Questions about Diabetes

ssjup81 · 01-16-2008, 07:01 AM

Hello everyone. I'm a type 2 diabetic, and have been for the past six years or so. Lately, my levels have been a bit out of control, and I feel it's probably due to the fact that I haven't had proper health care within the past three years and still don't now.

Right now, I'm taking ACTOS samples, but I'm iffy with this. My blood sugar level seems to be staying in the 200s. I can understand this happening whenever eating carbs or starches, but not with veggies and protein. This morning, even though I didn't eat any carbs what-so-ever yesterday, and exercised by doing a 30 - 45 minute walk, it was 247. Getting right down to it, no matter what, my blood sugar level is always higher in the morning than it is in the evening. It might be under 200 in the evenings, but still higher than I'd like it to me. Last night, I fell asleep and didn't check it, so I'm not sure what it could be. What causes this and how can I fix it?

I'm also hypoglycemic, which I learned about a year or two ago. With this, I think I'm supposed to eat every couple of hours, which has always been difficult for me since I usually have no appetite during the day and have a difficulty eating when I'm not hungry. Could my not eating as much as someone who's hypoglycemic should be eating be affecting my blood sugar level and causing it to rise? Does eating help to bring it down some?

Oh, one other thing. I did go to a doctor in December (had to pay with a credit card, though, and she was the one to give me the samples), who I don't want to see again since, to me, it was all about, "Let me get you out of here" as opposed to, "Let's see what I can do for you." For that visit, my blood sugar level was higher than usual (about 300) when checking it (but I ate really badly the day before; I had a pasta dinner, which is a rarity to have here, and didn't exercise like I would normally to try and get it down).

Now, she gave me an insulin shot; I've never taken insulin before. I've always had oral medication. Now, when checking my blood sugar level later after I went home, since I wasn't feeling right, I saw that my level spiked to like 330 or something like that. That's not normal at all. How can insulin put up one's blood sugar level? Was my body just rejecting it? Can my body not handle insulin and this is just an allergic reaction? Did that doctor make a mistake giving me insulin even after I told her that I've always had oral medication? Can anyone here shed some light on this?

Coravh · 01-16-2008, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ssjup81

Hello everyone.

Right now, I'm taking ACTOS samples, but I'm iffy with this. My blood sugar level seems to be staying in the 200s. I can understand this happening whenever eating carbs or starches, but not with veggies and protein. This morning, even though I didn't eat any carbs what-so-ever yesterday, and exercised by doing a 30 - 45 minute walk, it was 247. Getting right down to it, no matter what, my blood sugar level is always higher in the morning than it is in the evening. It might be under 200 in the evenings, but still higher than I'd like it to me. Last night, I fell asleep and didn't check it, so I'm not sure what it could be. What causes this and how can I fix it?

I'm also hypoglycemic, which I learned about a year or two ago. With this, I think I'm supposed to eat every couple of hours, which has always been difficult for me since I usually have no appetite during the day and have a difficulty eating when I'm not hungry. Could my not eating as much as someone who's hypoglycemic should be eating be affecting my blood sugar level and causing it to rise? Does eating help to bring it down some?

Oh, one other thing. I did go to a doctor in December (had to pay with a credit card, though, and she was the one to give me the samples), who I don't want to see again since, to me, it was all about, "Let me get you out of here" as opposed to, "Let's see what I can do for you." For that visit, my blood sugar level was higher than usual (about 300) when checking it (but I ate really badly the day before; I had a pasta dinner, which is a rarity to have here, and didn't exercise like I would normally to try and get it down).

Now, she gave me an insulin shot; I've never taken insulin before. I've always had oral medication. Now, when checking my blood sugar level later after I went home, since I wasn't feeling right, I saw that my level spiked to like 330 or something like that. That's not normal at all. How can insulin put up one's blood sugar level? Was my body just rejecting it? Can my body not handle insulin and this is just an allergic reaction? Did that doctor make a mistake giving me insulin even after I told her that I've always had oral medication? Can anyone here shed some light on this?

Hi and welcome.

It seems like you have quite a number of things going on. First off, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is often a pre-cursor to type 2 diabetes. So if you were diagnosed hypoglycemic, it seems that the T2 has caught up with you.

Regarding your blood sugars, you need to remember that diabetes is a progressive disease. Even if you take the best care of yourself that you possibly can, it is always possible that you will need more and various medications, including insulin.

You really need to bit the bullet and see someone regularly and get your meds. You blood sugars are waaaaaay too high, and you are definitely at risk for complications. Losing your kidneys and having to stop work and go on dialysis is going to be a lot more expensive than seeing the doc now and getting proper meds and testing supplies. Sorry, I don't mean to scare you, but your blood sugars are dangerous and need to be dealt with. The fact that they are high even when you are not eating carbs seems to indicate that your diabetes has indeed progressed and that you need more and consistant medication.

Finally, the insulin did not raise your glucose. It is quite possible that the stress of being at the docs and the stress of having the injection raised your blood sugar, negating the effect of the insulin. It is also possible that your blood sugar dropped significantly with the insulin and you rebounded.

Either way, the one shot of insulin wouldn't really have made any difference in the long run.

Please see a doctor and get yourself in better shape. You will feel poorly for a while once your sugars are more consistantly normal because your body has become accustomed to the to high levels, but then you will get used to "normal" again.

Best of luck.

Cora

ssjup81 · 01-16-2008, 01:15 PM

Well, I don't have a job and just recently started getting unemployment (long story with this one; previous employer didn't want to pay and lied and said I quit when I was "let go" back in July of '07) and I still don't have any proper health care or insurance and haven't had any since about 2004. Paying close to $400 for a doctor's visit is much too expensive for a person who doesn't work. My money is going towards my schooling, so I don't really have any extra. I'm still trying to pay for the last visit in December. I'm almost out of my samples anyway and have no choice but to go back.

That aside, thanks for the explanations. I was wondering why it spiked so high after she'd given me that insulin shot. I'd never seen it that high before. I guess it dropped so low that it shot back up as defense mechanism, I guess. Could this be the case why no matter what, my blood sugar is always higher in the morning than in the evening?

You are right about needing consistent medication and treatment since my numbers seem to stay in the 200s in the morning and like the 160s or 170s or so later on in the evenings. Before the visit last month to that clinic with the "hurry up and leave" doctor, I hadn't been on any type of medication (since I couldn't afford the doctor's visit) since about 2006. I really miss my old primary physician, but it's just way too expensive with out insurance.

Coravh · 01-16-2008, 01:33 PM

The fact that your sugars are much higher in the morning is more likely due to the dawn phenomenon. During the early hours of the morning your liver releases glucose in order to prepare you for a day of activity. This happens ot everyone. If you have diabetes, your body cannot handle the influx of glucose, and so you have higher than normal levels of blood sugar in the morning. Some people have some success circumventing this by eating a small snack with some carb in combination with some protein or fat (eg, cracker or 2 with p-butter). You might want to give that a try.

Best of luck.

Cora

ssjup81 · 01-17-2008, 07:59 AM

Okay, I'll try that. This morning, my blood sugar level was still a bit higher than I'd like it to be, but what it was this morning is usually the norm for me (220s). Last night, though, it was higher than usual. At night, it's usually in the 160s or 170s (still high, I know).

Oh, one question still wasn't answered, though. Does my being hypoglocemic and having to eat every so many hours help to lower blood sugar levels?