Recently, for the past two weeks, my fasting blood sugar has been well above 200, and it doesn’t go down all day even with my diet and Metformin. It has been extremely hard for me to wake up in the morning, and when I do wake up, I have a horrible headache, my bladder isn’t full (and I know urinating a lot is a symptom), and I’m thirsty really really bad. I was recently told about Cinnamon, and how it can help metabolize sugar faster. I just started Cinnamon 500mg yesterday, but I can’t check my sugar now because I’m out of strips. So I’m really scared now. I just got over a yeast infection, which I learned diabetes can do that to you.
It’s either my Metformin needs to be increased, or I can possibly have Type 1. I don’t know. I possibly am becoming completely insulin dependent. I need some advice. I’m going to my doctors to get a blood draw, but I don’t know when because I currently have no insurance.
I am a type 2 on metformin. I take from 250 to 500 mg per meal depending on how much excercise I am going to get after the meal. I have had instances where I have been stuck on higher numbers in the morning specially when I am sick. I had a a real bad cold in the summer and I could not bring my numbers down no matter what. How are your numbers during the day? I recently bought a wavesence meter from walmart since the strips are pretty cheap there. I got the meter for 14 dollars and the strips are like 22 for a bucket of 50. I usually run out of strips in 2 weeks from my prescriptions so I needed a cheaper solution. The wavesence strips seem to work for me because of the cost. Getting more excercise seemed to have worked for me. There was a trasition period where I needed higher metformin doses. I was almost on 1000mg per meal but was able to cut down the dosage when I excercised more. It only took 45 minutes of excercise a day to bring things down. I hit 200+ on occation but I am able to bring it down with excercise. I have had instances where my A1C was 10 and was brought down with metformin , diet and excercise. take care
Don’t freak out too badly about the yeast infection. Yes, diabetics are prone to them. Many of us find that the OTC treatments don’t work for us and have to go to the prescription strength stuff. But since you don’t have the ins. right now, go for the OTC 7-day longer-term treatments and try all the natural things you can do (like cotton undergarments, cool hairdryers, eating more yogurt, etc).
Type 2 cannot “become” type 1, as they’re different diseases, but you can “become” an insulin dependent type 2 or have been misdiagnosed as a type 2 and actually have type 1 instead. There are antibody tests that your doctor can order to find out if you are type 1 or type 2. I don’t know a lot about Metformin, but many type 2s find that their dosages need to be increased and adjusted as their fasting BGs rise.
If you’re between visits because of insurance, your best bet is to try to adjust your diet and exercise regimen to produce results, I guess. And find a way to get some cheap test strips (try Wal-Mart) so that you can know what your numbers are.
Many adult onset T1 (or LADA or Type 1.5) are initially misdiagnosed as T2. As mentioned there are antibody tests to determine what is really going on.
It is NOT IMPORTANT WHAT TYPE YOU ARE!!!
What is important is that you get the proper treatment!!
Call the endo, express your concerns, mention antibody testing. Your endo will either agree with you or you will look for another one…
don’t worry first,you need to calm down to think clearly
even if it was a type1,it’s not like you are gonna have diabetes all over again
can you go to the ER,tell them that your blood sugar won’t come down,they may help,or at least they will test your blood sugar
you can call your endo,and explain to him your fears,he will definitely know what to do
there is also a test for the C-peptide,and anti-bodies that can determine which type are you,but as far as I know they are somehow expensive…but it’s worth it if your doctor says you need it
hope you that you get better
Laura, first, sorry that you’re having such a rough time. You’ll have it all figured out in no time…
Type II doesn’t become Type I although sometimes people are misdiagnosed as Type II when they were T1 all along. But, there is no way for any of us here to know that, it something your health care provider can help you determine. This is totally a possibility, and if you’re concerned an endocrinologist is the best person to see.
Also, the more likely problem is that you may need additional meds to control your sugar. Metformin is very frequently used in conjunction with other drugs (and sometimes even insulin) to control BG in Type II. Its normal to require changes to your medication over time.
So, the possibilities are more than just more metformin vs. Type 1 diabetes. I know that you don’t currently have insurance, but this is something that needs to be figured out with a health care provider – one who can perform the appropriate tests to determine what needs to be done to best control your diabetes. I wish you the best of luck, and hope that you feel better soon!
It’s possible that the Metformin isn’t working at your current dosage or you need additional medication to be used with the Metformin. It is possible that you were mis-diagnosed or need insulin therapy. Either way, try to go to the doctor as soon as possible! Good luck!
Hi Laura: It is important to get a correct diagnosis, because if you have Type 1 diabetes you should be on insulin now. Type 1 and Type 2 are completely different diseases with different genetics, causes, treatments, and cures. Getting a correct diagnosis is essential—it is a matter of life and death. With Type 1 diabetes there should not be any messing around—beginning on intensive treatment with exogenous insulin as soon as possible slows the autoimmune attack on the beta cells and lessens the risk of diabetic complications. Doctors may inappropriately use Type 2 therapies in new-onset Type 1 diabetes in adults, but all scientific studies indicate that the correct therapy is intensive insulin therapy. Undertreatment of Type 1 diabetes at any age of onset hastens the onset of complications and causes needless suffering. The appropriate treatment for Type 1 diabetes is exogenous insulin, with intensive treatment begun as early as safely possible after Type 1 diabetes is diagnosed. People who have immune-mediated diabetes should not be treated as if they have Type 2 diabetes. I hope that you are able to get antibody testing and a c-peptide test and get a correct diagnosis. My thoughts are with you. Melitta
+1 to it not being important what type you are (even though this is extremely frustrating).
I was misdiagnosed as a T2, and went on Metformin just like you. It worked for a while while my pancreas was still making some insulin (called the honeymoon phase). Over time though it wasn’t enough and no matter what I did I couldn’t get my BG down. Long story short, I finally got an endo that knew what to do and she ran the c-peptide test to determine that I was in fact a T1. I went on insulin and immediately got results.
I’m sorry to tell you this since you don’t have insurance right now, but you really need to get to the bottom of what’s happening. If you are a T2, than your medications need to change to get your BG in order. If you have been misdiagnosed as a T2 but you are a T1 you are going to need to get started on insulin therapy (which sounds totally scary but really isn’t bad at all)
For right now, please try and get in to see some sort of Dr, even if he or she isn’t an endo. A free clinic or the ER might be options that wouldn’t cost much. Tell them what is wrong, and ask them to give you some test strips and a meter. They probably won’t know much about diabetes (which is totally messed up but totally understandable), but they will be able to check your BG and maybe help you find other resources that are available for those without insurance.
However you slice it, this disease isn’t easy. The monetary costs are just an added burden. I’m sorry that you find yourself in this situation (which you didn’t ask for or cause), but remember that you have friends here. Please keep us informed of how you are doing.
Just to clarify, LADA is the acronym for latent autoimmune diabetes in adults. It is just Type 1 autoimmune diabetes at a later age. The onset of Type 1/LADA in adults is often slower due to the slower immune-mediated beta cell destruction. Antibody testing is the gold standard for diagnosis of Type 1/LADA.
It’s very important take a sample to determinate peptide-C levels and determinate if you are positive for antibodies GAD, ICA and IAA-2. I think you must go fast and ask your doctor. Check urinary Ketones and take care with dehydration and Ketoacidosis. I don’t know how it works the public health system in your country, but I strongly recommend you look for a doctor.
Mauro Scharf, MD
I didn’t have any question on what type I was. I found out in ICU, no fun at all. LOL What everybody else said is true. Type 1 is a autoimmune disease like Lupus. Type 2 is insulin resistance. Type 1 have to use insulin or die, sorry I don’t mean to be harsh, it’s the way it is. Type 2 may need insulin also, my Mom is type 2 and uses insulin. Here’s a good example my Mom injects Lantus 45 units in the morning and 28 before bed. Now me I inject 30 units of Lantus in the morning for 24 hrs. Here’s what my numbers were when I was dx’ed. In ICU, DKA( Diabetic ketoacidosis), bs of 672, a1c 13.2 and 52 years old, all this aug./08. If you have any questions feel free to ask and I will help if I can.
When I was first diagnosed, I was 24, and they initially put me on Metformin and then Metformin with Glyburide. Then the Honeymoon, and what a Honeymoon that was! I started going low all the time, and eventually stopped the medication completely. I thought I was cured! It was just like a bad dream, but it was over. I was exercising like a crazy person to make sure it stayed at bay and limited my carb intake to what the dietician recommended. But, eventually the Honeymoon had to end, and I had to start back on the medication. This time, the medication wasn’t working very well, and eventually I was nearly maxed out. The day of injections was here - something I tired everything in my power to avoid.
I moved from a single daily injection, to twice a day to three times a day and then to 6 times a day. And now I’m pumping. I know it doesn’t sounds very helpful, but if it’s the injections you’re afraid of, you really do get use to it. Take it from someone that was deathly afraid of them.
Here’s what to do. Go to the emergency room or an urgent care facility. urgent care is cheaper and best to try first unless you feel you are having an emergency, which in that case go to the er. if you go to urgent care it’s $100 or so and you can have them bill you. yes, you might get bad credit if you can’t pay it but at least you will get care.
It’s very important to go see a doctor and get on insulin. I was in the exact same situation as you. Lived an entire month with sugars 150 - 400 unecessarily.
Please call me if you need someone to talk to about this.
-novolog insulin pens
-novolog insulin pen needles
-lantus insulin
-lantus insulin syringes
-300 onetouch ultrasmart test strips
-a onetouch ultrasmart glucometer
-the onetouch ultrasmart software to track your control over time on your pc
-ketone test strips
-lancet needles for your preferred lancet. I like the accucheck aviva lancet the best. I prefer it over the ultrasmart lancet as it hurts less.
-a prescription for all these medications
-a follow up with an endicrinologist
-an aic test and a ketones test, full cbc test etc.
