• Topic
• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Coping with insulin >> Coping with insulin

Coping with insulin

• Clip
• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 36 - 45 >> Tina - Interview 17 >> Tina takes one long-acting insulin in the day and another (Levemir) at night which she says works well.

Tina was diagnosed 12 years ago. Initially she tried to control diabetes with diet alone, then transferred to metformin. In 2004 she changed to insulin and now takes Levimir at night.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 56 - 65 >> Gareth - Interview 24 >> Gareth takes higher doses of insulin now than he did before and advises newly diagnosed diabetics to record their readings.

Gareth was diagnosed 11 years ago. At first he was prescribed tablets, but is now taking insulin which he prefers.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 35 and under >> Darren - Interview 35 >> Now he is insulin-dependent Darren has to carry his medication around with him and feels he is labelled an 'ill person'.

Diagnosed 6 years ago. Darren takes humalog, metformin, atorvastatin and candesartan.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 46 - 55 >> Shahnaz - Interview 01 >> Shahnaz explains how she increases the amount of insulin she takes when she returns to Pakistan and her diet changes.

Shahnaz was diagnosed 23 years ago, when she was pregnant with her fourth child. She takes insulin and is having kidney dialysis.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 66 - 69 >> Philip - Interview 02 >> Philip has recently changed from Mixtard 20 to NovoMix 30 and says he keeps a record of his blood glucose levels.

Diagnosed at 46, Philip took metformin for 5 years and is now on insulin (NovoMix 30). He also takes amytriptyline, alloprinolol, simvastatin, bendroflurizide and atenolol.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 70 and over >> Philip - Interview 15 >> Philip sticks to a particular routine with his insulin but says other kinds of routine may work better for others.

Philip was diagnosed with diabetes nine years ago when he was hospitalised after a heart attack. He was put straight onto insulin.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 66 - 69 >> Brian - Interview 11 >> Brian does 5 injections a day and explains how he remembers whereto injects.

Brian's diabetes was diagnosed seven years ago when he was having prostate surgery. More recently he has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. He takes metformin and insulin (Novorapid and Levimir) for diabetes.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 66 - 69 >> Philip - Interview 02 >> Philip says that remembering to test blood glucose levels at regular intervals can be difficult when he is socialising.

Diagnosed at 46, Philip took metformin for 5 years and is now on insulin (NovoMix 30). He also takes amytriptyline, alloprinolol, simvastatin, bendroflurizide and atenolol.

• Condition
• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Diabetes Type 2

Publication date: 1st March 2008           Last updated: November 2010

Review date: November 2012

 

Diabetes type 2 occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin produced does not work properly (insulin resistance).  We interviewed 40 people about their experiences of diabetes type 2. Select from the key topics below, choose from the full list of topics, or explore all the interviews.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 66 - 69 >> Brian - Interview 11 >> Brian does 5 injections a day and explains how he remembers whereto injects.

Brian's diabetes was diagnosed seven years ago when he was having prostate surgery. More recently he has been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. He takes metformin and insulin (Novorapid and Levimir) for diabetes.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 70 and over >> Philip - Interview 15 >> Philip sticks to a particular routine with his insulin but says other kinds of routine may work better for others.

Philip was diagnosed with diabetes nine years ago when he was hospitalised after a heart attack. He was put straight onto insulin.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 66 - 69 >> Philip - Interview 02 >> Philip has recently changed from Mixtard 20 to NovoMix 30 and says he keeps a record of his blood glucose levels.

Diagnosed at 46, Philip took metformin for 5 years and is now on insulin (NovoMix 30). He also takes amytriptyline, alloprinolol, simvastatin, bendroflurizide and atenolol.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 56 - 65 >> Gareth - Interview 24 >> Gareth takes higher doses of insulin now than he did before and advises newly diagnosed diabetics to record their readings.

Gareth was diagnosed 11 years ago. At first he was prescribed tablets, but is now taking insulin which he prefers.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 46 - 55 >> Shahnaz - Interview 01 >> Shahnaz explains how she increases the amount of insulin she takes when she returns to Pakistan and her diet changes.

Shahnaz was diagnosed 23 years ago, when she was pregnant with her fourth child. She takes insulin and is having kidney dialysis.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 35 and under >> Wasim - Interview 22 >> Wasim realised how serious diabetes was when he was still in hospital and felt too weak to lift his young son.

Diagnosed a year ago after emergency admission to hospital. Wasim is on insulin (NovoRapid during the day and Lantus at night).

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 36 - 45 >> Tina - Interview 17 >> When Tina changed to a different type of insulin she tested her blood glucose ten times daily to check her levels.

Tina was diagnosed 12 years ago. Initially she tried to control diabetes with diet alone, then transferred to metformin. In 2004 she changed to insulin and now takes Levimir at night.

• Chronic health issues >> Diabetes Type 2 >> Aged 36 - 45 >> Tina - Interview 17 >> Tina takes one long-acting insulin in the day and another (Levemir) at night which she says works well.

Tina was diagnosed 12 years ago. Initially she tried to control diabetes with diet alone, then transferred to metformin. In 2004 she changed to insulin and now takes Levimir at night.