Diabetes Living

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So I'm on max dose of Janumet and Actos. My fastings are anywhere from 115 to 140 (I'm sleeping a little bit better but always wake up at 4am. I swear I can just feel the pancreas kicking in.) If I don't do any kind of exercise in the am and eat anymore than 20 carbs, I'm up over 150 at breakfast. I usually take a little walk at 11am on my break and then can have 1/2 an apple after the walk. Lunch isn't until around 1pm and even yesterday I just had a Weight Watchers that had only 20 carbs in it and then walked for 1/2 hour (gentle walking) and when I checked an hour & 1/2 later I was still 144, so I didn't bother having the orange I wanted because I knew that would spike me to 160 or so. But if I don't eat anything after lunch and starve until I get home at 6pm (taking my 2nd dose of Janumet around 4:30pm) I'm back down to 115. If I don't eat more than 40 carbs I can stay under 160. I think 1. because the Janumet is Januvia & regular Metformin, not the ER version I've taken since being diagnosed, I think it doesn't have a lot of staying power by afternoon and 2.where exercise usually just brought me down, whether it's the anxiety or whatever now it raises me intially but helps out later. I think I can remember some of you having that issue with exercise intially raising bg's. I was thinking of maybe asking my primary to dump the Januvia and let me just go back to my regular Metformin ER and supplement with Starlix or Prandin with my meals until I can see the endo and figure out the whole insulin issue. I don't think adding the Januvia back to the mix last month has made a tremendous difference, some but not a lot. I have to admit, being on drugs that have never caused lows has been nice and going towards meds/insulin that can cause potential lows is scary to think about.

Anyone type 2's use Prandin or Starlix? and also, I doubt I could just take a basal insulin at night and not still have post prandial spikes, right? Anyone have opinions on Lantus vs Levemir? and what are the most popular fast acting insulins do most of you use? And I know you shoot that fast acting prior to a meal but you can use it again later to correct, right? How do you all fit exercise in with this too? You just learn how your body works and when you tend to run high and low?

Thanks for letting me bug you all.

Are you thinking about asking for a C-peptide test, Pam? That would let you know if your pancreas is still making enough insulin. I know a few type 2's that are on Lantus as a basal and do very well with it. I use Novolog as my fast acting and Lantus as my basal. Yes, you can use the fast acting any time to correct a high blood sugar. I find the fast acting takes about 3 to 4 hours to do the job. I don't dare make a correction at 3 hours or I will go low, since there is still some insulin left in my body. It's kind of tricky counting carbs and figuring out how much insulin to take. Right now my insulin ratio is 15 carbs for 1 unit. And some foods just require more insulin to start with. You learn that through experience. But everyone is different. I had to do some experimenting to get to the 15:1 ratio, and our bodies can change where we eventually need more insulin for the carbs.

I didn't think I could EVER give myself a shot! But when you get to that point where you have no choice, it is surprising how easy it is to do and seldom painful.

Yes, C peptide is definately on the list!. I figure I have some juice left and like a lot of you have mentioned, why squeeze it dry instead of using a basal. I just didn't think a basal could give coverage for post prandial. I like the weight I've lost so far and figured I would just do I big meal a day and keep the other ones lighter. For example, I will hit 200 if I have a bowl of multigrain cereal with milk and a banana and that's with walking for 1/2 hour first. Sometimes one does not want to exist on protein alone. 4 hours later, I was back down to 120 and starving. I feel like I'm in limbo and that's why I'm not sure about the insulin thing.

Here is the deal, Pam.

Taking Prandin and Starlix are drugs that make your beta cells work overtime and in no time, they will burn out what is left of your beta cells ability to produce insulin.

It would be better to go on insulin, than those two. Why do I say this? Because, if a cure ever comes, you will need to have some working beta cells! Type 1s have working beta cells, but the immune system constanly kill them, and it may be possible to cure people with no beta cells, but the current scientists feel you would need anti rejection drugs and I don't believe that is a good thing!

This is my take on this, Itsme Wayne

ps. Reports are all over the net, state that type 2s should be put on insulin much sooner than is normally done now!

Important Announcement The MSN Groups service will close in February 2009. You can move your group to Multiply, MSN’s partner for online groups. Learn More
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