Syringe without plunger cap

Easy Touch does not use caps on the plunger. They only have them on the needle. I am Arthritic also and the needles used for MTX, I could not get the cap off of the needle. There was a company that made a unit that you would put the cap & needle in it and push down to hold it and that was the only way I was able to get the caps off.
I believe it was one of the drug companies that had it and it didn't cost me anything for it. Ask your doctor maybe he can get one of the drug salesmen to get one. I do not remember what company but it was one of the companies that make drugs for arthritis.

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How long have you been dealing with Diabetes?

>How long have you been dealing with Diabetes? What do you take to control it?<

Just quickly here, so as not to hog the list space...(thanks for the kind words, Donna, and backatcha!) 33 years. 1000 mg of metformin XR daily, Lantus insulin 2X/day and Humalog insulin at meals. As far as my diabetes goes, there's nothing special about me at all; I'm just an ordinary garden-variety long-term diabetic.

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Suppliments was: cant we live without medications?

I take all 3 of the suppliments you asked about...I take chromium 400mcg (I have heard that chromium has been shown to not be so good for you???), alpha lopoic acid 300mg (I noticed a slight but noticable difference in my BS numbers after I began taking it) and I have always taken vitamin E. I took 1000 IU per day when I went through menopause and it really helped with the hot flashes and night sweats. I take 400 IU of vitamin E in the AM and 400 IU in the PM. Dr. Oz on Oprah the other day (may have been a summer repeat) said it was best to halve your multi-vitamin and take half in the AM and half in the PM to get a continuous benefit from it, so I do that now and do the same with the vitamin E.

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"Kickbacks" of various kinds are endemic, and it starts with medical students

"Kickbacks" of various kinds are endemic, and it starts with medical students. A group of the latter have an organization going whose members pledge NOT to accept any unethical "consideration" --including pens, donuts, what have you--from drug companies. (I have followed this issue for some time, and at one point in my career, was actually on staff at the then-largest PR agency, doing PR for a major drug company--since gobbled up by the largest--AND for its chairman/CEO in his capacity as serving head of the drug industry trade association, which was then called the Pharmaceutical Mfrs Assn. I did not seek out this assignment, though I wanted to get some experience with this agency, which I ultimately resigned from over largely ethical issues. But I did get some very upsetting insights into Big Pharma.)

Drug companies buy lists through specialized brokers that tell them how much of which drugs are being prescribed by individual doctors. Your purchasing record at the local pharmacy is hardly confidential! ! I forget, right now, how overt the influence/kickback aspects of these activities are, but at the very least, it helps them "target" doctors for more rep visits. And I think it goes well beyond that, in terms of punitive and/or rewarding actions. One may believe the best about one's own doctor--and may even be right-- but the industry isn't spending billions(?) to court doctors and other providers just to give away bucks. They KNOW it works, and the return on investment is enormous. (But just remember that, at election time, a good majority of voters reelect their own Congressperson- -convinced that they are exceptions to the general pattern of corruption. But SOMEONE in Washington is voting all those pro-pharma/etc and anti-consumer laws into effect.)

There is lots of info on this issue in the newspapers regularly, if one bothers to read one; even a daily digest, such as are available free by email from the NY Times or The Washington Post, and many more regional sources. Not to mention Web articles, which include some that probably claim all these folks are honest and just indulging in "freedom of commercial speech." Then, of course, there are all the MDs taking lucrative drug-testing con- tracts. Some of these are "regular," local clinicians-- not just MDs on staff at major medical schools or hospitals. (If you want an inside look at how this worked in the case of Prozac. buy or borrow--your library can get it free for you via Inter-Library Loan--a book called Talking Back to Prozac. The doctor who wrote this got the data that we would otherwise never see...Detailed, patient-by-patient results on the trial that the manufacturer legally had to submit to the FDA....but which went nowhere after that...until this doctor used the Freedom of Information Act, which ultimately got the incriminating stuff...There is far, far more to say on this than I have time for, or detailed knowledge of.

READ MORE - "Kickbacks" of various kinds are endemic, and it starts with medical students

"Kickbacks" of various kinds are endemic, and it starts with medical students

"Kickbacks" of various kinds are endemic, and it starts with medical students. A group of the latter have an organization going whose members pledge NOT to accept any unethical "consideration" --including pens, donuts, what have you--from drug companies. (I have followed this issue for some time, and at one point in my career, was actually on staff at the then-largest PR agency, doing PR for a major drug company--since gobbled up by the largest--AND for its chairman/CEO in his capacity as serving head of the drug industry trade association, which was then called the Pharmaceutical Mfrs Assn. I did not seek out this assignment, though I wanted to get some experience with this agency, which I ultimately resigned from over largely ethical issues. But I did get some very upsetting insights into Big Pharma.)

Drug companies buy lists through specialized brokers that tell them how much of which drugs are being prescribed by individual doctors. Your purchasing record at the local pharmacy is hardly confidential! ! I forget, right now, how overt the influence/kickback aspects of these activities are, but at the very least, it helps them "target" doctors for more rep visits. And I think it goes well beyond that, in terms of punitive and/or rewarding actions. One may believe the best about one's own doctor--and may even be right-- but the industry isn't spending billions(?) to court doctors and other providers just to give away bucks. They KNOW it works, and the return on investment is enormous. (But just remember that, at election time, a good majority of voters reelect their own Congressperson- -convinced that they are exceptions to the general pattern of corruption. But SOMEONE in Washington is voting all those pro-pharma/etc and anti-consumer laws into effect.)

There is lots of info on this issue in the newspapers regularly, if one bothers to read one; even a daily digest, such as are available free by email from the NY Times or The Washington Post, and many more regional sources. Not to mention Web articles, which include some that probably claim all these folks are honest and just indulging in "freedom of commercial speech." Then, of course, there are all the MDs taking lucrative drug-testing con- tracts. Some of these are "regular," local clinicians-- not just MDs on staff at major medical schools or hospitals. (If you want an inside look at how this worked in the case of Prozac. buy or borrow--your library can get it free for you via Inter-Library Loan--a book called Talking Back to Prozac. The doctor who wrote this got the data that we would otherwise never see...Detailed, patient-by-patient results on the trial that the manufacturer legally had to submit to the FDA....but which went nowhere after that...until this doctor used the Freedom of Information Act, which ultimately got the incriminating stuff...There is far, far more to say on this than I have time for, or detailed knowledge of.

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New drug candidate prolongs the lives of pancreatic cancer patients

Innovative Tel Aviv University research holds promise for a broad range of human disease Every year, 42,000 Americans are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Few live very long, and less than 5% are still alive five years after diagnosis. There's new hope, though, from the lab of Prof. Yoel Kloog, dean of Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Life Sciences. His drug compound Salirasib has shown positive results against pancreatic cancer and recently passed Phase I/II clinical trials. The drug, given in combination with gemcitabine, the standard drug used to combat pancreatic cancer, almost doubled the life expectancy of those who received it. "In our study, the mean survival of pancreatic cancer patients was 10.8 months –– better by far than the 6.2 months with gemcitabine alone," says Prof. Kloog, who recently presented the results to a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. His basic research offers the promise of a weapon to attack a broader range of mankind's most prevalent diseases, including lung, prostate and breast cancers as well as diabetes.

Blocking the Ras protein

Salirasib works by inhibiting a protein called Ras, which is known to be abnormally activated in one-third of human cancers. In cancer of the pancreas, mutant forms of Ras are found in up to 90% of all tumors. Salirasib's basic component, FTS, works to block the formation of cancer-promoting Ras nanoclusters, thus blocking a cascade of biochemical signals known as the "Ras signaling pathway" that allow Ras to wreak havoc on the body. Early in the 1990s, many drug developers chased after a mechanism to inhibit Ras by targeting enzymes that modify it, but they were unsuccessful. "The major developers gave up, claiming Ras is not targetable," says Prof. Kloog, "but our concept takes a different approach. Now that we've shown it works in human subjects, I am definitely excited — no doubt about it." Prof. Kloog developed the Ras antagonist more than 15 years ago.

No toxic side effects

In the latest study, researchers tested for both toxicity and effectiveness. They gave 19 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer daily doses of salirasib along with a standard gemcitabine regimen. Salirasib was well tolerated by the patients, and they surpassed on average the number of months they would have lived on gentamiacine alone. There were no toxic side effects, such as heart or lung ailments. Tumor biopsies showed a significant reduction in Ras levels, suggesting that the drug is inhibiting the action of Ras in the tumor itself. For this study, Salirasib was licensed by Concordia Pharmaceuticals, which collaborated with the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and other institutes in the United States. If Phase II/III trials are successful, Prof. Kloog's drug will be the first successful Ras antagonist known to medical science. Salirabib could be medically available in as little as two years...read more

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FDA Approves NovoLog(R) Labeling Update - Increasing The Time Patients Can Use And Store NovoLog(R) In Their Pumps From Two Days To Six Days

Diabetes patients taking NovoLog® (insulin aspart [rDNA origin] injection) can now use the insulin in their pump for up to six days following the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a labeling change, diabetes care company Novo Nordisk announced today.[i] The previous label allowed for NovoLog® to be stored in the pump reservoir for two days. This makes NovoLog® the first and only rapid-acting insulin with this extended in-use time. An insulin pump is a small, battery powered device designed to constantly deliver insulin into the patient's body 24 hours a day according to a preset program. Approximately the size of a pager, the pump system is composed of a reservoir for the insulin, a small battery, the pump, and a thin plastic tube with a needle on the end that passes insulin into the body, called the infusion set.

The updated NovoLog® label also states that patients using NovoLog® in their pumps should change the infusion set and the infusion set insertion site at least every three days. The previous label stated that NovoLog® in the pump reservoir, infusion set and the infusion set insertion site be changed at least every 48 hours. The revised label keeps the same recommendation that NovoLog® should be discarded after exposure to temperatures that exceed 37°C (98.6°F). "The ability to go longer between changes of insulin in the pump allows people with diabetes to have more active and flexible lifestyles, which are integral to the success of long-term diabetes management," said Richard R. Rubin, PhD, professor, medicine and pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The label change is based on the FDA's review of data from Novo Nordisk that showed the stability of NovoLog® in the pump for up to six days...read more

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This is Personal was: "kickbacks" to docs from drug companies?

Well, this discussion could go on forever without ever coming to a concensus. We all have had varing and different relationships with doctors and we all have seen some shady practitioners. That doen't mean every doctor is shady or every doctor is wonderful.

The deal is that we as individuals must, if at all possible, find a care provider that we can have an open communication flow with, that we trust and respect and they trust and respect us, that we can establish a good working relationship with and that we can feel secure that the care provider is doing their best for us. It is up to us to find this person, not the other way round. And, it is up to us to move on if and when we feel otherwise. It's personal and you may find the care provider that I "fire' to be a great fit for you. You just can't lump doctors together and declare them "good" or "bad".

Payola was rampant in many different occupations from Washington DC to the corner grocery store for protection many years ago before strict laws against it. Does it still go on, yep it does. Do some doctors get "kickbacks"? Maybe so. But, it's up to you personally to make the decision to use that doctor or not if you suspect he is being shady. It's as simple as that. Because one does it doesn't mean all the others do it too. So, stay away from the shady and crooked doctors. Why are we discussing this?

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When doctors get distracted was: "kickbacks" to docs from drug companies?

Judy D said, "If I went to a world renown whatever-kind- of-specialist- I-needed but found that he talked down to me, patted me on the head like a child, constantly interrupted our time together to answer the phone or advise staff members poking their head in to talk to him, etc, I'd have a really really really hard time entrusting my care to such a person-- nothing reflecting his ability or reputation, but I just have difficulty sticking around docs who either patronize me or who seem rushed or distracted in the very few minutes we have together" It's not just world renowned doctors that have this go on. These kind of things go on on a daily basis where staff may have to disturb a doctor when with another patient. They try not to do this but there are times when it must be done. That's just the way it is because we are not the only patient that this doctor has to take care of during a day. And when a staff member has to interrupt a doctor on a frequent basis (if that should occur) there is a good reason for it. Not because they have nothing else better to do. And some patients require emergency attention from the doctor to handle a situation even if that emergency situation does not require going to the ER.

Yes, there are some doctors that are not good doctors and then there are those that are fantastic doctors. And based on that I want to say that if there is a good doctor taking care of you, then regardless of how many times they may get interrupted during our visits we need to cut them some slack. Why do I say this? Because there have been times that my doctors have been there for me when I have had problems and they have gone out of their way to call me back when I have asked to speak to them about my problems. And sometimes that meant tending to me after hours as well. This was often the case with my gyn with the female problems that I have.

I have experienced bad doctors before but I know how hard my doctors work and if they must be interrupted during my visits on a regular basis (not saying this would happen), or my appointments have to be rescheduled for whatever reason: whether it's because of another patient or a situation with their family that is beyond their control I am ok with that. I am ok with that because of the times that they had to stop helping someone else for a bit to help me. It's an issue of sacrifice on the part of both sides in order to make that relationship with doctor and patient a good partnership.

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"Kickbacks" to docs from drugs companies?

>sometimes I think drug companies (probably are)and doctors are "buddies" tell your patient that he or she NEEDS this medicine and I will give you a "kickback or a percentage<

What you're suggesting is that doctors take money from the drug companies, in return for suggesting certain drugs to their patients? This is actually unethical and probably illegal as well. Why would any doctor risk his medical license and legal problems just to recommend drug A over drug B? No amount of "kickback" in the world would be worth that. It is true that doctors are given drug samples that they can hand out to their patients if they want, but these samples are free to the docs and accompanied by medical literature to explain all about that particular medicine and how it works. There are new meds coming out all the time, and many times the docs learn about them from the drug reps who call at their offices... but no one's exchanging money for this info or for the samples.

Yes, it is illegal, and completely unethical. Anyone found to be doing it would lose their medical license. I've never known any physician who would consider taking a kickback, and I have never personally heard of any drug rep offering it. What did occur in the past (it is no longer legal anywhere, and hasn't been for many years) is that drug companies provided fancy dinners and even trips where they presented "educational" seminars that featured their products. It's questionable how many doctors actually had their treatment decisions affected. Probably not many. Mainly in the past it was sandwiches for the office staff, a box of donuts, a few cheap pens or a calendar, none of which affected anyone's decision making. Even these are no longer allowed in most states. I know there are some here who don't want to believe this, but the overwhelming majority of physicians make their decisions solely on the basis of what they truly believe is in their patient's best interest.

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"Kickbacks" to docs came from drug company?

>Apparently they are not illegal in Kentucky. My guy gets pens, calculators, clocks, calendars, the paper for the examining tables (complete with ads), and I noticed the little tuning fork they use to test reflexes came from a drug company. Lots of other junk as well.<

This is not the doctor putting that stuff where you can see it; it's his staff. Meanwhile, he's oblivious-- busy, distracted, moving from patient to patient during the day and totally not focusing on the stupid drug company pens that end up stuck in a container in the exam rooms or what his receptionist has sitting on her desk out front. I know this because I spent 25 years working in dental offices where the doctors wouldn't take time out of their day to even greet the pharmaceutical reps that'd come by. "Tell him I'm busy", or "Handle that for me, will ya?" was what they'd tell their staff members 9 times out of 10. And sure, we'd use the freebie pens and sometimes tack up the calendars, and maybe a calculator or clock would find its way onto the reception desk. Big deal. I pick up free advertising pens from my golf driving range and the place where I have my car serviced, too, but that doesn't mean I'm getting kickbacks for sending my friends there.

>Payola was widespread in the drug game as recently as a decade back.<

A decade. The times, they not only are a-changin', they HAVE changed.

>The case of the cardiologist I posted is not unique. A couple of years back, an entire hospital chain in California was in the same boat over unnecessary cardiac procedures.<

And? Yet? Therefore? As Ron observed, one bad apple does not a rotten bushel make. There are shysters in every profession; my own son works a part time job at a transmission repair shop where he's paid under the table for some unknown reason( and no, his Dad and I don't approve). Wherever you look you can find people who think they're above the law and that the IRS didn't mean them when they wrote the tax laws. There is a system of checks and balances in place-- professional governing boards in each state plus the attorney generals and law enforcement agencies are all ready willing and able to call those who break the law into account. There are also strict ethical standards that all doctors and hospitals have to adhere to or face the consequences, up to and including loss of licensure and padlocks on the doors.

>You just have more faith in doctors than I do.<

We all need to have our eyes wide open, of course. But I refuse to live my life being suspicious of everyone I come into contact with. I trust, until I see that I can no longer trust, and if that happens, I simply take my business elsewhere, but I certainly wouldn't hesitate to report someone, if I thought it was warranted. Unless we want to go live in the woods on a mountaintop somewhere like Grizzly Adams, I'm not sure what else we can do.

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"Kickbacks" to docs from drug companies?

I know there are some here who don't want to believe this, but the overwhelming majority of physicians make their decisions solely on the basis of what they truly believe is in their patient's best interest.

I really want to believe that too Ron. And I really do believe it of most docs. It's just that I worked for "a few" that showed some behaviours that made me wonder. I know they are all too human. My mom's generation revered doctors, put them on pedestals. No longer. I think a doctor should be challenged, sometimes, goddess knows, I've have some interesting discussions with my doc. I do believe that if you present yourself as a thinking person, they will respect you more.

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Answer about when to begin oral meds

She isn't on any oral meds or insulin. She is 74, a bit overweight, sedentary mostly, although she gets physical therapy 5 days a week and also attends a very light exercise class most days. The rest of the day, she mostly sits. She has congestive heart failure (which doesn't seem to be causing any trouble right now -- no water) and was diagnosed type 2 about 2 years ago.

She claims to be starving, mostly in the evenings. They're talking about increasing her anxiety medications to counter the problem. I talked to her today about what insulin resistant means and that the hunger could be very real and not psychological at all. Her blood sugar isn't so high that she's whonked out, but at 74, in the first stages of dementia, I think it's high enough that we just can't depend on her to control her diet enough to control her blood sugar. She says she wants to, she just feels compelled to eat. I mentioned this a few weeks ago and I know some of it might be psychological, but here's what I think: I think they need to start her on oral meds to get those numbers down and work from there. I think masking the hunger with some kind of anxiety drug is not the place to start -- try Metformin and see what happens? I talked to her about this today, at length. I don't know what her a1c is -- she doesn't know herself. But, I would think with a consistent average of about 160 for the last several months, that it should be high enough to consider some kind of additional help, at least until the numbers come down and stay down. Any thoughts? I know you're not doctors, so don't worry -- I just really don't know what to think.

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Questions about when to begin oral meds

>While visiting my mom today, I checked her blood sugar log. She's checks twice a day, and it runs between 150 and 170 -- consistently, and for quite a while now.<

With only two checks a day (and I assume one of them is fasting), it's hard to know what's really happening. If she starts out at 150, for instance, her post-meal levels could be well into the 200s. Whatever, this is not a good situation. Yes, she's 74, but she could very well have 20+ more years of life ahead of her. With her permission, it'd be nice if you could have a phone conversation with her doc. He probably thinks her A1c is acceptable (if he's not ordering one at least once a year, that's malpractice, IMO), since she might be coming in at 7.0 or so. But her blood sugars are high enough to cause physical hunger, definitely. You're right-- to mask that with anti-anxiety meds sounds more like an effort just to keep her quiet than anything? You suspect dementia; has she been evaluated by an old-age specialist, a gerontologist? Yeah, metformin would seem to make a lot more sense than ativan or something. Can you consult with her doc?

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Lantus (insulin glargine)

As a Lantus user, I am naturally more concerned... June's messages and updates have been very useful and I am calling my doctor shortly to switch off of the insulin. It is interesting to note that two of the studies were done in Germany and Sweden. My Lantus Solostar insulin pen reads "Origin Germany"...so the plot thickens. And as Michele said in her original message, forwarded by June, the FDA is doing...nothing. What can we expect from such a bureaucratic federal organization? We know how crooked these damn pharmaceutical companies are, and I have witnessed firsthand many 501 C3s and non-profits that have been set up to fight pharma. What can we the consumers do? We can change products, (which I am doing), but all we need to do is take a quick look at our pasts to realize the consumer is constantly getting screwed to maximize bottom-line profits for large corporations.

Look at the story of Erin Brockovich, or the business practices of Walmart, (in some cases locking employees inside the store overnight while they cleaned) or the stone-walling of single payer or universal health care. I know political opinions range far and wide on our listserv and that is good. But I think any side of the political spectrum, and both sides of the isle can agree that this wrong-doing occurs on American soil, by American (and international) corporations daily. Sorry for going on a rant here, I am just truly frightened and in need of some way to blow off steam. I hope everyone had a happy fourth and celebrated our day of independence responsibly.

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I have come to realize here with Type 2

Just a few things I have come to realize here with Type 2. First I am not on insulin, so I cannot write from that perspective. I'm 3 years dx and 4 months really working at this. My Aic is in the high 6's, so I am diligently trying to keep my BS numbers as low as possible with metformin and, now, Byetta, which is so helping.

I think the biggest thing in all this for me is that some things just do not make sense. You'd think that if you did 'this' that 'that' ought to happen and it just doesn't. Now 'that' happens to the next person and to someone else, too. But, not YOU!! Also, what doesn't happen one day might happen some other day. So, my advice is to expect the unexpected and do not try to make sense of it. Just go with whatever result happens to YOU. Comparing yourself with someone else is futile. I try to try the great suggestions folks here recommend work for them, but a lot of the time these things do not work for me. I think this may be true for others as well. This is just the nature of us as individuals, so you cannot really get down on yourself for something not working as well for you as it did for someone else. Keep on trying and you WILL find what works for you.

So, the stuff I have realized is:
1. Lot's of stuff makes no sense.
2. Keep learning about stuff you can try to control your BS numbers.
3. Keep trying stuff that may work for you and that you can include in your individual Type 2 way of life.
4. Do not get down because something may not work for you. There is always something that WILL work for you.
5. Do not compare yourself with someone else. Keep a positive attitude and ask for help when you can no longer keep that positive attitude.
6. Work closely with your professional team and keep on keepin' on.

I do not think these things can be stressed often enough because this is a hard row to hoe. I listen to all the great folks here willing to help us all through this job with suggestions and reminders and attaboys and attagirls. I listen to the tribulations of others because I can find out some valuable stuff that may pertain to me (or may not).

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FDA Tells Patients to Stick With Diabetes Drug Linked to Cancer

July 1 (HealthDay News) -- Despite recent studies suggesting that the injected diabetes drug Lantus (insulin glargine) might boost cancer risk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday urged patients who are on the medication to continue using it. Three of four studies published last Friday in Diabetologia showed a potential link between Lantus -- an insulin analogue made by French drug company Sanofi-aventis -- and increased risks for various tumor types.

But, "the duration of patient follow-up in all four studies was shorter than what is generally considered necessary to evaluate for cancer risk from drug exposure," the FDA said in its first comment on the issue. "Further, inconsistencies in findings within and across individual studies raise concerns as to whether an association between the use of insulin glargine and cancer truly exists." The agency also believes that differences in the various types of patients selected for each study may have swayed the results...read more

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Early Communication About Safety of Lantus (insulin glargine)

FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients that it is aware of four recently-published observational studies that looked at the use of Lantus (insulin glargine) and possible risk for cancer in patients with diabetes. Three of the four studies suggest an increased risk for cancer associated with use of Lantus. Based on the currently available data, the FDA recommends that patients should not stop taking their insulin therapy without consulting a physician, since uncontrolled blood sugar levels can have both immediate and long-term serious adverse effects.

FDA is currently reviewing many sources of safety data for Lantus, including these newly published observational studies, data from all completed controlled clinical trials, and information about ongoing controlled clinical trials, to better understand the risk, if any, for cancer associated with use of Lantus. Discussions are also ongoing between FDA and the manufacturer of Lantus as to whether any additional studies evaluating the safety and efficacy of this drug will need to be performed. FDA will communicate the results on its ongoing review to the public, as appropriate, as our review continues.

The FDA encourages both healthcare professionals and patients to report side effects from the use of insulin glargine to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting Program.

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Insulin was Really The Best Option for Diabetic

I'm so sorry that I haven't responded to this before now. I never intended to disregard your message. I've been T2 for just under 15 years, and I've managed with insulin since the outset, as I had a fairly high A1c at diagnosis. However, though I'm not overweight and didn't have a dramatic onset to my diabetes, insulin was really the best option for me even starting out. I've used it in combination with a few oral meds in the past, but prefer an insulin-only regimen. I'm not that insulin resistant, but use quite a bit more than the average Type 1, though I'm still not struggling with weight.

I'm NOT a Type 1, though. I've been tested for the antibodies present in T1, and I've tested negative (one of my former endos thought it might be a good idea to do the test, since I don't look like the typical T2, but we T2s are a varied, individual lot), though I've heard that the longer you are from diagnosis, that can skew the results into being false-negative for the antibodies. However, I still believe that I'm T2, but I don't think that it would matter at this point since I've been managing with insulin for years anyway. I've read a LOT about this condition, I am very very good friends with a very slim, insulin-sensitive T1, and I've learned a great deal about diabetes overall from learning about my own condition *and* about hers. That's how I was aware of the differences in DP/DE versus Somogyi.

I'm 54 years old, divorced, with two lovely children. They've been very supportive in my journey with this condition, though they were both fairly young when I was diagnosed. I have a five-years-older sister who is also T2 but is controlling only with D&E. Though I hardly eat a high carb diet, I am very aware of how diligent T2s using D&E and even D&E with one or a combo of oral meds needs to be.

If you'd like to ask anything else, please feel free. :-) Oh, and thanks to everything I've learned and experienced with my friend, I've been giving the pump some serious consideration. Not sold on it yet, as I do fairly well with MDI and as much as I've experienced with my friend, I KNOW that actually wearing it and living it isn't something that I'll ever really understand without doing it. I do have some hesitations.

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Correction Factors: Are correct about the Lantus?

My doc is tickled to have me adjust my dose. I suspect his enthusiasm in that regard depends on the patient. You are correct about the Lantus. But since I am tweaking both the Lantus and the Humalog, I am being a bit conservative because of my hypo phobia. Even so, the process is much faster than most folks starting out on insulin as is evident from many of the correspondents on this list. But yes, the strategy is to determine the Lantus dose needed to maintain 120 or a little less at times well removed for food intake, and then to figure out the Humolog adds for meals and for background levels above 120.

>I am a little concerned I might be overshooting with the Lantus.<

What does your doc say? It's my understanding that it's best to get as much Lantus as you need on board and then to only compensate with Humalog at meals, as needed, not vice versa.

>You are still a bit more insulin resistant than I am since you are still on Metformin even though it looks like out formulas will otherwise be close.<

I am *extremely* insulin resistant, as a result of a combo of things, some under my control and some not. But whatevs, for those taking rapid-acting insulin, using a sliding scale is definitely the ticket to better control and get off that roller coaster of highs and lows, or at least to make the peaks and valleys much more shallow.

READ MORE - Correction Factors: Are correct about the Lantus?