T1 diabetes

[imissyou]

heya,
i have had type 1 diabetes for 12 1/2 years, but dont seem to be able to control t. and when i do everything i am meant to, and it goes wrong and i end up in hospital, it really makes me wonder why i put so much effort in. the doctors dont know why its not got any better, but i ave come to a point when i just want to tell it where to go, because i have so much else going on in my life, and i have seriously had enough of it, all the injecting, checking my blood sugar levels, counting all the grams of carbs i eat, for what? just to be ill? so was just wondering if anyone else has type 1, and can offer some advice/support?
xx

[Harmony♥]

It's possible that your Type 1 Diabetes has progressed into Type 2 Diabetes. Since your current doctor's don't know what's going on with you, I would suggest changing doctor's and seeing what they have to say.

[imissyou]

i definitely have type 1, thats for sure lol! but my "honeymoon period" lasted for 5 years :/.
i have a new consultant, who i have seen a few times, and she is really nice, giving me encouragement etc, and is trying her best to get her head round it all!!! seing her again in foiur weeks, she wants to see me every 6 weeks, so that shows that she cares at least
xx

[Kumagoro]

Maybe you need to change your diet? If you're keeping a food diary and a check on your blood sugar this should help you figure out what is better for you. My mum has type 1, she was ill quite often until she cut out gluten and now she's a much more active person.

[imissyou]

they thought i had coeliac disease (intolerance to gluten) when i was 10, was on the diet until a few weeks before my 16th bday, but still got ill with my stomach. i hated the food, and was no better on the diet, so decided to come off it. my new consultant is going to send me for an endoscopy and yo have another biopsy to check for coeliac and other things, just waiting for my appt. if it would help, i would go back on the gluten free diet, but have to keep eating it until i have my biopsy. so its sit and wait!!!
xx

[Kumagoro]

Ah OK then, I hope the appointment goes smoothly Gluten free diets work for some people but not others; my mum has both diabetes and coeliacs disease and it works well for her, but sometimes other things have a negative effect on her, like hot weather and too much exercise. Good luck with finding a solution and let us know how it goes

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

I'm assuming you're ending up in the hospital because of high blood sugar, so if that's the case, perhaps you need to change what it is you take medication-wise. For example, metformin is often prescribed for type 2 diabetes but is also taken by type 1 diabetes patients. Its overall effect is enhancing the effect of insulin, so you can take less. I don't know if you're on it or not but Lantus insulin (day-lasting) can also help to buffer the blood sugar throughout the day. Correct me if I'm wrong though if you're going into the hospital for other reasons or if you take metformin already.

[imissyou]

heya,
no i dont take metformin, and i used to be on lantus, but have an allergy to it. i am now on levemir, and my consultant is wondering whether to split the dose or not. i want to go on a pump, but theres conflicting things on my notes, so i apparently dont fit all the criteria :/ and i would need to do my blood sugar at least 8 times a day, and at the minute im struggling to do 3 through lack of motivation. i will mention the metformin when i next see my consultant, and see what she has to say on it. does it cause weight gain, because that isnt something that i really want...
xx

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Metformin may help in reducing weight or preventing weight gain, rarely if ever has it caused weight gain. A common side-effect though is gastrointestinal pains. I assume you're also on insulin lispro (i.e. Humalog)? If you take metformin, you need to check the blood sugar more because it enhances the effect of insulin, so you would be more suspectible to hypoglycemic episodes.

[imissyou]

hi,
yeah im on novorapid. and the gastrointestinal pains probably isnt a good idea, as i have something wrong with my stomach etc and am taking codeine and cyclazine for it... but i shall still mention it anyway, to see if there is anything else like metformin i could have. i always assumed it was for T2, but hey, you learn something new everyday . i know im on a lot of insulin, my levemir is 42u, which is a lot for my age and weight/height etc. i really should only be on about 20. i used to be on 64 lantus, but when changed to levemir started on 56 and gradually gone down. i have to put it up for a few days here and there, but i always try and bring it back down, as i know a dose this high isnt good for my body. i dont eat unhealthy, yes i eat chocolate and cakes and crisps, but not all the time. i LOVE vegetables and fruit, so i guess that is a plus
xx

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Originally Posted by imissyou

hi,
yeah im on novorapid. and the gastrointestinal pains probably isnt a good idea, as i have something wrong with my stomach etc and am taking codeine and cyclazine for it... but i shall still mention it anyway, to see if there is anything else like metformin i could have. i always assumed it was for T2, but hey, you learn something new everyday . i know im on a lot of insulin, my levemir is 42u, which is a lot for my age and weight/height etc. i really should only be on about 20. i used to be on 64 lantus, but when changed to levemir started on 56 and gradually gone down. i have to put it up for a few days here and there, but i always try and bring it back down, as i know a dose this high isnt good for my body. i dont eat unhealthy, yes i eat chocolate and cakes and crisps, but not all the time. i LOVE vegetables and fruit, so i guess that is a plus
xx

Metformin is usually prescribed for T2 diabetes, you're correct on that but for people with T1 diabetes who take large amounts of insulin, then metformin may be used. From what I know, the dosage of novorapid you take throughout the day should be roughly that of the Lantus/Levemir dosage. 62 units of Lantus is pretty damn high!

I checked and metformin doesn't interact with cyclizine nor codeine, however, I know that doesn't guaruntee it wouldn't cause gastrointestinal pains. There are other anti-diabetic medications but most act somewhere in the gastrointestinal region, including pancreas and liver. The exception is thiazolidinedione (TZDs) as they act within the muscle and fats but like metformin, they're usually for T2. The problem is its COMMON side effect includes liver damage. I wrote COMMON in capitals because usually that side-effect is an UNCOMMON one in most medications. Given you're on codeine, liver damage would start to screw it up and it won't be a fun experience.

I suppose if the other anti-diabetic medications that do work somewhere in the gastrointestinal-liver-pancreas regions would be taken, the doctor would monitor you a lot closer.