Pretty new to Type 2 and very new using a FreeStyle Libra 2

helli said:
@TonyB sorry to read about your struggles.
As others have said, it sounds as if you are doing well.

One thing I wonder is whether you have been tested for Type 1 diabetes.
The flag for me is that you have lost weight without trying - this is a common symptom for Type 1. The other thing is that you were started on insulin relatively quickly.
There is a myth that Type 1 is a childhood disease whereas more than half of us were diagnosed as adults. I have read about a new Type 1 diagnosis from someone in their 90s.
If you do have Type 1, a correct diagnosis would give you access to more flexible insulin regime, a continuous glucose meter (you may have seen the Libre “disks” many of us wear on our arms) to show you what is happening between finger pricks and training.
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I fork out for Libra at around £100 a month as I am not on any Benefits
 
Still very confused with what to take when. Its a daily battle to keep "In the Green" on my Libra 2 readings . I accept I will spike soon after every meal but the readings are up and down like a Jack in a Box all day.
Reading the instruction on the prescriptionsn it seems if you read them all one way I should take my 2 Metformin + one Foxima + Insulin injection first thing in the morning. That does not seem to be a good idea to me.
There must be a definitive way to space all the medications through the day.
Most days I have a good breakfast, a light lunch and a decent two course dinner. Most Sundays, like tomorrow, I will be eating out with the Sunday Lunch Club I belong to so will be doing dinner and then tea .
Has anyone taken Berberine tablets ?
Thanks again for any advice
 
Perhaps revelant. I am on 500mg Metformin, 10mg Forxiga, Up to me how much Insulin I take.
 
I'm on metformin and forxiga. I started on 1 x 500 gms metformin which 8ncreased weekly to 4 tablets. A few days later forxiga was added - good for cardiovascular health they said. My metformin dropped to twice a day on basis forxiga covers some of the same needs. The leaflet on forxiga just says take once a day. I take it first thing because I was told to and take metformin one with breakfast one with lunch but they are slow release so could probably take together. Dispensing pharmacist was of the view forxiga is best taken in evening as it works on cholesteral overnight. I suspect I've been told to take it all first thing so I don't forget any. Ive subsequently had a statin added.
On the veg front I often buy a pouch of tiny steamed beetroot from M and S. I add a few to salad or heat in micro and add to hot meals. If I'm having with fish I add a dollop of yoghurt.
 
Thanks for the reply. Seems u r on about the same pills as me. No Insulin ?
 
TonyB said:
Reading the instruction on the prescriptionsn it seems if you read them all one way I should take my 2 Metformin + one Foxima + Insulin injection first thing in the morning. That does not seem to be a good idea to me.
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You should follow the instructions on the box. Assuming the insulin is a long acting one all those meds work slowly and not the instant you take them anyway. If it’s slow release metformin it is taken all at once. If it’s standard release it’s usually twice a day to reduce side effects.
 
It is important to understand that Blood Glucose (BG) does go up and down throughout the day and night, even for non-diabetic people. The 3 things which have most impact on it are food, particularly carbohydrates, which make it go up and medication which tries to bring it down and exercise which in the long run will bring it down but if you do intense exercise which stresses the body, that will initially push levels up but then drop them later. Steady exercise generally lowers it once you do more that 30 mins but it depends how fit you are and the type of exercise. Generally exercise will reduce BG levels for up to 48 hours afterwards. Stress and illness will usually push it up, but some people occasionally find illness drops their levels. Alcohol will usually have a slight lowering effect, but if your chosen tipple is something like cider or lager or sweet wine or cocktails which contains carbs, then it might go up initially and then come down later. The ambient temp and time of year and indeed time of day can also cause variation, so if you are expecting a straight line on your Libre graph you will likely only get that if you die, so I would learn to be happy that it goes up and down! If you can mostly keep it in the green you are going well and the current guidance is that 70% of the time in the green and no more than 4% below 4 is considered excellent, so I think your expectation may be too high and you may be being unnecessarily strict with yourself. If you had a short acting bolus insulin as well as the twice a day basal insulin, you would be able to eat more carbs and just inject enough insulin to cover what you want to eat, so I really think it would be reasonable to ask for a meal time insulin considering how restricted your diet is in order to try to keep in range.
 
That is all most useful information. I do seem to over worry as it wanders about mostly in the green. Meals and snacks always make it spike
Thanks again for the guides
 
TonyB said:
That is all most useful information. I do seem to over worry as it wanders about mostly in the green. Meals and snacks always make it spike
Thanks again for the guides
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Meals and snacks make non-diabetic's levels spike too. It is normal for levels to go up when you eat, then your own insulin (if you are non diabetic) or the medication you take to manage your diabetes, helps to bring them down again.
 
TonyB said:
I fork out for Libra at around £100 a month as I am not on any Benefits
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My suggestion is rather than paying £100 a month I’m guessing that’s the over the counter price at the pharmacy maybe ?
If you ordered the starter pack of sensors direct from Abbot on their website it’s £88 for a twin pack
I previously ordered 3 starter packs (6 sensors) so that was a 3 month supply
alternatively if you ordered the DexcomOne+ via their cancelable 90 day subscription
it works out Inc P&P to be £77.99
I’m currently getting sensors on prescription, so didn’t need to self fund after all.

One thing I noticed on your post, you said it’s up to you how much insulin you take
I appreciate we’re all different but TBH that slightly surprised me
having previously been advised by various HCP’s to take a certain amount of insulin, even now when my DSN is thinking I can within the next 6 months come off insulin.
following consultation GP said if I want to reduce from 8 down to 6 (if I feel following seeing how my levels are that’s appropriate ) then down from 6 to 5, but let him or my DSN know.
 
All questions answered but 1 I forgot. Very helpful in every way . Still do not know why I was contacted by the Diabetes Dept. from a Hospital 20 miles away but very grateful. Absolute magic that she could log into my Libre 2 readings. Not just present but past.
The thing I forgot to ask when she had told me that it is fine to split my Insulin injestions into 2. ie One early in the morning and the other one early evening. Starte doing that yeaterday and although I have taken no Metformin just the one Foxiga my readings are pretty stable.
So is the Metformin redundant ???
 
TonyB said:
All questions answered but 1 I forgot. Very helpful in every way . Still do not know why I was contacted by the Diabetes Dept. from a Hospital 20 miles away but very grateful. Absolute magic that she could log into my Libre 2 readings. Not just present but past.
The thing I forgot to ask when she had told me that it is fine to split my Insulin injestions into 2. ie One early in the morning and the other one early evening. Starte doing that yeaterday and although I have taken no Metformin just the one Foxiga my readings are pretty stable.
So is the Metformin redundant ???
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Not necessarily, many do take oral medications in addition to insulin usually if Type 2. The metformin helps the body use insulin more effectively and reduces the release of glucose by the liver so it may be that it is still useful for you to continue but it is something you should discuss with the clinic.
 
Reading at the moment..After a meal...14.4
Did a finger prick and to my amazement 14.4
Feel more confident in the Libra 2 now
 
What is a normal peak after a dinner. at 1300 today I had roast chicken lots of veg two potatoes . No starter no sweet. now at 1600 ie after 3 hours my reading has just turned down having peaked at 18mmo.
Now it will start to gallop down I will need to eat again by 1830 ish or I will have another Hypo.
Breakfast one bowl of porrige Soys Mil and a mug of unsweetned coffee. 15mmo
 
What was your pre-lunch reading @TonyB ? Are you on insulin? If so, what type (full name inc any letters or numbers) and when do you take it?
 
Looking back at your previous posts Tony, I am starting to wonder if you may be a misdiagnosed Type 1.

It certainly would be useful to know what your premeal reading was as @Inka indicates, but even so, eating relatively low carb and getting readings up in the high teens whilst taking several medication including insulin suggests you are likely Type 1 to me. It can happen when you are a more mature adult and they simply assume you are Type 2, rather than considering that there is a slight possibility of Type 1 and then reassess it when they see how you respond to Type 2 oral meds. What sort of waking readings are you seeing and typical premeal readings?

I might be inclined to experiment with a lower carb breakfast than porridge. It is like rocket fuel for me and some others. In the morning when my liver is already throwing out lots of glucose, porridge on top is more bother than it is worth. Creamy Greek style natural yoghurt with a few berries and mixed seeds and cinnamon and a tiny sprinkle of a nutty granola works for me for breakfast and many others. I know porridge is often encouraged as a suitable breakfast by the NHS but it isn't a good choice for all of us.
 
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