

As others have said the injections are quite painless and you quickly get used to it. Adjusting your insulin for what you eat takes a bit of learning but it too soon becomes second nature.

Best of luck and I'm sure you'll soon get the hang and don't for a minute think you have failed - most people find that going on insulin is the best thing they've done since being diagnosed.
 
Ellowyne said:
Thank you for all the kind comments 🙂
Luckily I am not too worried about needles!...Like you PhilT, I have been feeling very tired, on the loo like I could live in the toilet!...and i am only getting around 5/6 hours sleep if I'm lucky! I get really bad sweats as well. Can I ask PhilT, have you gained very much weight since taking Insulin?...This is a issue that worries me, although I am able to keep to a healthy diet ect, I am not able to excersise as I have very limited mobility. It is so hard trying to lose weight, I feel like the odds are kind of stacked against me :(

I am hoping that the dose will be low and maybe a slow acting Insulin, like Levimer or Lanctus?....I think I have the names wrong!

Thanks again, Ellowyne.
Click to expand...

I am on one injection in the morning of Lantus 34 units at the moment and have not had any problem with weight, if anything I have felt less hungry than normal and have been eating less.
 
Levemir in the studies has shown that people with type 2 put on less weight than with lantus. But unfortunatly the stats would show that people will put on weight on average. Thats why it's important to continue looking at diet and what exercise you are able to do.
 
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