Can insulin injections be no longer effective for diabetes over time?
I have a relative who began taking insulin for diabetes just 4 months ago. He is also taking medication (Metformin). Before his blood sugar level was over 400 . The insulin brought it back down to around 100 -200. Now 4 months later, it’s back up to 400 .
Can someone become immune to insulin in just 4 months? Doctor has been increasing the dosage, but there’s no change.
there are different types of insulin incl synthetic. an increase is usually the proper course but a change may be needed (and also diet)
Your relative might not be diligent about following his diet, exercise, or medication regimen. It’s hard for some people to adjust to taking insulin on a regular basis.
That would be my non-professional guess.
Good question! Yes, the injections can become less and less effective over time.
This is where understanding what type 2 diabetes is comes in handy. Type 2 is insulin resistance. What happens is when you lead a sedentary lifestyle and eat too many and/or the wrong carbs your body has to release more insulin. Insulin is what allows the sugar to pass out of the blood and into cells so it can be used for energy. When the body’s cells are bombarded with too much insulin they become resistant to it, meaning the insulin doesn’t work as well. And unless the diabetic changes their habits the resistance will increase over time.
This is why you’ll hear some people say that insulin injections are not a good treatment for type 2. It may be needed as a last result for some people, but mostly all it does is make their disease worse.
Your relative needs to change his diet. He needs to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and most importantly he needs to get exercise. Doing that and sticking to it will help his diabetes more than any medicine or insulin. You can’t reverse diabetes, but many people can keep their blood sugar levels at non-diabetic levels just by diet and exercise alone.
Your relative may have become insulin resistant. He may need a different medication instead of Metformin or a different type of medication. Diabetes is complex and he should be working with an endocrinologist, not his regualr general practitioner to get his medication adjusted properly.