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Type 2

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Neville Evans

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Type 2
Hi everyone I am new to all of this so please bear with me, I have type 2 Diabetes which I have had for over 10 years I am now 71 and my doctor put me on insulin at the start of the year I have no issues with taking my insulin twice a day after breakfast and after evening meal,
when I started on insulin my doctor said my numbness and feeling would come back to my feet, but so far I am still struggling, can anyone offer advice and help.
Many Thanks
 
Welcome @Neville Evans What’s the name of the insulin you take? How are your blood sugars? It would be better control that could potentially improve the feelings in your feet, and insulin would be a tool to try to achieve that.
 
Hi @Neville Evans and welcome to the forum.
Sorry to say that it isn't quite as simple as that !
If you (and your healthcare professionals) manage your blood glucose levels very well and your numbness is neuropathy caused by long term high blood glucose and it has not been left so long as to be irreversible. Then your doctor is correct.

Most Type 2's I've heard of who have reversed their neuropathy had already been in (non medicated) T2 remission for months or years before the neuropathy reversed. Unfortunately I haven't heard of any who did it through medication (even Insulin) alone, but perhaps other members have.

I achieved remission through cutting down on carbohydrates (since all carbs - even starches turn into glucose as soon as digested. A starch molecule looks just like a chain of glucose molecules holding hands).
 
The insulin I am on is NovoMix 30 FlexPen 100units/ml suspension for injection, I have just taken my blood sugar reading before tea and it is 8.9 which is good for me it is usually about 12.0 which my doctor asked me to aim for maybe I am expecting to much, again any advice is more then welcome
 
Ok, so a mixed insulin, which contains both slow and fast insulin. The only problem with mixed insulins is that they aren’t so flexible. You can’t change the amount of fast insulin you take without also changing the slow insulin (because they’re both in the same mixture).

Your 8.9 isn’t bad and hopefully that can be improved so that you’re more like 5-7 or so before meals. What you could do is look at your lunch. What did you eat? Have you been given any guidance about the amount of carbs you should eat for each meal?

As I understand it, to try to improve numbness and pain in the feet, a person should minimise high sugars, including big rises after meals. It would be informative to also test two hours after lunch to see what your blood sugar is doing then.
 
Ok thanks for that I will try and post later in the week, I must admit that I have a yogurt after after my evening meal, but once again thank you, if anyone else reads my post's any reply would be very welcome
 
Let me tag @Lucyr for you. She’s Type 2 on insulin. I’m not sure if she’s ever used mixed insulin like you but she might be able to comment if she’s free (and not melting in this heat!).

Greek yoghurt is lower carb. There’s nothing to stop you eating yoghurt within reason as long as you choose the type wisely, and include it in the carb count for your meals. Again, the insulin you take will cover a certain amount of carbs at each meal. Too many carbs for your insulin and you’ll go high, too few and you’ll go low. Sticking to regular amounts of carbs for each meal will give you more consistent results.
 
Inka said:
Let me tag @Lucyr for you. She’s Type 2 on insulin. I’m not sure if she’s ever used mixed insulin like you but she might be able to comment if she’s free (and not melting in this heat!).
Click to expand...

Hello. I’ve never actually used mixed insulin as I was given a choice when I started and it seemed too rigid for me. (Also I’m in the Outer Hebrides, so not melting! It’s long jeans and hoody weather outside and we’ve got the heating on inside tonight).

With the mixed insulin, it’s not very flexible so it’s harder to make changes but it can help improve your blood sugars. I would suggest the place to start it work out where you are now.

To do this you could test before each meal, before driving and whenever you feel funny, and write down the times, results, and what you eat. If you are able to, count the carbohydrates in your food (there are apps like myfitnesspal and nutracheck that can help).

If you do this for a week or two you’ll start to see patterns - look for what kind of foods make your blood sugar be higher or lower by the next meal. You’re aiming for 5-7 before meals ideally (down to 4 is okay but a bit close to hypo).

It’s important not to make any drastic or fast changes with mixed insulin. Slow gradual changes are safer to avoid causing new problems.
 
Thank you very much for your reply, my doctor wanted me to get under 12.0 my ever lowest is 5.6 and I am finding it very hard as I say with my feet being the major issue they feel numb and very hot, I will keep on trying to improve and I will always welcome to help and advice
Many Thanks
 
Welcome to the forum @Neville Evans

Hopefully you can keep making modest and gradual tweaks and changes to the balance between your menu and your insulin, so that they can keep your BGs in range for as much of the time as possible.

Let us know how things go on 🙂
 
not so good at the moment I'm afraid feet and ankles are red hot with very little feeling from ankle downwards just keep hoping for some improvement
 
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