Say No to Insulin!

Hi, I am a 51 year old female with Type 2 Diabetes.  I am overweight (100 lbs) and have other complications due to my obesity.  (stent placement)  I am currently taking Metformin 1000 mg x 2 twice daily, plus Lantus Solostar, 27 units.  When I began the insulin, my blood glucose was over 400!  Now it is down between 200 - 230 in the morning.  They want to put me on a different type of insulin to take with meals.  I don't want to do that.  Is there anything I can do to lower my blood sugar naturally without taking more insulin?

[Zoelula]

The basal/bolus regimen of a long acting insulin (Lantus) and a short-acting insulin before meals is the absolute best way to treat your high blood sugar. You are doing better, but your blood sugar is still much too high and you are at risk for complications. Why do you feel so negative about insulin? The basal/bolus system mimics what non-diabetics bodies do naturally: a small amount of background insulin 24/7 and then a burst of bolus insulin for your meals. It is certainly what you need. Please share why you feel so negative about insulin!

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

Insulin really is the best way to manage such high blood sugars.

How to manage it naturally?  Very careful attention to diet (and how many carbs you eat, timing and composition) are critical, even when you are on insulin.  Losing that 100 lbs, or even part of it, is going to help.  Aerobic exercise (walking or stationary bike) is probably a good start will also be helpful.  For blood sugar control it would need to be 30 - 60 minutes, twice a day.

[caregiver222]

Zoelula has given you perfect advice. There is no reason whatsoever for you to fear taking Lantus. The shallow sub-cut injections in the fat of the belly are virtually painless. The consequences of not keeping your glucose levels under control are well-known. As Super_sally888 stated "insulin really is the best way to manage high blood sugars".

[grandmaof3508]

I already have to give myself shots, and I do not like to.  I get very stressed about it.  And it does hurt when I give myself the Lantus, even though it is a very small needle.  Also, I cannot afford the insulin, but make too much money to be on assistance.  I have insurance, but it is still expensive when you live paycheck to paycheck.

[caregiver222]

There are several types of sub-cu needles. Some brand better than others. Selection of a fatty area, rotation of sites, and a shallow angle (rather than ninety degrees) with quick insertion helps. Lantus is rather expensive. I hope you visit a local social worker to see if there is a possibility of obtaining more reimbursement for your medications.

[Super_sally888]

Also talk with the doctor if there are other medications / insulin formulations that may be more cost effective for you.

Of course also work on the lifestyle measure: diet, exercise, weight control (not easy but worth it), to help minimise your insulin requirements.

[ljkforu]

Zoelula I demanded that my doc do what yours is recommending and now I'm looking at taking the Lantus twice daily. I take a lot of insulin and I can tell you that sometimes large doses of Lantus sting. The short acting before meal insulin does not if that is what you are worried about. I have had much more negative effects from the pills than the insulin. Infact I gain about 14 lbs from bad eating and now have lost 21 lbs so it isn't true that you can't lose weight on insulin. I also know that if I take off 100 lbs I won't be on near as much as I am or any at all (who know). Without anything I run in the high 400s.

Wishing you the best of luck.

[asok475]

I thought I would chime in here about my own personal weight loss. All my adult life I was on a yo-yo diet. Lose it, put it back on, lose it...... When I was diagnosed in August 2010 I weighed 226 lbs. I was fortunate to be referred to a registered dietician. Among other counselling I was told to keep my carbs to 60 per meal. Being more concerned about keeping my glucose readings down than weight loss, I rigidly kept and keep my carb intake limit to the 60 limit. The weight just fell off. Now my BMI is less than 25 (163 lbs) and my last a1c was 5.3%. Due to my arthritis, exercise was vitually impossible but I do the grocery shopping and still get to the office most days. It worked for me. Please try It and good luck

[tombcx]

Hi there,
Let me tell you how I succesfully avoid Insulin, this is just my personal diabetic journey, I don't want to advise nor diagnotic any body.
I am an 20 year plus diabetic 2 patience, 14 months I had leg pains at night, aka neuropathic pains, my A1c was 6.8%,as of now my A1c is 5.6 %,  I no longer had leg pains. I have  NOT, for the last  3 years using ANY diabetic medications at all, no Metformin, no Victoza, no nothing.
How could I do this to myself, it's very EASY, any fifth grader CAN do it, here is how I have been doing it :
I follow this rule:(6,12,12) . Meaning for morning meals, I only consume 6 grams of Carb, and at lunchs and dinners meals, I allow myself only 12 grams of Carb. These days I can buy such low-carb foods, made by  the Tortilla Factory,tortillas with such low-carb at Wal-mart.
This rule invented by Dr. Richard Bernstein, author of this book :Diabetes Solutions". You can log onto amazon .com to read reviews of this book.
The rule is very SIMPLE: to stablize the blood sugar, I always try to LOWER my carb intake.Period, the other way around, to me, is dead wrong.
The other half of my diabetic journey is that I am using a herb that I have discovered and developed so effective enough for me to steadily lower my
blood glucose to 5.6% , taken 12.28.11.
So effective enough to eliminate my diabetic nerve complications: Leg pains. My "T cell" is dramatically improved.
I am pretty confident to say that, in 2 or 3 years from now , as my A1C keep lowering, I will take the OGGT test to find out or to prove that if I am clinically cured from Diabeties 2. Good luck.