• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Newbie saying hello and sharing story/concerns

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Was encouraged to visit A&E and have been given a couple of shots insulin to bring the level down below 15. Now await DN appointment tomorrow
 
Hi Bobby
I am glad that you went to A&E with levels like that, and that they gave you some insulin.
You might find it useful to keep a food diary over the next few days and record your BG alongside these meals, as it will help the DN advise you on a way forward, whether T1 or T2.
 
Well what a week this has been. So many thoughts at the moment. Following my visit to my DN, My current situation is my HbA1c average is 9.8. I am around 15mmol and on max Gliclazide and have stared insulin (langus 10u once a day to start) with a target to get Bgs down fasting at 4 to 7 and daytime 10 or below. I have been diagnosed with type 2. Been told I have to inform DVLA and insurance. I have questions about that but don't know if I should ask it elsewhere in the forum. I have been watching everything I eat at the moment and find myself constantly wondering what my bg levels are. I'm off work as eyes are still blurry and fatigue is huge. My mind is a mess and hoping that I am going to be able to manage this on shift type work away from home when I go back. Need to work out strategies....
 
Hi @Bobbyboyyy, glad to hear that you have been given insulin to manage your levels for now. The important thing is that you are given the right medication to reduce your levels so that you can feel better. You may wish to start a new thread in the Driving/DVLA section or the General messageboard to ask your question about the DVLA and insurance. This may also link in with your queries about work as you have a driving based role. In short, it is possible to manage a driving-based role with shift patterns and diabetes - the important thing is finding what works best for you, which currently you may not know.
For now though, you need support with feeling well and finding what may (or may not) impact your bg levels. We are here to offer you that guidance and answer any questions you have, so do keep asking. It sounds like your levels are gradually coming down, and in fact it is best that they do not reduce too rapidly from very high levels. It has been a difficult week for you but you have made it through this week and already had some success with changes in medication etc. Hopefully with a little more time, things will stabilize and you blurry vision and fatigue will ease.

When you are ready, you may find it helpful to contact the Diabetes UK Helpline about Driving & Employment queries: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/helpline
But do post in here as well, I'm sure there will be lots of valuable advice available to you.
 
Hannah DUK said:
Hi @Bobbyboyyy, glad to hear that you have been given insulin to manage your levels for now. The important thing is that you are given the right medication to reduce your levels so that you can feel better. You may wish to start a new thread in the Driving/DVLA section or the General messageboard to ask your question about the DVLA and insurance. This may also link in with your queries about work as you have a driving based role. In short, it is possible to manage a driving-based role with shift patterns and diabetes - the important thing is finding what works best for you, which currently you may not know.
For now though, you need support with feeling well and finding what may (or may not) impact your bg levels. We are here to offer you that guidance and answer any questions you have, so do keep asking. It sounds like your levels are gradually coming down, and in fact it is best that they do not reduce too rapidly from very high levels. It has been a difficult week for you but you have made it through this week and already had some success with changes in medication etc. Hopefully with a little more time, things will stabilize and you blurry vision and fatigue will ease.

When you are ready, you may find it helpful to contact the Diabetes UK Helpline about Driving & Employment queries: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/how_we_help/helpline
But do post in here as well, I'm sure there will be lots of valuable advice available to you.
Click to expand...
TY Hannah for the advise. I will get on to that now...
 
Well now im really confused. My skin consultant has told me that the steroids I'm on are the only reason i have diabetes and that the diabetes will go away if i stop the steroids. My DN Nurse tells me that the steroids are a factor and without them my BG's will improve but wont change the fact that im now diabetic and that will always have to be controlled in some way. No-one has said that the steroids are the only reason my BG's are so high and if i stop them all will go back to normal could this be the case. Surely there are other factors in diagnosing Type 2 Diabetes when my GP already knows I'm on steroids which can cause Diabetes...
 
It's misleading when you are given conflicting information from your healthcare team, so I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling confused at the moment. Your DN Nurse is right in what they have said. Steroids can be a factor in increasing BG levels, but with type 2 diabetes there are many factors that can increase risk of developing type 2 such as age, ethnicity, genetics, waist size or medical history. Equally there are many things that can increase BG levels, such as stress or illness. Therefore, it is very difficult to pinpoint what factors are involved and it could be a combination of more than one. Unfortunately, diabetes cannot 'go away' but some people may be fortunate in reducing BG levels to a 'non-diabetic' range, which may be where your skin consultant is getting confused? So it is possible that reducing or stopping steroids could reduce BG levels, but this would not, unfortunately provide a 'cure' for diabetes and some form of treatment would be required, even if this were diet & exercise.
 
Hannah DUK said:
It's misleading when you are given conflicting information from your healthcare team, so I'm sorry to hear that you are feeling confused at the moment. Your DN Nurse is right in what they have said. Steroids can be a factor in increasing BG levels, but with type 2 diabetes there are many factors that can increase risk of developing type 2 such as age, ethnicity, genetics, waist size or medical history. Equally there are many things that can increase BG levels, such as stress or illness. Therefore, it is very difficult to pinpoint what factors are involved and it could be a combination of more than one. Unfortunately, diabetes cannot 'go away' but some people may be fortunate in reducing BG levels to a 'non-diabetic' range, which may be where your skin consultant is getting confused? So it is possible that reducing or stopping steroids could reduce BG levels, but this would not, unfortunately provide a 'cure' for diabetes and some form of treatment would be required, even if this were diet & exercise.
Click to expand...
Thank you Hannah. It's a big learning curve for sure!
 
Sorry to hear how confusing things are at present for you Bobbyboyy

As Hannah has said, steroids have a big impact on your bodies ability to use the insuiln that you are producing, so that then impacts on your BG. I have been surprised when I have had a steroid injection at how much I have to increase my insulin (T1 so I get all my insulin by injection), but it is good to know that your levels will improve once you have come off the steroids.

Things can be very overwhelming at the start but things will become clearer, and you will gradually find out what works for you. If you have specific questions it can be useful to start a new thread for each. Although it may seem more time consuming, the different posts will attract different responders who are knowledgable on different aspects of Diabetes. Keep asking questions as there is aloads of help available on here.
 
SB2015 said:
Sorry to hear how confusing things are at present for you Bobbyboyy

As Hannah has said, steroids have a big impact on your bodies ability to use the insuiln that you are producing, so that then impacts on your BG. I have been surprised when I have had a steroid injection at how much I have to increase my insulin (T1 so I get all my insulin by injection), but it is good to know that your levels will improve once you have come off the steroids.

Things can be very overwhelming at the start but things will become clearer, and you will gradually find out what works for you. If you have specific questions it can be useful to start a new thread for each. Although it may seem more time consuming, the different posts will attract different responders who are knowledgable on different aspects of Diabetes. Keep asking questions as there is aloads of help available on here.
Click to expand...
Thank you. There is so much to take in I will be asking many questions. Thanks again
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top