Which form of treatment is better - insulin injections or oral medication?

Answer 1

Tablets Changing from tablets to insulin
Your doctor may have suggested that you start taking insulin instead of or in addition to the tablets you are taking. This means that the tablets you are taking are no longer able to control your diabetes on their own. This is because your pancreas is becoming less efficient in producing its own insulin. This often happens after several years on tablets.
Starting insulin injections does not mean that you have now developed Type 1 diabetes. You still have Type 2 diabetes but it is treated with insulin.

Once you have got over the initial fear of injecting (and most people manage this very quickly and wonder why they have ‘put off’ starting insulin for so long) you will hopefully feel very much better. Some of the symptoms of high blood glucose levels you may be experiencing will get better – you may feel less tired, less thirsty and will need to go to the loo less often once your blood glucose levels have improved.

Answer 2

There is no "better" choice. What you are asking depends on the type of diabetes you or said person has.

With type 1, insulin is the only choice. There is simply NO other option. We have to take insulin or we will die.

As for type 2, many can manage with diet and exercise, oral medications or a combination of the two. In some cases, insulin may be needed.

It's not a matter of choice. It's the right combination that works for you (if you are type 2) or the proper insulin dosing schedule (if you are a type 1). Both types require vigilance when it comes to diet, exercise, glucose monitoring and medication.

There is no one answer to your question. There are too many variables that you are not listing. If you want a more specific answer, ask a more specific question.

Contrary to popular belief, going on insulin does not mean that your diabetes has gotten worse. What it does mean is that diet, exercise and medications are not completely effective in managing it. Diabetes is a balancing act and changes are needed from time to time. Even a person in perfect control will still need to make those changes when necessary.

EMT
type 1, insulin pump

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

2

Answer 5

It depends on each individual patient. Insulin is the only thing that works for type 1 diabetics. Many type 2 diabetics (like me) do well with oral medication alone. Some type 1 and type 2 patients need both. Different oral medications even work differently for each individual type 2 patient. Personally I feel that anything is better than daily injections and I will do everything I can to avoid it.

Answer 6

There are two kinds of diabetes. Insulin Dependent and Non-Insulin Dependent. Also known as Type I and Type II. It depends on which type, and also age and other risk factors. Typically in Type II newly diagnosed, the standard is oral medication, diet, and exercise as well as weight reduction if needed. There are new medications including Byetta that can be used with oral medications. Insulin is sometimes necessary, however insulin is a storage hormone and as such, can cause weight gain.

Your best bet is to talk with your physician about your options and consider seeing an endocrinologist.

Answer 7

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RE:
Which form of treatment is better - insulin injections or oral medication?

Answer 8

It depends very much on the nature and severity of the diabetes.

In type 1 diabetes the problem is an absolute lack of insulin, oral generally don't work. In type 2 diabetes various types of oral medication can be used including those that enhance our own insulin, but the problem here is insulin resistance. Increasingly however insulin is used in the treatment of type 2, but here it is often given with metformin, in an attempt to minimise weight gain.

Answer 9

Depends. Some people can adequately control their diabetes with meds. But since I've moved along with the disease, I can't control it without insulin. Now that I'm on it, I feel like I wasted a lot of time with doctors giving me pills and telling me to eat less. I have diabetes because I am a compulsive eater so that's not going to work. The meds don't give you much control. I can now take the insulin I need depending on what my sugar is and what I'm going to eat (and I do watch my diet) so I have control. With a pill, should I eat more. . .or less, I'm just stuck with where the meds put me. My personal opinion is that everyone should control their diabetes very closely and I don't see how you can do that with meds. Downside is that if you overeat with insulin, every bite turns to fat and it is hard to get off. Most important is take your sugar level often each day so you learn what spikes your sugar levels and exactly where you are at all times. Control it now and live longer. . .Good luck.

Answer 10

It depends entirely on how severe the diabetes and the type as well as a lot of other factors. My mum found it hard to control her diabetes with tablets, but her father manages just fine. However since being on insulin her sugar is still very random (not helped by her recent cancer treatment) and she suffers terrible stomach bloating but now she's on insulin she can't go back. she had thought insulin would help regulate her sugar better, like her brothers, however its not the case and she wishes she could give the tablets another try!