I have been type 2 diabetic for 5 years. I initially lost 4 stone and have kept it off and have been extremely careful about my diet. At first the various tablets and diet worked but now they are having little effect and I have been advised that the next step is insulin. I am nearly 74 and to be honest I am really scared about injecting myself. I live alone and am also worried about hypos, my car is my independence and worry that if I do have any I won’t be able to drive. I have been told that type 2 diabetics are not eligible for the sensor monitors and I wouldn’t be able to pay privately. i am also aware that car and travel insurance will increase. I don’t think I have any option but would welcome any advice.
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Insulin the next step
- Thread starter Peppy
- Start date
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Coming from someone who started injecting at 65, it really is a breeze. In case you weren't aware the needles are tiny diameter & very short at around 5mm. Probably the most difficult thing is remembering to inject.
I too live alone & was concerned about a hypo in my sleep. You can mitigate somewhat against that by keeping levels on the higher side of optimal. I was fortunate to only have one & that during the day & quickly treated. But a CGM would certainly give some reassurance. Maybe your surgery would entertain prescribing on those safety grounds.
Although you have to notify DVLA & surrender your licence, a replacement for three years will be issued. The only minor consequence was losing the right to drive a minibus! There was no impact on car insurance cost but I haven't bought travel.
I too live alone & was concerned about a hypo in my sleep. You can mitigate somewhat against that by keeping levels on the higher side of optimal. I was fortunate to only have one & that during the day & quickly treated. But a CGM would certainly give some reassurance. Maybe your surgery would entertain prescribing on those safety grounds.
Although you have to notify DVLA & surrender your licence, a replacement for three years will be issued. The only minor consequence was losing the right to drive a minibus! There was no impact on car insurance cost but I haven't bought travel.
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Sorry to read about your struggle, @Peppy.
I think you have been misadvised:
- the current NICE recommendations for CGMs such as Libre applies to anyone treating their diabetes with insulin regardless whether Tyoe 1, tupe 2, gestational diabetes, …
- car insurance is no more expensive for someone on diabetes although you do have to declare it.
Whilst hypos are far from pleasant and can be dangerous, they rarely reach the state of being unable to treat. As I have Type 1, I have had no choice for the last 20 years but to take insulin. For many of those years, I have lived alone and always been able to treat hypos and never lost my hypo awareness or driving license.
However, if you have not been able to manage your blood sugars (and have lost weight), I wonder if you have been tested for Type 1. Unfortunately, some doctors believe Type 1 is a childhood disease. This is not true. More than half people with Type 1, were diagnosed over the age of 20. As a result, many adults are misdiagnosed with type 2 and given the wrong treatment.
I think you have been misadvised:
- the current NICE recommendations for CGMs such as Libre applies to anyone treating their diabetes with insulin regardless whether Tyoe 1, tupe 2, gestational diabetes, …
- car insurance is no more expensive for someone on diabetes although you do have to declare it.
Whilst hypos are far from pleasant and can be dangerous, they rarely reach the state of being unable to treat. As I have Type 1, I have had no choice for the last 20 years but to take insulin. For many of those years, I have lived alone and always been able to treat hypos and never lost my hypo awareness or driving license.
However, if you have not been able to manage your blood sugars (and have lost weight), I wonder if you have been tested for Type 1. Unfortunately, some doctors believe Type 1 is a childhood disease. This is not true. More than half people with Type 1, were diagnosed over the age of 20. As a result, many adults are misdiagnosed with type 2 and given the wrong treatment.
Thank you very much for your response, it Is reassuring.
Thank you for your response, particularly interested in the NICE recommendations. The hospital diagnosed me with Type 2, so I hope they got it right!
Bruce Stephens
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
It's not as black and white as that, but they aren't prescribed to nearly as many. You can see the current criteria here: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28/chapter/Recommendations#continuous-glucose-monitoring
If you're using insulin more as a helper for your naturally produced insulin there's a chance you'll have hypos much less frequently than those of us who don't produce any do, so with any luck you should be less troubled by hypos. But there is, I'm sure, always a risk.
Thank you for your response and the NICE info.
Have you had a recent HbA1c?
Would you care to share the result?
When you say careful with your diet what do you mean?
There are lots of different ways of using diet to put T2 into remission and not all HCP's are aware of them all.
I think I'd be demanding to know the level before agreeing to take a life changing medication for ever though.
As well as requesting more tests to gauge my own insulin production.
Lucyr
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Bear in mind that this is just guidance, not all areas follow it so the nice guidance saying you’re eligible doesn’t mean you can get it. In my area T2 can’t get libre.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
When you say can't do anymore with the diet, about how many grams of carbs do you have per meal or per day. Are you testing with a finger prick monitor how your meals affect your blood glucose. Perhaps you would like to post some examples of the meals you have to see if people can spot any problem foods which you maybe unaware of.
Hi I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes only a month ago. I knew this was coming as had majority of my pancreas and spleen removed. I have to inject 4 times a day and was quite scared but 4 weeks on and it isn’t as bad as I thought as the needles are so thin. Plus I have the diabetic team monitoring my graph via libre and they advise should I need to adjust my units. I am going abroad and was pleasantly surprised that along with my other health problems my insurance was low. I searched on money supermarket.com. I am 60.
Pumper_Sue
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hello Peppy,
I'm sure as an insulin user you can have the sensors on the NHS. Besides if as you say you lost all that weight and kept it off and very careful with diet you could in fact be a late onset type1 so thus no hassle regarding sensors.
Injecting is a breeze, the only problem is fear of the unknown and that's the scariest thing in the world.
Hypos don't matter as long as you are aware of them. If the DVLA stopped everyone on insulin from driving if they have a hypo then there wouldn't be so many people on the road 🙂
Car ins will not increase, it would be classed as discrimination if it did.
Admiral Benbow
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- At risk of diabetes
How many stones do you weigh now Peppy? Dr. Fung recommends intermittment fasting to people on insulin, and they often come off it rather quickly.
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I’m 5ft 7ins and 9st 7lbs.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
You have not mentioned anywhere what your HbA1C is that indicates that your medication is not working, are you testing with a home monitor so you can have a better idea of what is going on day to day or indeed make sure you are not having meals which push up your blood glucose.
Admiral Benbow
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- At risk of diabetes
Your within normal BMI and weight range. Have you had a C-peptide test down to see if your pancreas is still producing insulin? How high are your blood glucose numbers?
No I’ve not had a C-peptide test, will ask my Diabetes Nurse but judging by the fact my tablets have stopped working, the nurse says it has stopped. Start off around 8 in the morning and average around 10/12 at night.
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