Type 2s and fears about starting insulin

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I have mixed feelings about this. My doctor is useless at explaining things and I am not keen to start on something I don't understand properly. I know there are positive reasons to use insulin when needed and there are lots of people here willing to help, but how do you show someone how to inject on the internet?
 
Did I understand that right ? they are saying people believe that insulin actually CAUSES strokes, blindness, kidney failure etc in diabetics ?

Are their care teams even trying talking to them - people can't be that daft en masse can they if they are given the right information on their condition ?
 
When you are in a panic you don't always take in what you are being told and in my experience the Drs and nurses do not check that you understand. ( I have only ever seen one Dr who has tested my understanding.)

I was at clinic once in the days were only the short acting insulins were clear and the intermediate/ long were cloudy. It is a teaching hospital and I was with one of the nurses. There was a knock on the door - one of the Drs ( I assume a houseman) who wanted to check that there were no cloudy short acting insulins. Seems the patient they were seeing was taking the short acting insulin once a day and the longer lasting insulin with meals .......
 
The study was in the US, I don't think that those figures or views would necessarily be the same in the UK but if postings to forums are anything to go on there definitely are a number of people here who are very worried about starting insulin.
Anecdotally there seems to be a some GPs that use insulin as a threat; a last resort rather than for some people an option that would improve both quality of life and outcome. The person is then made to feel guilty for not being able to control their diabetes with other medication.
I also think that some people who have a family history may associate the onset of complications in older relatives with their going onto insulin. This can cause fear.
Another reason for reluctance which is fairly specific to the UK is the affect on driving licences, for some people this can mean loss of jobs.
 
I'm not querying the fact that some people (me included !) don't relish the idea of moving onto insulin - I was merely querying the fact that such a percentage of people actually think insulin CAUSES strokes, kidney failure, blindness and early death.
 
vince13 said:
I'm not querying the fact that some people (me included !) don't relish the idea of moving onto insulin - I was merely querying the fact that such a percentage of people actually think insulin CAUSES strokes, kidney failure, blindness and early death.
Click to expand...

I'm afraid that's what they found, can only put it down to some pretty appalling communication (or non-communication) byt the healthcare professionals whose duty it was to inform them. I also think it's awful that some doctors 'threaten' people with insulin - no wonder so many are unhappy at the prospect!
 
I saw the specialist this morning and I start insulin now this week... My doc had already "prepped me" at diagnosis in january that diabetes was progressive and that I would probably, eventually, have to take insulin.

I cant understand why people would not take it once prescribed? surely the effects of the illness are far worse than the consequences of not taking the insulin?

>>>>>>>>>> Then again, we have a pretty fantastc NHS system where it doesnt actually cost us anything for our medication ( excluding taxes and NI of course!) and the US is an insurance based operation where the drugs are expensive..... I conclude this to be the main factor for american ppl not to take it!.... lol

me, Im sooo looking forward to feeling better and normal!
 
Well good luck and keep us posted wth your new journey on the insulin hotchop x
 
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Will do! thanks steff x
 
For myself, when the big day comes. I'll insist on being referred to the DSNs up at Raigmore. I wouldn't trust my doctor to explain the time of day. Going by my recent finger pricking results though, I'm doing quite well on the new drug regime. I've been waking up in the mid sixes and low sevens for the last week, hopefully this means I won't need the jabs for some time. When the time does come though, I can't see me not taking it though I will need some serious hand holding at first.
 
When the big day comes i'm gonna ask for Eileen or Dr Fox at the Diabetes Centre and demarnd to be put on the DAFNE course!🙂 I aso don't trust be doctor, he seems to have trouble reading his BNF... I'm a tad worried at the moment coz my bloods arn't as low as i'd like but my HBa1c came back at 6.3..i'm baffled but that's another story...Anyway, if i need insulin then i need insulin, i'll take whatever it takes to get by blood sugar in line.

People don't take their drugs very well, it's a fact (and yes, i'm as bad as the batty geriatrics we all assume are the culprits...i keep forgetting my ramipril, i can just about handle the Metformin, but taking more than one drug is asking too much..:D). People forget, people get frightened of the side effects and people fail to recognise the need to take them (that'd be me and the simvastatin then...) Some people just get the wrong end of the stick. A tip for side-effect phobia, there's always a list and the ones at the top are the ones you are most likely to get, as you get further down the list they get more and more rare. Some information leaflets even give a figure of how many people in 100 or 1000 are likely to suffer from what side effect, and there's some movement to write more of them like this. Health care proffesionals from doctors, nurses, pharmacists and erm..even pharmacy technicians are supposed to be trained to make it as easy and as understandable for people as possible. We're working on it folks!🙂

Rachel
 
Rachel's right, I had forgotten about the forgetting bit. I'm so bad I have alarms set on my phone telling me when to take what pill and how many to take.
 
Wow, scary statistics!! Like everyone else, its hard to imagine why ppl would not take insulin if it was advised. I know I hated the thought of it, but thats due to a psychological fear of hypo's. Once I accepted it was necessary, I wouldn't dream of not taking it. And it improves everything!!🙂
 
In a way I wouldn't mind the insulin if it got rid of the pills. But with type 2s on insulin you are normally stuck with still taking all the pills as well. :(
 
Found insulin fantastic after struggling to keep Metformin down for months. So much more control with insulin and needle nowhere near as bad as the finger testing. Hope this gives some encouragement to anyone moving on.
Joan
 
The only reason I was anxious about starting insulin was because I am needle phobic.
But now that I'm used to it my needle phobia isn't as bad as it used to be and my BG's are so much better now than they were before.
 
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