[swarnika]

Hi,
Iam benz and my husband has been having diabetes type 1 since 2011 which was not well controlled due to his drinking and smoking.
He has now left his habits and seriously taking the prescribed medicines since past 2 months and exercises.
But he is suffering from diabaetic leg pains (diabetic neuropathy). He is on insulin from past 2 months (novomix 30, 20 ml shots twice daily) but his sugar spikes up sometimes. We feel so lost after seeing his higher reading on glucometer

 

[itissteve]

Hello, benz! Welcome to the forum!

I'm glad to see your husband is taking his Type 1 more seriously. Medicine, though, is typically just one leg of the diabetes-care stool, if you will. The other two are exercise (which you did not mention) and diet.

Many of us here recognize that taking insulin to reduce high glucose levels is -- well, inefficient, at best. We believe it's better to lower the amount of carbohydrates we eat so we don't need as much insulin or oral diabetes medications -- or even medication at all in some cases. Our bodies do not need many carbohydrates each day to function well, so why ingest so many that we need medicine to address them?

I'd like to recommend that you and your husband visit the Web site Blood Sugar 101. It's a great explanation of how our bodies use glucose and suggests a better way to manage blood glucose levels. Diabetes is a progressive disease and many of the side effects are serious and non-reversable. But medication and, particularly, diet and exercise can minimize or eliminate additional damage.

Please take a look at that site and then please come back with any questions you may have. This is a great site for diabetics of all kinds, with lots of experience and support available. I'm pretty sure we can help you and your husband.

 

[alamogirl]

Welcome to the forum benz.

I hope you continue to post, and maybe we'll meet your hubby soon.

 

[mbuster]

If your husband has been type 1 for 11 years and he only was only started on insulin 2 years ago, I would suggest you find him a new doctor. Taking a fixed dosage of insulin is not a good method of controlling BG, another good reason to find a new doctor.

 

[swarnika]

hi
my husband was diagnosed with diabetes in 2011 and was not very serious about controlling it. Was on and off on insulin till we got married in June 2018. He has been on insulin since past 2 months but the BG refuses to come down. The gluometer always shows 250-280

 

[swarnika]

Welcome to the forum benz.

I hope you continue to post, and maybe we'll meet your hubby soon.

insulin doesnt seem to bring down his BG. 20ml twice a day is not working. He has not been prescribed any oral medication.

 

[itissteve]

benz, if your husband truly were Type 1 seven years ago, he must have been taking insulin in one form or another or he very likely would not be here today. Maybe he really has Type 2 or Type 1.5 (also called LADA)?

Do the high BG readings show on more than one meter? That would be an interesting test if your husband has used only one meter.

A health care provider should have tailored the amount of insulin your husband is taking to his carbohydrate intake, exercise level, and so on. If the meter is accurate and your husband's BGs still are that high, he should consult that same provider and find out how much insulin he should be taking to bring down those BG levels.

Of course, as mentioned before, if your husband reduces his carbohydrate intake he will reduce his insulin needs as well. Maybe a low-carbohydrate diet will bring his intake back to a level that the current dosage of insulin can handle. There's nothing wrong with going low-carb but if your husband is on insulin, he'll want to make sure he's not taking too much insulin for the carbohydrates he's eating.

 

[VeeJay]

Novamix is a mix of basal and bolus insulins. The basal is a slow acting insulin that covers insulin needs outside of what is needed for meals. Bolus insulin is fast-acting and is used to cover the need for insulin after eating when blood sugar rises quickly.

It could be that the Novamix method is not efficient for your husband because of the way or what he eats. Many T1s will take the basal and bolus insulins separately. That way one can more accurately dose for the carbohydrates in a meal.

Having a separate fast-acting insulin will allow one to make corrections (add a little more insulin) when blood sugar goes high.

Your husband may want to consult with his doctor about this.

 

[Alan42]

Welcome! I am new as well ad am excited to have a great community for support. Im sure you and your husband will find that here as I already have!

 

[swarnika]

Welcome! I am new as well ad am excited to have a great community for support. Im sure you and your husband will find that here as I already have!

been to the monthly visit to doctor yesterday and he has increased the dosage to 24ml in the morning and 22 in the night

 

[mbuster]

Can you get a copy of Dr. Richard Bernstein's book called Diabetes Solution? Some of it and another can be read on line. Click here.

 

[swarnika]

been to the monthly visit to doctor yesterday and he has increased the dosage to 24ml in the morning and 22 in the night

 

[tony0611]

been to the monthly visit to doctor yesterday and he has increased the dosage to 24ml in the morning and 22 in the night

Your husband does not appear to be a type 1. Type 1s cannot manage for more than a few days/months without insulin... A type 2 can also be insulin dependent. That does nor make the person a Type 1...

Also suggest that you ask the doctor about basal + bolus therapy. Sure that will mean 4 injections instead of 2, but thats a much better way to get good control....