Roy

[Roy8]

Hi I've been a type 2 for a while now , I've been told by my doctor that I'm on the max non insulin meds, and i am being referred to the diabetic clinic. I think that this means insulin and I'm not to sure what to expect.

 

[adrian1der]

Hi @Roy8 and welcome. I'm sure some one will be along shortly as we have a number of insulin controlled T2s on the forum

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Roy8

I hope you haven’t been made to feel that moving to insulin would be any kind of failure on your part.

Different people’s diabetes behaves and reacts differently, and some people’s diabetes progresses such that their medication needs change, and insulin can be required. This doesn't mean that they have done anything wrong, or be subjected to stigma.

Hopefully some of our insulin-using T2s will be along to share their experiences soon.

 

[Ljc]

Welcome from me @Roy8 .
Firstly please don’t panic about the possibility of going onto insulin.
It’s a hormone that our pancreas makes naturally, so our bodiyis well used to it, in fact it’s vital to our lives. It’s just that even the mist experienced if us insulin junkies can never be as adept as a properly functioning pancreas.

With T2 for some reason our home brew either doesn’t work that well, insulin resistance can mean that the pancreas is pouring out loads but it can’t do much. It’s though by some that sometimes the meds that make the pancreas push out more insulin wear the beta cells out, I don’t know how true this is.
When they believed that I had T2 I was put on insulin. As the other meds I ether couldn’t take the ones that I could, had stopped working . I was amazed at the improvement .
Slowly but steadily my BG levels came down.
I am on two types of insulin, a long acting one, that is injected once or twice daily and a rapid one for mealtimes .
Imo this is more flexible than mixed insulin that you only inject twice a day, as on my regimen I dint have to eat if I dont want to.
With mixed insulin you need to eat a fixed amount of carbohydrates

Some T2s need to have a mix of meds ie, tablets and insulin.

Fortunately you are now being referred to the real experts , though sadly due to this darned pandemic it may not be face to face.

Yes their are some downsides to insulin but they are far outweighed by the benefits.
Now please don’t go on dr google and scare yourself silly about insulin, their is a lot of misinformation out there, friends and family though they may mean we’ll get things wrong too,
Here you have found a community that lives with all types of diabetes, have received all types of treatments , we will be happy to share what has worked for us, no we don’t have all the answers tbh no one does ,most of us have no medical training but we do understand and have oodles of experience with our own diabetes.
So please make good use ok us, ok.

Oh dear I seem to have gone on and on and on and .....

 

[Roy8]

Welcome from me @Roy8 .
Firstly please don’t panic about the possibility of going onto insulin.
It’s a hormone that our pancreas makes naturally, so our bodiyis well used to it, in fact it’s vital to our lives. It’s just that even the mist experienced if us insulin junkies can never be as adept as a properly functioning pancreas.

With T2 for some reason our home brew either doesn’t work that well, insulin resistance can mean that the pancreas is pouring out loads but it can’t do much. It’s though by some that sometimes the meds that make the pancreas push out more insulin wear the beta cells out, I don’t know how true this is.
When they believed that I had T2 I was put on insulin. As the other meds I ether couldn’t take the ones that I could, had stopped working . I was amazed at the improvement .
Slowly but steadily my BG levels came down.
I am on two types of insulin, a long acting one, that is injected once or twice daily and a rapid one for mealtimes .
Imo this is more flexible than mixed insulin that you only inject twice a day, as on my regimen I dint have to eat if I dont want to.
With mixed insulin you need to eat a fixed amount of carbohydrates

Some T2s need to have a mix of meds ie, tablets and insulin.

Fortunately you are now being referred to the real experts , though sadly due to this darned pandemic it may not be face to face.

Yes their are some downsides to insulin but they are far outweighed by the benefits.
Now please don’t go on dr google and scare yourself silly about insulin, their is a lot of misinformation out there, friends and family though they may mean we’ll get things wrong too,
Here you have found a community that lives with all types of diabetes, have received all types of treatments , we will be happy to share what has worked for us, no we don’t have all the answers tbh no one does ,most of us have no medical training but we do understand and have oodles of experience with our own diabetes.
So please make good use ok us, ok.

Oh dear I seem to have gone on and on and on and .....

Not at all Ljc, thank you for this info, It is really good for me to know these things.

 

[Deleted member 25429]

Not at all Ljc, thank you for this info, It is really good for me to know these things.

If you do go onto insulin you need to tell the DVLA if you have a driving licence

 

[Roy8]

If you do go onto insulin you need to tell the DVLA if you have a driving licence

Yes Freddie I know and also my insurance. will it effect me very much?

 

[SaraKaya]

Hi @Roy8 when I told my insurance company about my diabetes diagnosis and taking insulin it made no difference to my premium and I got a 3 year medical driving license which again was straight forward you have to answer a few questions but it’s all pretty straightforward. Unless you are having lots of hypo’s the license renewal is just another process.
Hope this helps

 

[Lucyr]

It’s late so just a short hi from me, but I find my diabetes much better with insulin and would never want to go back to just tablets now. With insulin I can have control over my blood sugars and a much more flexible diet, I just count the carbs in food and adjust my diet to suit. If you haven’t tried any of the non insulin injectable medications however they could be an option you are offered before insulin, often GPs can’t prescribe them.

 

[Ljc]

It’s late so just a short hi from me, but I find my diabetes much better with insulin and would never want to go back to just tablets now. With insulin I can have control over my blood sugars and a much more flexible diet, I just count the carbs in food and adjust my diet to suit. If you haven’t tried any of the non insulin injectable medications however they could be an option you are offered before insulin, often GPs can’t prescribe them.

While I was still diagnosed as T2, I felt exactly the same as you once I was on insulin and had learned how to carb count and adjust insulin accordingly.
I felt so much better in myself too.

 

[Lucyr]

While I was still diagnosed as T2, I felt exactly the same as you once I was on insulin and had learned how to carb count and adjust insulin accordingly.
I felt so much better in myself too.

I do think my Dr must think I’m a strange one, as getting off insulin is just not my goal whatsoever and I specifically call that out if it comes up in an appointment as it is assumed that it would be. Medical professionals do use insulin as a threat for T2s which I completely disagree with and hate. It’s just another treatment option and shouldn’t be something to use as a threat or to fear.

I’d rather take insulin than take tablets that make you produce more insulin as it’s just more controllable for me. I couldn’t adjust tablets for if I was eating more or less carbs, or for if I was doing more or less exercise, I just had to eat put up with erratic blood sugars. Some people prefer tablets because it’s easier for them to manage, but if they aren’t giving you good blood sugars then you do need to try and find what works for your body.

 

[Deleted member 25429]

Yes Freddie I know and also my insurance. will it effect me very much?

Didn’t affect my insurance at all in terms of cost . Just as long as I remembered to adhere to the rules otherwise it would be invalid