Do I Really Need Insulin Shots to Treat My Type 2 Diabetes?
So, do I really need insulin shots to treat my type 2 diabetes? Well, I had considered insulin therapy but decided against it. I am glad I did so because insulin therapy was not best suited for me.
I personally believe people with Type 2 Diabetes can do without insulin therapy.
Nonetheless, many others opt for it and are really happy with these artificial injections.
The role of insulin in our bodies is to maintain optimal blood sugar levels by helping in the production of insulin.
But, is this (insulin therapy) really necessary? Can there be no other way?
Well, let us read on to find out:
Do I Really Need Insulin Shots to Treat My Type 2 Diabetes – Points Covered in this Article:
- How did I become a Diabetic?
- Why is Insulin Important for My Body?
- What is the Role of Insulin Therapy?
- The Six Types of Insulin Therapy I was asked to Consider
- Three Ways I was Told I Could Take Insulin
- Why I Decided NOT to Opt for Insulin Therapy?
- Was I Happy with My Decision?
Why is Insulin Important for My Body?
Well, I am a diabetic and I have been this way for the past 14 years now. I am a Type 2 Diabetic, which means that my condition was not by birth. I developed diabetes when I reached my mid-forties.
I was told that my unhealthy lifestyle was to blame.
Actually, when I was in my early forties, I underwent a phase of depression. Thereafter, I started to consume alcohol, quit physical exercise and started to consume junk food in large amounts.
I believe, in just 2 to 3 years, my insulin production went from a “near 100%” to “30%”.
So yes, it would be correct to state that my Type 2 Diabetes was a result of unhealthy lifestyle choice.
Why is Insulin Important for My Body?
Well, insulin is a hormone that is responsible for shuttling glucose into your body cells. This glucose is found in abundance in the blood stream. In order for it to be converted into usable energy source, it needs to enter your cells.
So, whenever I eat food, it gets converted into glucose (well, a sizable part of it). All the nutrients that my body derives from what I eat is converted into glucose. Insulin is then produced in my pancreas.
The role of insulin (as I have explained above) is to push those nutrients out of my bloodstream and into my cells. When they reach the cells, I have the energy to work, exercise, talk, party and do just about all the errands I am supposed to do on a daily basis.
So, the presence of glucose in my blood instructs the pancreas to produce insulin. If I produce extra insulin (which I do not), it is stored in the liver in the form of glycogen.
Glycogen is released to provide energy when I have not had a meal for hours. So, the correct production of insulin is vital for ensuring that I am energized at all times.
What is the Role of Insulin Therapy?
I was told that insulin therapy is the best natural supplement to lower blood sugar. Insulin therapy is mainly used to maintain optimal levels of blood sugar within your body.
So, insulin is injected into your bloodstream in order to help you maintain your energy levels. It also assists in maintaining optimal blood sugar levels by pushing extra glucose into your cells.
In my opinion, insulin therapy is best suited for people who cannot produce insulin at all. This is ideal for those that suffer from type 1 diabetes.
It also needs to be noted that women during pregnancy are suggested insulin therapy to combat gestational diabetes.
The Six Different Types of Insulin Therapy I was asked to Consider
So, when I first found out about my Type 2 diabetes, I consulted a medical professional. I was in a semi state of panic as I had never thought that I could be a diabetic.
I was always into sports and I always took my exercise and diet seriously. It was only in my early forties that I lost track of it all.
Nonetheless, the medical representative advised me to opt for insulin therapy.
As I was a Type 2 diabetic, I did not need to produce insulin. My body’s insulin production was low. So, I did not need to maintain insulin consistency for a very long time period.
I had also changed my lifestyle and was getting back to my healthier self. My blood sugar fluctuations were not as much as they had been when I was first diagnosed with diabetes.
So, I had six options:
Option # 1:
If I was not consuming food for 12 hours and I wished to prevent my blood sugar from rising then, I could opt for intermediate acting insulin.
Option # 2:
If I was not consuming food for 18 hours then, I could opt for long lasting insulin therapy. This helped maintain optimal blood sugar levels for up to 24 hours.
Option # 3:
If I was not consuming food for 24 hours or longer then, opting for ultra-long insulin medications was ideal. These promised to stabilize my insulin for up to 36 hours.
Option # 4:
In case I wanted to consume food that is capable of spiking my insulin production dramatically then, I could opt for rapid acting insulin medications. These can be had before a meal and can start to work in as less as 5 minutes.
Option # 5:
If I wanted to consume foods that did spike insulin but not to a great extent then, short acting insulin medications were perfect for me. Once again, I had to consume these before a meal but they started to work slowly and lasted as long as 6 hours.
Option # 6:
Lastly, I was told that there was something called the premix version of insulin. It starts to work in as less as 10 minutes and it helps stabilize my blood sugar levels for as long as 16 hours.
Three Ways I was Told I Could Take Insulin
If I ever wanted to opt for insulin therapy, I would have only done so had the doctor said, “All you need to do is pop a pill.”
If this was the case then, I would not have thought twice over before popping a pill.
Alas! This was not to be as insulin cannot be popped in the form of a pill. It can be injected or inhaled or pumped directly into the veins.
Let me walk you through each of these three options in brief:
The Easiest Method:
The first and easiest method of taking insulin from an external source is the inhaler. I find this to be the easiest method of insulin therapy because all it involves is inhaling the product.
The external source or the instrument that is needed for this is an inhaler. So, all you need to do is inhale the insulin via a pump into your mouth.
As this is a fast acting insulin, I was told to take this right before a meal. The effects of this insulin would start to take effect within minutes. It shall also allow my blood sugar levels to remain stable for 3 to 4 hours.
The Difficult Method:
The second method of taking insulin therapy was via the means of insulin shots. I took a look at the pen like devise that had a needle sticking to it.
I was scared!
All I needed to do was place the needle onto the belly and press it. Basically, any area in the body that has ample fat content is ideal for this injection.
I later found out that this pen shaped injection has insulin within its confines.
The amount of shots and the strength of the insulin present within the pen depends on your diabetes type, your food intake and your exercise routine.
The Most Difficult Method:
Finally, the toughest way to take insulin therapy was via an insulin pump. This devise is to be attached to a thin tube that is placed right underneath the surface of my skin.
I was told that I could take as less or as many insulin shots as was demanded by my medical practitioner via this method. This method helped stabilize my blood sugar levels for both long as well as short term.
In simpler words, I could stabilize my blood sugar levels for a few hours to an entire day using an insulin pump.
Why I Decided NOT to Opt for Insulin Therapy?
I was more interested in learning how to lower blood sugar naturally. Moreover, my body was producing insulin. So, although the insulin production was lower than normal, my pancreas were working just fine with regards to insulin production.
I also researched the internet and found that there were mixed reactions towards the use of insulin therapy. Some diabetics suggested that I go for it while others suggested (quite sternly) that I avoided it.
Most diabetics that were in favor of insulin therapy had Type 1 Diabetes. I (on the other hand) had Type 2 diabetes. I also found some natural healing clinics (such as Ayurveda and Homeopathy) that claimed to heal my diabetes from the root 100% naturally.
Moreover, I was not very fond of injecting insulin into my body on a daily basis. To me it felt completely unnatural and worth turning my eyes away from.
So, I researched further and found out about the best supplements to lower blood sugar.
Was I Happy with My Decision?
Yes absolutely. I am 100% thrilled by my decision to NOT go in for insulin therapy. I was always a fan of natural methods and I am glad I think this way.
Insulin therapy (in my eyes) is good for people who simply cannot produce insulin at all. Basically, their pancreas are not developed enough to produce even a microgram of insulin. For them, insulin therapy is a boon.
But for me, with 40% production still in full swing, I do not need insulin therapy.
So, I believe that the choice of either opting for or going against insulin therapy depends on your existing diabetic condition.
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