diabetes type 2

  i heard that if someone has dibetes type 2 for more than 25years then he has to switch from oral hypoglycmics to insulin..is that true??

[Bridget A. Hewitt, RN]

Hi and thanks for using the forum.

There is no "hard and fast rule" that at 25 years a diabetic must switch from oral hypoglycemics to insulin.   Oral hypoglycemics work by helping a type 2 diabetic use the insulin their body produces more effectively.  Unfortunately, as the disease progresses for type 2 diabetics, they sometimes produce less and less insulin and therefore have to switch to insulin to control their blood sugars.  Your doctor will help you decide when to start considering insulin instead of or in addition to oral hypoglycemics.  I hope this helps. Good luck.

Bridget