Hello my name is Laura I’m really struggling at the moment as I’m on toujeo, novo rapid and ozempic insulins my levels are always high I’ve spoken to diabetic team about it at the hospital I’m under but nothing seems to be working the ozempic is making me feel sick and giving me really bad stomach ache, they told me there’s no other fast insulin I can have and I’m always tired and drained, feel sick and dizzy all the time and I don’t know what to do anymore, can someone please help xx
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Sugar levels are always high
- Thread starter Laura0194
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Lucyr
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Ozempic is not an insulin. It’s supposed to make you feel a bit sick so that you don’t eat as much and lose weight. Have you reduced your portion sizes and changed the foods you’re eating? That may help stop you feeling sick. If the ozempic isn’t helping you to lose weight and isn’t helping your blood sugars then there’s no point taking it and would suggest discussing stopping it and starting other methods of weight loss with your team instead, perhaps some sessions with a dietician or a referal to weight watchers may help instead?
Inka
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Welcome @Laura0194 Sorry to hear you’re having problems. There are other fast insulins apart from Novorapid eg Humalog, FiAsp, Apidra, Lyumjev.
What form of MODY do you have? How high are your blood sugars? And are you carb counting and adjusting your mealtime insulin doses yourself (ie the Novorapid)?
What form of MODY do you have? How high are your blood sugars? And are you carb counting and adjusting your mealtime insulin doses yourself (ie the Novorapid)?
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Sorry to hear your levels are remaining stubbornly high despite the insulins and ozempic you are taking.
Have you been taught how to adjust your doses and balance them with the food you are eating?
There’s an overview of ‘carb counting’ which you might find helpful
www.diabetes.org.uk
Additionally, you might find it helpful to run a basal check, to see whether your Toujeo is set correctly for your body’s needs - to hold your BG levels steady when no rapid insulin is active.
www.mysugr.com
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
Have you been taught how to adjust your doses and balance them with the food you are eating?
There’s an overview of ‘carb counting’ which you might find helpful
The nuts and bolts of carb counting
When you live with type 1 diabetes, carb counting is a great way of managing your blood sugar or glucose levels. It can give you more freedom and flexibility in what you eat when you're preparing meals at home, grabbing food on the go or eating out. Carb counting does take some time and effort...
Additionally, you might find it helpful to run a basal check, to see whether your Toujeo is set correctly for your body’s needs - to hold your BG levels steady when no rapid insulin is active.
How To Successfully Test Your Basal Rate
Are you looking for basal rate information and testing instructions? Perfect! You're in the right place!
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
There like HIGH that what it says on my dexcom machine they vary they will be low in the morning sometimes or they can be high like today they were 15.1 and my levels have always been up and down most my life but have been worse now the last year, and the Fiasp is that the one you have when your pregnant
I don’t eat much anyway I eat quite healthy drink plenty of water and my weights fine always has been and I’ve spoken to my diabetic team they don’t seem to be listening to me to be honest
I’ve been on humalog never worked that’s why they changed me to novo rapid and I did the carb counting wasn’t making a difference with the dosage of insulin and my levels say HIGH or they vary can be low in the morning then soon as I eat they shoot up and will stay high the rest of the day and I do corrections aswell with my insulin every time
Yeah I’ve done all that I had a book I brought for carb counting so did all that with the insulin dosage and my dosages are really high, it’s to much putting it in to my skin it’s so soreSorry to hear your levels are remaining stubbornly high despite the insulins and ozempic you are taking.
Have you been taught how to adjust your doses and balance them with the food you are eating?
There’s an overview of ‘carb counting’ which you might find helpful
The nuts and bolts of carb counting
When you live with type 1 diabetes, carb counting is a great way of managing your blood sugar or glucose levels. It can give you more freedom and flexibility in what you eat when you're preparing meals at home, grabbing food on the go or eating out. Carb counting does take some time and effort...
Additionally, you might find it helpful to run a basal check, to see whether your Toujeo is set correctly for your body’s needs - to hold your BG levels steady when no rapid insulin is active.
How To Successfully Test Your Basal Rate
Are you looking for basal rate information and testing instructions? Perfect! You're in the right place!
Good luck, and let us know how you get on 🙂
Inka
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Ok, so if they’re ok in the morning but shoot up when you eat, then it looks like a problem with your Novorapid dose/timing.
Do you inject in advance of eating? You don’t mention Metformin - that can help with insulin resistance. Also, if you’re taking large doses of Novorapid then splitting the dose and injecting in two places can help absorption too (half the dose in each place).
Apologies for asking, but what’s your BMI?
Do you inject in advance of eating? You don’t mention Metformin - that can help with insulin resistance. Also, if you’re taking large doses of Novorapid then splitting the dose and injecting in two places can help absorption too (half the dose in each place).
Apologies for asking, but what’s your BMI?
rebrascora
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Hi and welcome.
Can you go back to the beginning of your journey with diabetes and tell us a bit about how you were diagnosed... if you were old enough to remember?
Your profile states that you are MODY and I am just wondering if that is correct or if you may have chosen the wrong Type by accident when you were creating your profile as MODY is very rare and from what I understand, doesn't always need insulin.
Ozempic is usually prescribed to Type 2 diabetics who are overweight to help them lose weight and bring their levels down, so if you are not overweight, it seems odd that you have been prescribed that.
How much Toujeo do you use and how much NovoRapid? You mention large doses but a large dose to me is 8 units but a large dose to some Type 2 diabetics might be 60 units because they suffer from insulin resistance, so it is helpful if you can give numbers rather than just saying high or low both in respect of insulin and BG levels, so that we can understand your particular situation better. ie give specific examples.
There are other meal time insulins but they all work in a similar way and whilst some might be slightly faster than others, they all do pretty much the same thing, so if one isn't working it is likely to do with the dose not being correct or perhaps your injecting technique than the actual insulin "not working".
You mention Dexcom.... Is this a sensor (on your arm or tummy) that records your readings? If so, can you post a photo of a typical day's graph so that we can see what is going on.
Can you go back to the beginning of your journey with diabetes and tell us a bit about how you were diagnosed... if you were old enough to remember?
Your profile states that you are MODY and I am just wondering if that is correct or if you may have chosen the wrong Type by accident when you were creating your profile as MODY is very rare and from what I understand, doesn't always need insulin.
Ozempic is usually prescribed to Type 2 diabetics who are overweight to help them lose weight and bring their levels down, so if you are not overweight, it seems odd that you have been prescribed that.
How much Toujeo do you use and how much NovoRapid? You mention large doses but a large dose to me is 8 units but a large dose to some Type 2 diabetics might be 60 units because they suffer from insulin resistance, so it is helpful if you can give numbers rather than just saying high or low both in respect of insulin and BG levels, so that we can understand your particular situation better. ie give specific examples.
There are other meal time insulins but they all work in a similar way and whilst some might be slightly faster than others, they all do pretty much the same thing, so if one isn't working it is likely to do with the dose not being correct or perhaps your injecting technique than the actual insulin "not working".
You mention Dexcom.... Is this a sensor (on your arm or tummy) that records your readings? If so, can you post a photo of a typical day's graph so that we can see what is going on.
I use to be on metformin but was taken of it because I’m on a lot of other medication and it interferes with it and I don’t want to have to split the dosage because I’m sick of putting injections in me I can’t deal with it anymore
Inka
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- Type 1
How much insulin do you take and when? I don’t understand a few crucial things - why you’re on Ozempic if you’re not overweight, and if you’re MODY or not.
Sorry to be asking lots of questions but it really helps to know the facts so we can offer the best suggestions for you.
Sorry to be asking lots of questions but it really helps to know the facts so we can offer the best suggestions for you.
I’ve been diabetic since 2012 and I wasn’t in insulin first was diet controlled then tablets then tablets and insulin and i have had different tablets to then they took me off my tablets due to the insulin I was put on, I have 132 units of toujeo in the morning then 40 units with corrections for breakfast then 60 units with corrections for lunch then 66 units with corrections for dinner then 120 units of toujeo on the night and the ozempic once a week 0.25 units, they don’t know weather I’m type 1 or 2 there finding it hard to help me with my situation and they did tests they came back inconclusive so they put me down as type 1 as I’m on insulin, I have a dexcom but I’ll put the graph on later so you can see the whole day
No that’s fine i appreciate you asking so you can help and I have 132 units of toujeo in the morning and then novo rapid I have 40 units with corrections for breakfast then 60 units with corrections for lunch and then 66 units with corrections for dinner and the 120 units of toujeo at night and then ozempic once a week 0.25 and they put me on it thinking it will bring my levels down and so I don’t eat but I don’t eat a lot anyway
Lucyr
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What’s your BMI?
Here’s some information on who is eligible for ozempic.
These should only be considered for patients who have a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or above (adjusted for ethnicity) and who also have specific psychological or medical problems associated with obesity
After 6 months, the GLP-1 receptor agonist should be reviewed and only continued if there has been a beneficial metabolic response (a reduction of at least 11 mmol/mol [1.0%] in HbA1c and a weight loss of at least 3% of initial body-weight).
Here’s some information on who is eligible for ozempic.
These should only be considered for patients who have a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or above (adjusted for ethnicity) and who also have specific psychological or medical problems associated with obesity
After 6 months, the GLP-1 receptor agonist should be reviewed and only continued if there has been a beneficial metabolic response (a reduction of at least 11 mmol/mol [1.0%] in HbA1c and a weight loss of at least 3% of initial body-weight).
Inka
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I totally get why you’re stressed now @Laura0194 Those are large doses and it must be very frustrating that your blood sugar is still high.
Are you under a hospital team? Has an insulin pump ever been mentioned? I wonder if it could help.
Are you under a hospital team? Has an insulin pump ever been mentioned? I wonder if it could help.
rebrascora
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OK. Those are high doses. In your situation I think it would be reasonable to ask for higher strength insulin. It isn't common but would mean injecting smaller volumes and I can understand that injecting those large amounts could be painful/uncomfortable.
I very much doubt that changing insulin would have any improvement on your situation because you are clearly very insulin resistant to both types of insulin you are using and some of the other insulins have additives to make them act faster which might not be good for you in those larger doses.
You mention other conditions.... without wanting to pry, can you give us an indication of what those are? If you don't feel comfortable disclosing them, please don't feel obliged to do so. Just trying to understand the whole situation. Diabetes is very individual, so it can be important to know all the facts. Are you able to walk/cycle/swim for instance and if so, are you able to get regular exercise to help with the insulin resistance? Can you give us an idea of your BMI?
I very much doubt that changing insulin would have any improvement on your situation because you are clearly very insulin resistant to both types of insulin you are using and some of the other insulins have additives to make them act faster which might not be good for you in those larger doses.
You mention other conditions.... without wanting to pry, can you give us an indication of what those are? If you don't feel comfortable disclosing them, please don't feel obliged to do so. Just trying to understand the whole situation. Diabetes is very individual, so it can be important to know all the facts. Are you able to walk/cycle/swim for instance and if so, are you able to get regular exercise to help with the insulin resistance? Can you give us an idea of your BMI?
Inka, would a pump be feasible with doses that high, both in terms of reservoir but also that much insulin all going into one site. As you know I have no practical experience of pumps, so I bow to your greater knowledge in that respect.
Inka
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@Laura0194 You mention you’re on other medication. Some meds can cause insulin resistance eg steroids and other drugs too. There are also a few uncommon medical conditions that can cause severe insulin resistance.
I agree with @rebrascora that asking for a concentrated insulin will help as you’ll then be injecting smaller quantities (because the insulin will be 2 times, 3 times or even 5 times the strength). This should, at least, make your injections less uncomfortable.
@rebrascora I don’t know re a pump. Usually a pump reduces the amount of insulin you need. I read about a Type 2 with severe insulin resistance going on a pump and using a more concentrated insulin. I don’t remember the details as it was just an article I came across when I was looking for something else. But in such a case as Laura’s, I’d think it might be worth considering. It must be horrible to be so resistant to the insulin, and to be high so much.
I agree with @rebrascora that asking for a concentrated insulin will help as you’ll then be injecting smaller quantities (because the insulin will be 2 times, 3 times or even 5 times the strength). This should, at least, make your injections less uncomfortable.
@rebrascora I don’t know re a pump. Usually a pump reduces the amount of insulin you need. I read about a Type 2 with severe insulin resistance going on a pump and using a more concentrated insulin. I don’t remember the details as it was just an article I came across when I was looking for something else. But in such a case as Laura’s, I’d think it might be worth considering. It must be horrible to be so resistant to the insulin, and to be high so much.
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rebrascora
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Thanks for that @Inka, that is really interesting.
@Laura0194 It certainly sounds like the Ozempic is not helping you and just making you feel even more rubbish, so I would ask about stopping that. Life is tough enough without feeling sick half the time for no benefit.
I hope you are able to get some higher strength insulin prescribed, but if we can see your graph when you have time to post it, there might be other practical things that we can suggest to help. For me, I don't eat unless my levels are below 8. If that means injecting my insulin and waiting an hour or two before I eat, that is what I do, but I closely monitor my levels using by CGM (Libre/Dexcom) during that time, until they come down into range and then I eat. Once our BG is high, we become more insulin resistant and then it needs more insulin to do the same job, so the insulin is usually much more efficient at dealing with the carbs in our food when we are in range. That may not be practical for you if you need to take other medication or are relying on others for food, but just one possible tip.
@Laura0194 It certainly sounds like the Ozempic is not helping you and just making you feel even more rubbish, so I would ask about stopping that. Life is tough enough without feeling sick half the time for no benefit.
I hope you are able to get some higher strength insulin prescribed, but if we can see your graph when you have time to post it, there might be other practical things that we can suggest to help. For me, I don't eat unless my levels are below 8. If that means injecting my insulin and waiting an hour or two before I eat, that is what I do, but I closely monitor my levels using by CGM (Libre/Dexcom) during that time, until they come down into range and then I eat. Once our BG is high, we become more insulin resistant and then it needs more insulin to do the same job, so the insulin is usually much more efficient at dealing with the carbs in our food when we are in range. That may not be practical for you if you need to take other medication or are relying on others for food, but just one possible tip.
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