[MinisMom]

Hello everyone!! I just want to start off by saying that I am VERY impressed by this forum, it seems to be very well managed and VERY informative.

Okay, a little background on myself. I am 36 and ways diagnosed T2 in 2006. Started out low (Metformin 500mg 1x daily). As of January I was at Metformin 1000mg 2x daily, Glyburide 5mg 3x daily and still not doing the trick. In February my Dr. put me on Lantus 10 units at night and took me off of the Glyburide. As soon as I started the insulin my readings have jumped up by 50, sometimes 100 points. My Dr. said it is normal and to be patient. I never knew the insulin would be so expensive, each pen is $185 (one will last 10 days). My ins. will pay 80%, but I have to pay and wait to be reimbursed. Do they not make any generic insulins, my ins. will cover generic maintenance drugs 100%?

Well, I'm done ranting. Thanks for listening. Hope everyone has a great day!!

 

[Shanny]

Hello MinisMom! Glad to meet you & it sounds like you have some cause to be ranting. Darn it anyhow. You may need a little more guidance than your doc seems to be giving. Have you discussed diet & exercise? These two things are major components of a successful campaign against high blood sugars.

Let us know how you're managing these and maybe some folks here will have helpful advice. If we gotta live with this condition every day of our lives, we may as well be gaining on it instead of it always having the upper hand!

It's taken me most of this year, but I've finally gotten my readings down around 100 (plus or minus 20 points) all the time, by lowering the carbs in my diet. I have NOT reduced protein or fats intake - just carbs. And I haven't eliminated carbs - just LOWERED them to about 50g-60g per day.

I'm on metformin 500mg x3 each day. I do very little exercising right now, but the arrival of spring will change all that. I've also lost 30 lbs, my lipids are within safe ranges and my blood pressure also within safe range. I still have another 50-60 lbs. to lose, so I'll keep plugging away. My six-month check-up is coming right up, so I'll have some new numbers to report in a coupla weeks. I just hope my doc is as encouraged as I.

Thank you for joining us, and by all means jump in with all the questions & comments you have. It's very good to meet you!

p.s. I'm sorry to say there are no generic insulin options.

 

[wish]

Welcome, minismom!

 

[MinisMom]

Thanks for the welcome Shanny and Wish.

Shanny, thanks for the advice. Glad to hear your numbers are looking better. Luckily I have no problem with my bp (amazing since I'm over 100lbs overweight). My Dr. guarentees that I will feel 100% better when my numbers get where they should be. Oh well, thanks again!!

 

[Richard157]

Hello and welcome aboard! It is good that you are here to learn more about your diabetes, and how to control it. You are taking a long acting insulin and still taking your Metformin. If things do not improve in the weeks and months ahead you may need to take two kinds of insulin to have good control. Many type 2 diabetics eventually have to do this when the medicines are no longer very effective. The second type of insulin would be taken prior to each meal and the dosages would be determined by the number of carbohydrates you are going to eat.

I hope this will not ne necessary in your case but I thought you might want to know that there is a solution to your high blood sugar problem if your Lantus dosages cannot be adjusted to give you good control.

Good luck with your Lantus!

Richard

 

[isisagate]

no generic insulins are currently available... humalog has been outside it's patient for a while.... however due to the complixity it takes to produce the insulin only one company is able to create it with the required quality. Lantus is still really new so it will be a while before it goes anywhere.

if you didn't know humalog is a safe lab strain of e. coli with the insulin spliced in... so that makes it difficult to produce. I know the feeling, I was once without insurance and it was insane how expensive it was

 

[Stirling Student]

Welcome Minismom!