I'm a T1 but my older brother did battle with T2 for 7 years, with diet and pills. I finally talked him into trying some Levemir® insulin and he was so happy the next morning he said I never thought I would feel this good again, He is now using novolog® before meals and two injections of Levemir® morning and night. He does not even look like the same person, very happy, and says he should have started insulin sooner.......He has been on insulin for about 3 years now.
Good luck...and just keep your open Levemir® pin in the fridge...you won't get them mixed up. Remember Insulin is the Gold standard for treatment of diabetes, you have done nothing wrong...;-)...using insulin is OK
WE all get frantic when insulin is introduced for the first. I was so worried that I went on an internet binge looking for any information I could find, it is how I ended up here.
Highs and lows are a big worry but they can be treated, the key is to know your bg and how to react. Mistakes are generally small and correctable. Introduction to insulin is a slow cautious affair that makes for less chances for error. When using insulin your meter is you best friend.
I do hope that you do not feel that you have failed because insulin is needed, the exact opposite is true. Your are carrying the fight forward and not giving up, that is how one wins. In an earlier post Marie B mentioned that most of her T2 friends wish they had started sooner. You can count me as one of those T2 friends.
gary, at what point do you think people should start insulin? how many years have you been diagnosed with type 2 and how many years have you been on insulin? thanks.
I started the humulin mix 25 on Friday. I give shots for breakfast and supper.And on August 14 I will start the humulin for lunch times. My BG’s have been going up after I take it and I get really dizzy. I’ve lost my balance afew times.is that normal for starting a rapid acting med? I am on my own and don’t see anyone till Tuesday. Not sure when I go to ER to get help too…
just a suggestion for your work, I had to get a doc's note explaining that I need to keep my meter close and available snacks. Also doc had to explain that when my levels fluctuate, I may get dizzy. Be sure to note your signs of getting low sugar. With me it is sweating, shakiness, progressive dizziness and confusion or unclear thinking. I keep Skittles in my pocket to discreetly increase levels when needed.
You could be feeling stress about the injections. Do you feel anxious or nervous about the injections? One thing you could try is to just take a minute and lay down and relax before you inject. Just take a minute and think about nothing or a warm summer day. Then take your injection. And then repeat your relaxation. Some people have a stress reaction when they inject (just like you describe) but most are able to quickly become accustomed to the shots and everything is ok.
I tried the humolog and was allergic to it. I tried it for 2 weeks, but I got swelling on my mouth and numbness around half my face . Everyday it was a different side or patch of face. The dr’s checked for strokes each time to rule that out. Then I started breaking out in hives so the Dr took me off it and put me on 10 days of prednisone and Benadryl and doubled my reactine allergy meds, and then gave me a mix 30/70 humulin instead for breakfast and supper times. I seem to be able to tolerate that better.But they said that was strange reactions for a insulin…I seem to have strange reactions to meds.
I recommend putting a rubber band on your basal pen. When you inject the basal, say out loud to yourself: rubber band or band basal and the dose you are giving yourself, also look at the pen twice before you inject to make you sure you have dialed the correct dose. Some permanent pens such as novopen echo record the last dose and time on the pen so you can check if you get confused. Having different color pens helps also, but I have still made 2 mistakes reversing basal/bolus. Novopen echo only comes in red in the US at this point but you can purchase skins to put on various pens to differentiate them more.
Don't get distracted such as talking to people or thinking about other things when you inject. I agree with testing a lot and if you can, get a cgm- this will help warn you that you're going low or too high so you can start to treat before you get into the danger zones.
Good luck, I'm sure you will get the hang of it soon!
A small fraction of people do have allergic reaction. Often it is related to some of the stuff they put in with the insulin to help preserve and stabilize it. I hope the insulin mix works for your.
