someday doctors will look at drugs more openly and understand that drugs change the body, and induce nutrient changes.

Were any of these patients checked for B12 losses? Metformin causes low B12 in 30% or more who take it chronically. Also lowers folic acid.

Will someone running a study someday, read my posts...? And help these people in a more complete way?

Diabetics lose magnesium thru the urine, on a daily basis. Was this tracked?
How about Inositol, which is also lost? I think these studies do not examine other parameters.

You'd expect specialists to be more informed. When will they ever?

I just had to post this. A friend of mine (who has been diabetic (completely uncontrolled) for about 10 years, and WHO WOULD NEVER GO ON INSULIN, just called me. She went to her doctor today.

She said" "I'm on 10 units of Lantus and some Jenuvia in the afternoon, and some glyburide". I said 'did he give you a prescription for syringes?" and she said: "why do I need syringes"?. I said "oh, you got the pre-filled cartridge one??" and she said "I got the what??" The doctor DIDN'T GIVER HER ANY INSTRUCTIONS, JUST HANDED HER A PRESCRIPTION.

I just said 'call me when you get home from the drugstore".

This should be MOST interesting!!!! lol

Alkymst, it's good you pointed out that other study, I've been watching from the sidelines as a friend has definite type 2 and has been up/down and sideways the meds prescribing mill. Often to patient's discomforts and other potential issues. NOT LISTENING!
Keeping in mind a balance in terms of test size, structure and biases that are brought into the goals of a test are key to assessing any true and valid outcomes. Seems like these days that 'biases' or 'philosophies'-premises if you will, for a quick and dirty result these days seems to be the norm. Pity that-we here should surely know that there are no quick fixes..Tho they are surely wished for. With every new drug comes a slew of peculiar side effects. The price to be paid for later by US the patients. Surely no doc is ever gonna be responsible-they only lissen to what the drug co's tell them. Liability twice/thrice removed...I believe it's called.
Mrs D? I pointedly asked a doc about 'keeping up with research' about 2-3 years ago...the response was..I could 'keep up' but it would be a full-time job just to do so...I will just keep on DOING what I do...& well, and 'research' as I need to. Doc also said to me, that I'm making him do research that they never thought they would have to do. I think that was a sign of appreciation, but, will never know?
Melody? As for advising a friend or neighbor? I first suggest that the person actually talk to their doc and pharmacist first? I don't know about you, but I've got to sign off on any prescript s I pick up that say 'I'VE BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THIS MED -How to use it and any side effects' Yada yada yada...By signing that the patient waives all liability by the drugstore...The doc SHOULD have staff to tell patients about the meds and their proper uses. IF NOT shame on that doc...To prescribe such stuff and let 'er rip'? Is a crying shame and opens doors no one here likes to see. At the same time, while your offer of help is kind and well meant. What if YOU get it wrong? That's why folks here often preface w/ the "I'm NO doc, merely a patient' phrase. Help is one thing, MEDICAL help is a much more squirrelley kind of thing. Don't know about you, but I want no squirrell bites at all - they HURT!..I've been squirrell bitten and can assure you of this!

I do believe you all get my point here.

Alkymst IF you can find stuffs on that Aussie program I'd be interested to see how the protocols are similar, parrallel or diverse..You know?

Hugs to all- keep warm or cool as needed! - j

All I did was go to the Lantus Website and I emailed her the video of how to use the Solostar Pen.

I would never tell her how to use a pen because I don't have that particular kind of Lantus item.

Her doctor told her NOTHING. Even the pharmacist was shocked. He said "he didn't give you any information??" And he didn't even write a prescription for the little needles that you change every time you use the injectible pen.

She has absolutely no idea how to use this. So, knowing that Lantus has a website that has videos ON EVERYTHING, sure enough, I watched the video, then I emailed the site to her. She's watching it now and she's learning. And if she can't do it, then she'll call her physician.

I did exactly what I was supposed to do.

mel

It sounds to me like this lady needs a referral to a diabetic educator or nurse. A person should never be put on Insulin and not have substantial education on how to use it. I did a lot of diabetic education as a home care nurse, and it took several visits to my patients before most of them were allowed to draw up and give their own injections. She needs to learn more than just injection technique, where to inject, how to rotate sites, how to monitor injection site, she needs to learn how to recognize and handle hypoglycemia!

She should give her doctor's office a call and ask for diabetic education. Her doc must have been stressed or mentally out to lunch (which happens with human beings). I can not imagine that he would not be mortified that he forgot to give her a referral for education. Docs do not generally do that education part, but refer to their office nurse, or to a home care nurse or to a diabetic educator.

This is what her doctor told her when she said she wanted to go and see an endocrinologist. He said; 'You will just make a fool of yourself".

It seems that, because she's morbidly obese, and he's convinced that if she lost weight, (and she won't do this), that THIS IS WHY SHE IS DIABETIC.

So he has no patience with her. She watched the video. She won't call up any diabetic educator or anything like that. And her husband won't let her take the insulin until Monday because as he put it, "what if you get a reaction over the weekend".

I told her to contact her health care provider, the Lantus people, etc, to get further information and this would make her more comfortable with the whole injectible pen thing.

But, it's her body, her insulin and her husband. But if my husband ever told me not to take a med, he'd be eating his dinner in the bathroom.

Her doctor, well, it's appalling what he said to her. I asked her 'do you think it was acceptable of him to speak to you this way?' and she said: "oh he always does this".

So I gather she is used to him.

Those Pens are too complex to learn by video.

I would never return to a doctor that said that to me.

Losing weight would help her diabetes, but it is not an excuse for her doctor to treat her badly.

Sounds like a tough situation, but I would do all I could to improve my health, use all my resources, before things get so bad that the options are limited.

That's exactly why I went into the Accord program. I fought the "you need to go on insulin speech", for years. One day, my former health care provider (who I liked and who liked me), well he told me "Melody, I want you off of all this oral crap and go on Lantus". I never even heard of Lantus.

But that was the week I enrolled in the ACCORD program. That was NOT the week I changed my diet however. That took time. A long long time. I went to nutritionists, I read, and I came on these forums. I've been diabetic for almost 20 years without actually learning what the heck that meant.

But I educated myself. Unfortunately, my friend will not educate herself. She has already been diagnosed with a diabetic stomach. She told the doctor 'what the hel* do yo know"? I said "are you serious"? They put her on regulan for her stomach. And cholesterol meds (for prevention they told her). She told me "now I can eat whatever I want because I'm on the cholesterol med".

When I went into the ACCORD program, she could have gone with me. She did not want to change her eating habits or be told that she might have to go on insulin. So fast forward 3 years later, she's almost 300 lbs and will start insulin on Monday.

She gained 14 pounds since her last appointment. And since one can put on weight when one takes insulin, what the heck is going to happen to this woman. I mean, they never tell you that. I was not told that weight gain was a side effect of taking insulin. I did read the insert when I went on Lantus but I must have been in deep denial. I really had to change EVERYTHING I ate to be able to lose what I lost. And it took me a LONG LONG time.

It's like a double edged sword. She'll take the insulin, it might stabilizer her sugar, she'll think she's fine, she'll eat more, and gain even more.

But when a person doesn't want to listen, well, they have to learn the hard way. Her first endo appointment is scheduled for June. The office told her "let's see what your a1c is next month, and if it's high, we'll reschedule you and see you sooner??"

My god, what kind of doctors book you 4 months in advance and tell you "come in if you get worse". ????? Isn't the whole idea of going to an endocrinologis supposed to be to check you out, check out thyroid, check out glucose levels, I mean, BE ON TOP OF THINGS???

She already has neuropathy in her stomach, (she doesn't believe this). She once told me "just because you have neuropathy, you think everybody has neuropathy". I said nothing, because you can't talk to her when she's not in a receptive mood. There's a lot of fear going on here.

I only hope that she decides to start eating healthy and doesn't bop the next physician over the head. I mean, when he told her she had a diabetic stomach (and he never used the word gastroparesis), but then again, this guy is a regular primary guy doctor, not any kind of specialist, well, she just doesn't believe him. And she now has foot problems. and problems with her big toe. Hopefully the endo guy will sit her down and really explain what diabetes does to a body. I mean, that's exactly how I learned.

Oy vey!!!!