What is the deciding factor for insulin?

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2004
What is the deciding factor for insulin?
6
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 12:37am
One of our members brought up an interesting question for Mary Frances about what determines prescribing insulin.

Any comments?

My levels went down today(just broke 200). However, 2hrs post-dinner, back up they went to above 300. This time I think the lasagna and garlic bread might be more to blame for the high numbers. Am going to check in another hour to see if they're going down. This is frightening. I sure will think very thoroughly before I let my rheumatologist give me steroid injections again. I have slept the last two nights, and the pain is almost gone. So, indeed, I traded one problem solution against what was best for my diabetic condition.

:'(

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003
Sat, 03-06-2004 - 2:04am
Now granted I am absolutely no medical proffestional here. I think that insulin is given if a diabetic type 2 person cannot control their blood sugar by oral medications or even some with diet and excercise in which I have only known 2 people who went from diet and excercise right to insulin. In your case of having high blood sugars it is really just from the steroid injections in which the blood sugar levels will be elevated for a period of time depening upon the dosage and as you know the more steroid used can and usually does with me cause high lood sugars. At least you are not having such bad pains and have been able to sleep, which at times to me is better than having blood sugars under control if your in such pain. Just keep checking your blood sugars more often and you should see your level start to come down to your more normal levels. Do let us know how your doing and how the blood sugars are doing. We will be thinking of you in hopes that the pain disappears completely. Take care and do have wonderful weekend!

Denise ^..^


Mom to


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Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 03-07-2004 - 12:25am

Kathi,


My poor memory is failing me again. Are you the person who was started on Amaryl 8mg after dinner? Please let me know because if you are I have some comments about this from my classes yesterday.


It absolutely was the lasagna and the garlic bread that did you in. You had too many carbohydrates in your dinner. Unfortunately there is too much pasta in lasagna for us and there is too much sugar in the tomato sauce the they use for the lasagna. Then you add in the garlic bread and you are way over what you can use and keep your blood sugar under control.


When you get an elevated blood sugar like this try forcing some non-caloric liquids and believe it or not have some protein to eat. The protein will slow down your absorption of the carbos from the bread and the pasta and it won't raise your blood sugar very much.


There are good diabetic recipes for lasagna but the portion is always very small.


Some diabetics have a really elevated blood sugar when they are diagnosed and they need to be on insulin until they get their blood sugars under control. Then many time they can be switched to oral meds. But because you destroy 10 percent of your beta cells per year, most type 2s will ultimately need insulin. We are living so much longer with our disease and so the treatment has needed to be changed to reflect the fact that we are living longer and being diagnosed earlier.


So please get back to me about my questions.

Mary Frances


cl-maryfrances40

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2004
Sun, 03-07-2004 - 2:22am
MaryFrances~

Yep, that's me on the 8mg at dinner! Sure would appreciate any info you have. Thanks

Did you see about my episode with the 410 Wednesday after the steroid injections?

Well, yesterday it was in the 200's until I ate the other half of the lasagna & garlic toast. Hopefully I'll be back down (finally) to fairly normal numbers. I was over 250 last night so I took 2mg at midnight as the doctor had said to do if I was over 300. Wanted to see what would happen. My 5AM was wnl. Had a sensible dinner tonight of lemon pepper chicken strips on a bed of lettuce with a few slices of black olives, 2 qtrs of tomato, purple onions, and low fat Italian dressing. Had an iced fruit bar when I got home. This probably explains the next number. My post-dinner was 166 (10:30PM) up from 134 at 5:15PM. Just took it and it's 138 (midnight). Am going to eat a couple cubes of cheese before I go to bed because I'm hungry. No more carbs for me tonight!

Oh, does iced, unsweetened tea do anything to our glucose levels?

Thank you for your assistance.

I'm very concerned about you. Please take care of yourself, ok?

(((hugs)))

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 03-07-2004 - 11:16pm

Hi Kathi,


I am trying to take care of myself but I am doing really stupid things! Yesterday I wrote the check for my offering

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Mon, 03-08-2004 - 4:36am
I think from what I have seen insulin is also given when a person is initially diagnosed with super high readings? Not sure if that is a correct assumption or not. I am not talking somewhat high but when they get really really high. Mary frances probably knows the answer to this much better than I do.

One side comment on the spaghetti sauce. There are so VERY many store bought ones and they seem to have significantly different amounts of sugar, fat, etc etc etc. I guess sugar supposedly helps bring out flavors in tomato sauces....BUT there is a big difference between a sprinkle of sugar and a tomato sauce that literally tastes SWEET!!

Anyway, if you go for the bottled sauces, pay attention to sugars, fats, and carbs. Its also possible if you have room and are into doing that kind of thing to make and freeze your own pasta sauces. that way you can control what you are putting in them.

AuntyDoxzz

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2004
Tue, 03-09-2004 - 12:36am
I told you earlier that I'd read the insert when they gave me the samples (after the major crying spell sort of ceased) and saw that it was a beginning of 1mg. I called week before last to see if I could take 4mg at waking and then 4mg at dinner. Nope, the PA still wants me on 8mg at dinner. Last week when I had the 410 and freaked, the on-call doctor said if my levels were over 300 in another 2 hours I should take another 2mg or I could just wait it out. I just waited it out. It leveled out. My post lunch today was 131; I'm due for the post-prandial (dinner) at 11PM. It seems like I'm getting better readings now. Am afraid they'll want to add insulin, but am going to try to talk them out of it. I'm very afraid that once they put me on insulin, I'll never get off!

So sorry to hear that you're still having a rough time. I think your mind just went on overload when you tried to mail the $20 check. You have so much to keep track of right now that this doesn't surprise me.

Haven't looked in the recipes yet, but in advance thanks!

Please take care of yourself.

(((gentle hugs)))