Is anyone here diabetic?

Question

If your diabetic, what type of diabetes do you have? And what medication do you take? how do you control your illness?

I take 44units of mixtard 30 insulin in mornings and 10 novorapid insulin at dinner time and at 10pm i take 30 units of insulatard and if i am high at that time i take novorapid aswell, seperatly.

I have type 1 diabetes. My diet consists of wholemeal bread,tuna,salads,pasta,rice,meat,fruit,vegetables and food like that i also sometimes have lentils and my levels are normally fair if i don't over do on the sugary sweets when im low.

I found that my levels everytime i go to spain are so much better then when living in england i walk a lot as you have to when your in spain on holiday (to get to places,shops,mall,etc.) also i found the hot weather helped. Everytime i ate about an hour-3hrs after i was walking somewhere so that probably helped out a lot.
I could have an ice cream
my levels were really stable rarely went over 10 mmo/l and the average lvl is highes

Answer 1

i have type 2 diabeties and i control it with diet,exercise and i take 500 mgs of glucophage 2x daily ( oral insulin) as long as i keep my stress under control when i get tested every 3 months my levels are good and my weight doesnt go up and down anymore

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

I'm a Type 1 diabetic, controlled by use of a Medtronic MiniMed insulin pump, using Humalog insulin.

The advantage of using a pump is that you infuse insulin whenever you eat, as well as having a tiny amount (called a basal rate) trickling into your system throughout the day and night.

If you live in the UK, and you're willing to comply with more regular testing of your blood sugars, which needs to be done as pumps use fast acting insulin, so the risk of hypoglycaemic attacks is more pronounced, you should see your diabetologist. They are now widely available in this country, though you might meet up with some opposition due to the cost of them, and the cost of ongoing supplies.

I agree with others that have stated you don't need to go to Spain to walk. You can do that just as well over here. The high temperatures are, generally, what was causing your blood sugar to run at a lower level. I have a similar problem during each summer, even though we don't get anywhere near the temperatures that Spain does ... usually.

Best of luck in maintaining good sugar levels. I can assure you, you don't want the complications that I've developed over the years.

I'm sorry oceanlady580, but Glucophage is not oral insulin. Oral insulin would be digested by the acids in the stomach. It enables the insulin that you already produce (or inject) to be utilised by your body's cells. Take a look at the site listed for more information.

Answer 4

Hi. I am a type 1 Diabetic. Have been for over 40 years and use bovine insulins. Eat 3 meals a day and avoid the ice cream and junk food in between times.
I think that if you ate some proper food you might do a lot better. I started out counting my carbohydrate intake and injecting myself twice a day. Never changed and have represented the UK internationally at 2 sports plus instructed snow and ice climbing and mountain rescue not to mention sailing.
Your doseage seems high and I would be worried if my levels got up to 10mmol/dm3.
Now I do the easy sports like skiing, walking, sailing, swimming etc. but this doesn't really count as exercise and have cut down to only 3-4 times a week.
I suggest you change your diet onto something more wholesome and get out and see the world a bit.
The blood sugars will improve and you may be able to cut your doseage down.
I guess you have not been a Diabetic for long but it will get better if you get a life and don't let it rule you so much.

Answer 5

I'm sorry but your insulin intake seems very high!! I am a diabetic and have been for over 45 years type 1, You should be doing the same exercise here as you do in Spain. I am on Lantus and Actrapid just in the morning, and my doctors are very pleased with my diabetes!! I find that very hot weather will make my sugar levels drop quite dramatically, so while its hot I cut my insulin by at least 4 units. Keep well!!

Answer 6

Hi, I'm a type 2. I live on the left (west) coast of the USA. I control things very well with diet, exercise, some supplements, and a little metformin. I would sure like to see you get the book I mention below. Your diet sounds like it may have too much carbohydrate and not enough vegetable content. Maybe you could decrease some of that medication a bit (with your doctor/dietician's consent, of course). You do know that carbs turn into sugar, right? The book is only $10.00 US and well worth every cent. Check it out:

For type I and type II diabetics (and those who are overweight and could potentially become diabetic). Copy and bookmark the webpages I‘ve listed below… they are invaluable for those with diabetes and/or weight problems...

I've found a wonderful book that will help you control your diabetes and minimize or even eliminate the complications. Some folks who became diabetic due to poor diet and obesity are effectively cured by following the advice in this book. I'm a type II (inherited), but it helps all types, especially those who became diabetic due to poor eating habits. It's by an author who has really done his homework, Patrick Quillin, Phd. It's called, "The Diabetes Improvement Program". I have tried his suggestions and found them to be very helpful. I have no complications whatsoever and my blood sugar levels are quite stable. Yes, I still have to take Metformin (Glucophage) daily, but it's the minimum dosage (500mg) and I only have to take it twice a day. I have been off Metformin for as much as a week, but this was with vigorous exercise. Many, what I call, non-hereditary type IIs (those that don't have a close relative who had it) have gotten off medication completely, just with diet, exercise, and supplements. So, in some instances, it most certainly can be 'effectively' cured. Read more about it here:
http://www.diabetesimprovement.com/

The book explains what's going on in our system and what to do about it. It's really easy and inexpensive. It's basically diet, supplements, and exercise. For example, did you know that cinnamon helps blood sugar absorption? It also controls cholesterol and triglycerides. This is according to the USDA:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/fnrb/fnrb0104.htm#pinch

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Great calorie enlightenment:
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Lots of information on diabetes:
http://www.endocrineweb.com/index.html

Child onset diabetes (type 1) info:
http://www.sciencenews.org/pages/sn_arc99/6_26_99/fob2.htm
http://articles.animalconcerns.org/ar-voices/archive/milk_problems.html

Recommended reading for anyone trying to control weight, especially diabetics:
http://rheumatic.org/insulin.htm

Some psychology behind overeating:
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/weightloss.html

Some great health sites with all kinds of general health information:
http://www.chetday.com
http://www.drmcdougall.com

Answer 7

I have type 1 diabetes, it isn't very well controlled, my blood sugar is normally quite high, I've been diabetic for 28 years and the only time it was controlled is when I was pregnant, as a result I have a skin condition called necrobiosis lipoidica,kidney problems among other things, I do try to control it but having arthritis it is very hard to, the slightest problems upsets your sugar levels.

Answer 8

Hi,

I have type 1 diabetes like you. I used to take the same kind of insulins as you do but now I have an insulin pump - it's attached to you all the time and drips insulin into you more like how your pancreas works - very cool but not for everyone and is heaps of hard work and blood tests.

Most peoples blood sugars are lower when they go on holiday. When you go somewhere hot like spain this is partly because your insulin is absorbed better when it's hot. Also you might be getting more exercise or sometimes just relaxing can improve your blood sugars.

You should ask your doctor about carb counting. It's quite a lot of effort, esp. at first - when I started I had to weigh everything I ate for weeks til I got better at guessing how much carbs was in stuff. If you can carb count you can adjust your insulin dose to what you've eaten - it's good because you can eat more what you want (even ice cream!).

I think that it is great to meet other people with diabetes - I have quite a lot of friends who have it and it's good to be able to swap notes on medications and low sugar foods that we find out about, and we're all there to help each other out if there's a problem like if someone is sick or doesn't know what to do about something, or if we're just feeling down about diabetes. I would be more than happy for you to email me at [e-mail] because I know how important it is to be able to chat about diabetes with someone who knows what it's like. But sites like this are not a good place to meet people and it can be dangerous, especially if you're under 16. There are heaps of better places to meet people with diabetes. Your drs/hospital might run events for people with diabetes - you should ask at your next appointment. Also, have you heard about the holidays that you can go on to meet other people with diabetes? There are lots of organisations that run them for people of all ages so ask your doctor/nurse and they might know about a suitable one. Diabetes UK run some popular ones - check out http://www.diabetes.org.uk/How_we_help/Support_events/Days_weekends_and_holidays/Help_with_applying/Family_Support_Weekends/
You can usually get funding if you need it (ask at the hospital/dr too) - I honestly cant recomend them enough - going somewhere where diabetes is normal is ace.

I hope that helps you out :)

PS Swampy Bo - insulin levels are different for everyone and it is not an indication of if you're eating too much or getting enough exercise! We all need different levels of insulin because we are all different. Age, sex, weight all affect it too. No one should ever be made to feel bad about how much insulin they need - you need the amount that you need - I worry that your post may make people feel they should try to lower their insulin levels and this could be very dangerous - please be carefull what you say and check your info. first.

Answer 9

I am type 1 and I use an insulin pump with Novolog Insulin, I can eat what I want and when I want. I calculate my bolus insulin by insulin to carb ratio and my basal rate is set at a very low level. Of course exercise is important.

Answer 10

Like Ranteater, I'm a type 2 managing with dietary control only at the moment. I miss lots of the things I like eating, although they are probably part of the reason my diabetes developed in the first place... :(