I was diagnosed with diabetes in February after contracting COVID which hospitalised me, I had high sugar levels during my treatment with high dose steroids but they continued after the treatment ended. I’m having great trouble managing my blood sugar levels as I had a really bad reaction to metformin including high lactate levels requiring hospital admission to reduce. At the moment I am on Humilin I and novorapid which are being titrated up practically daily to try and bring the blood sugars down. Very new to everything, it’s been a bit of a learning curve so I‘m reading on this site and doing the courses. They can’t even tell me what type it is yet, they want to get the blood sugars down first, then do more blood tests. My first ever Hba1c was 78, not sure what that means
Very new
- Thread starter Penngrif
- Start date
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Hi and welcome
So sorry to hear that you have been ill with Covid and are now left with Diabetes as a result and then to have problems with the medication for it. 78 is high but not huge. Many of us were in treble figures at diagnosis. The diagnosis point is actually 48, between 42 and 47 is what is referred to as "at risk of diabetes" and below 42 is normal levels. You would not expect them to go below mid twenties as obviously we need glucose in our blood for energy, so there is a bit of a range but you are looking to drop your reading by at least 20 but ideally 30-40 to get it into a healthier place. The good thing is that diabetes complications tend to be more of a concern when levels are elevated over a long period of time (years usually) or they fluctuate dramatically, so reducing things slowly and steadily is the key.
How are you managing with the insulin and injecting it. I know it is a real shock at first but it becomes second nature after a while although we go through spells where it becomes frustrating or the responsibility of it all day after day and meal after meal gets on top of us. On the whole though Diabetes is a manageable condition and you can live well with it. I personally feel better than I have for 20+ years since the diagnosis was the kick up the pants I needed to improve my diet and lifetyle. I hope you are able to feel like that too once they get your insulin doses right and your levels under control.
If there is anything particular you are unsure of, just ask or if you just want to come and have a good moan to people who understand because they also live with it, the forum is good for that too. Make yourself at home.
So sorry to hear that you have been ill with Covid and are now left with Diabetes as a result and then to have problems with the medication for it. 78 is high but not huge. Many of us were in treble figures at diagnosis. The diagnosis point is actually 48, between 42 and 47 is what is referred to as "at risk of diabetes" and below 42 is normal levels. You would not expect them to go below mid twenties as obviously we need glucose in our blood for energy, so there is a bit of a range but you are looking to drop your reading by at least 20 but ideally 30-40 to get it into a healthier place. The good thing is that diabetes complications tend to be more of a concern when levels are elevated over a long period of time (years usually) or they fluctuate dramatically, so reducing things slowly and steadily is the key.
How are you managing with the insulin and injecting it. I know it is a real shock at first but it becomes second nature after a while although we go through spells where it becomes frustrating or the responsibility of it all day after day and meal after meal gets on top of us. On the whole though Diabetes is a manageable condition and you can live well with it. I personally feel better than I have for 20+ years since the diagnosis was the kick up the pants I needed to improve my diet and lifetyle. I hope you are able to feel like that too once they get your insulin doses right and your levels under control.
If there is anything particular you are unsure of, just ask or if you just want to come and have a good moan to people who understand because they also live with it, the forum is good for that too. Make yourself at home.
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Well they haven't started you on a Type 1 insulin regime, since Humulin I isn't recommended for starters in T1 these days. It shouldn't matter what Type label the medics hang round our necks like were Spirit decanters in a tantalus of course but I'm afraid it does since some quite useful bits of kit are simply not available on free prescription from the NHS without the patient having the exact specified label. Anyway - not going to have a rant about that right now.
Steroid induced diabetes (oops clicked 'Post' by accident - continued below)
Steroid induced diabetes (oops clicked 'Post' by accident - continued below)
trophywench
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Steroid induced diabetes does not behave like Classic Types - I had a T2 friend whose sister in law had steroid D some years ago after hospitalisation for a serious lung problem and like you came out of hospital with insulin - but once she recovered from everything after getting on for a year, gradually came off the insulin entirely and both ladies fell off my radar.
I've absolutely no idea if that's typical or not I'm afraid, so I can't particularly assist and hence can only say, yes it's a shock to everyone to get their head round and yes I certainly know it can be a struggle BUT listen to the medical team advising you in your journey with it - and we'll all try and encourage you all we can.
THE most important thing for everyone is to ask, Ask, ASK throughout - any however slight thing you don't know or even just wonder about, so equally vital to Listen, too!
Good luck.
I've absolutely no idea if that's typical or not I'm afraid, so I can't particularly assist and hence can only say, yes it's a shock to everyone to get their head round and yes I certainly know it can be a struggle BUT listen to the medical team advising you in your journey with it - and we'll all try and encourage you all we can.
THE most important thing for everyone is to ask, Ask, ASK throughout - any however slight thing you don't know or even just wonder about, so equally vital to Listen, too!
Good luck.
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Welcome to the forum @Penngrif
Sorry to hear about tour diagnosis, and the difficult time you’ve had with some diabetes meds.
Insulin needs can be very individual, and it is common to need a period of cautious adjustment in the early weeks, months, and sometimes years.
Hope you begin to see some improvement in your BG levels, but without it going too far the other way, and you dropping into hypos or erratic BG fluctuation.
When are you next due a check up?
Sorry to hear about tour diagnosis, and the difficult time you’ve had with some diabetes meds.
Insulin needs can be very individual, and it is common to need a period of cautious adjustment in the early weeks, months, and sometimes years.
Hope you begin to see some improvement in your BG levels, but without it going too far the other way, and you dropping into hypos or erratic BG fluctuation.
When are you next due a check up?
I’m having phone consults almost weekly, sometimes more often with the diabetes team for my area, I’ve also had some input from and endocrinologist recently. At the moment they have me on humilin I twice a day and Novorapid 3 times a day both of which have seen 4 rises in the last week and a half
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
Sounds like you are getting good, appropriate support. Dose adjustments in the early days/weeks/months are perfectly normal and in fact it is a constant factor with insulin usage because so many factors affect how much you need.
A few months ago I was having to alter my basal insulin dose every other day and of course bolus insulin depends on what I eat so that is constantly changing from one meal to the next. Factor in exercise and how well I slept and hormones and illness and stress and weather (I kid you not) and doses often needs tweaking. Welcome to the world of pancreas impersonation! You will soon learn what an incredibly clever little organ it is (used to be when it worked properly) once you manually take over one small aspect of it's role ie balancing insulin requirement with BG levels.
A few months ago I was having to alter my basal insulin dose every other day and of course bolus insulin depends on what I eat so that is constantly changing from one meal to the next. Factor in exercise and how well I slept and hormones and illness and stress and weather (I kid you not) and doses often needs tweaking. Welcome to the world of pancreas impersonation! You will soon learn what an incredibly clever little organ it is (used to be when it worked properly) once you manually take over one small aspect of it's role ie balancing insulin requirement with BG levels.