Re: Diabetes Management to Donna

[Guest guest]

Dear Donna,

The fact that you can go three days without needing a daily baseline insulin

injection leads me to believe that you aren't a type 1 insulin dependent

diabetic....it's more likely that you're a type 2 diabetic. Type 2's still have

some capability of producting insulin on their own, and their diabetes can

often be managed by diet, exercise and oral meds. Sometimes they need

insulin, too, but not always, and usually not at the onset of their diabetes.

There's no way a type 1 diabetic could go three days without insulin without

running sky high blood glucose levels. My blood glucose starts to climb

rapidly, even if I'm a few HOURS late in taking my insulin injection. After

three days I'd be running in the 800 or higher range. Everybody is different,

and no one rule applies to all, except a type 1 diabetic IS totally insulin

dependent, and does have to have insulin every day without running into

severe hyperglycemia. If 6 units sends you into a hypo (a hypo officially is

anything less than 65), then you're still producing a fair amount of your own

insulin.

Is this woman an endocrinologist, or just a regular M.D.? You really need to

see an endocrinologist!!! The fact that you can keep your BG's down in an

acceptable range (acceptable meaning between 80 and 110) for three days

in succession without an injection means that your body is still producing

enough insulin on your own, and that would put you in the type 2 catagory.

That's my opinion, and y'all know I'm no doctor! But I do know a lot of

diabetics now, and have been just as aggresive studying diabetes as

extetensively as I have CP, and what you're telling me indicates to me that

you aren't a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic. IMHO, you're a type 2, and

you've got a lot more choices to control your disease with diet, exercise and

oral meds, so you need to find someone who can do the right tests and find

out what you really are.

Please tell me you'll do that at your earliest opportunity.

With hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI, Intl.

Note: All comments or advice are personal opinion only, and should not be

substituted for professional medication consultation.

Donna wrote:

> I'm on Lantus-she started me out at 6 units. But I have figured out on my

own that 6 units is too much. Ater I give myself a shot, but sugar would drop

drastically. So I dropped myself back to 3 units and now I'm fine. As a matter

of fact, I haven't even had to shoot myself for three days! So you tell me-do I

or do I not have diabetes?