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Diabetic, Hypertensive And Arthritic. Looking Alternate Medicine To Insulin Shot
Question: My mom is known diabetic, hypertensive and arthritic. She is unable to withtstand the painful needle shots of insulin. So she is desperately looking for an alternative to switch to. Please suggest of an alternative otehr than insulin. Heard that there has been advanced research with respect to diabetes. Please suggest an alternative. Let us know if a nasal spray of insulin has been launched in the mrket.
Hello XXXXXXX,
Thank you for posting on XXXXXXX
Going by the history, your mother is unable to produce her own insulin. So she needs to be provided that from outside. Insulin is a must for her. Stopping her insulin will make her sugars shoot up, which in turn would aggravate her arthritis.
If she is a type 2 diabetic, some tablets can be added (provided her kidneys and heart are functioning well). It will reduce the dose of insulin but I don't think it is a good idea to stop insulin. I strictly advise against it.
To reduce pain, you need to change the needles frequently. Further, you can shift to insulin pens, which are virtually painless.
You have not commented upon the sugar levels. If they are normal, she needs to continue same dosage. If the sugars are still uncontrolled, oral drugs can be added and insulin dosages have to titrated and adjusted further.
Nasal spray on insulin was supposed to be launched 5 years back. But it had too many side effects, and hence was withdrawn from the market.
As on today, insulin is best available medication for her.
Hope I have answered your queries.
Regards.
Thank you for posting on XXXXXXX
Going by the history, your mother is unable to produce her own insulin. So she needs to be provided that from outside. Insulin is a must for her. Stopping her insulin will make her sugars shoot up, which in turn would aggravate her arthritis.
If she is a type 2 diabetic, some tablets can be added (provided her kidneys and heart are functioning well). It will reduce the dose of insulin but I don't think it is a good idea to stop insulin. I strictly advise against it.
To reduce pain, you need to change the needles frequently. Further, you can shift to insulin pens, which are virtually painless.
You have not commented upon the sugar levels. If they are normal, she needs to continue same dosage. If the sugars are still uncontrolled, oral drugs can be added and insulin dosages have to titrated and adjusted further.
Nasal spray on insulin was supposed to be launched 5 years back. But it had too many side effects, and hence was withdrawn from the market.
As on today, insulin is best available medication for her.
Hope I have answered your queries.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
Dear Dr. XXXXXXX
Thank you for your response. Her sugar levels are high even after insulin dosage. Her pre-prandial sugars are slightly lower relative to her post prandial sugars. After her meal/break fast or lunch, her post-prandial sugar levels are shooting up. Recently, a week ago I have got her sugar levels checked and it was found to be somewhere around 460. Further, of recent, her both limbs are swollen and painful. She is also complaining of pain in the shoulder. Could you please suggest her a medication for those painful limbs and shoulders. Also let me know if it would be wise to get her shoulder x-ray done to check for any other disparity. Let me know the name so that I could get that done. For pains, as of now, she is taking Aldgesic, a combi of paracetamol+aceclofenac+serratiopeptidase. Further, all of the tests were done and her kidenys and other organs are functioning well. Also, I thought of shifting to pen but due to the inaffordability of those pens, we are not able to shift. Please let us know of any other alternative pens in market that are effective and afforadable easily. Also suggest us if we have to get her physiotherapy treatment for this arthritic inflammation and frozen limb.
Thank You for your response,
Regards,
XXXXXXX
Thank you for your response. Her sugar levels are high even after insulin dosage. Her pre-prandial sugars are slightly lower relative to her post prandial sugars. After her meal/break fast or lunch, her post-prandial sugar levels are shooting up. Recently, a week ago I have got her sugar levels checked and it was found to be somewhere around 460. Further, of recent, her both limbs are swollen and painful. She is also complaining of pain in the shoulder. Could you please suggest her a medication for those painful limbs and shoulders. Also let me know if it would be wise to get her shoulder x-ray done to check for any other disparity. Let me know the name so that I could get that done. For pains, as of now, she is taking Aldgesic, a combi of paracetamol+aceclofenac+serratiopeptidase. Further, all of the tests were done and her kidenys and other organs are functioning well. Also, I thought of shifting to pen but due to the inaffordability of those pens, we are not able to shift. Please let us know of any other alternative pens in market that are effective and afforadable easily. Also suggest us if we have to get her physiotherapy treatment for this arthritic inflammation and frozen limb.
Thank You for your response,
Regards,
XXXXXXX
Hello again.
All her symptoms seem to be directly related to uncontrolled sugars. Uncontrolled sugars are triggering her painful symptoms due to neuropathy and arthropathy.
Contrary to your question and the solution you seek, her treatment is insulin. That in addition, she might need it three times a day! In addition to that, oral medications like metformin needed to be added. However, I would be unable to prescribe them here without examining her personally.
She has frozen shoulder, which is found in many people with uncontrolled sugars. X-ray wouldn’t reveal much. The main treatment is sugar control and not analgesics, which would damage the kidneys in long term. She can be prescribed drugs like pregabalin and duloxetine for her pain (after sugar control) by your physician / diabetologist after examining her.
Some pens from companies like Biocon and Wockhardt are very cheap and affordable.
To conclude, your mother NEEDS INSULIN (probably 3 times a day)
She needs oral drugs too (at least metformin).
Shoulder pain and other joint pains need strict glucose control, for which you need to take a specialists help.
X-ray would not be of much use.
Drugs like pregabalin and duloxetine are to be preferred over analgesics under professional guidance.
Hope I have answered your queries.
I wish you mother good health.
Regards.
All her symptoms seem to be directly related to uncontrolled sugars. Uncontrolled sugars are triggering her painful symptoms due to neuropathy and arthropathy.
Contrary to your question and the solution you seek, her treatment is insulin. That in addition, she might need it three times a day! In addition to that, oral medications like metformin needed to be added. However, I would be unable to prescribe them here without examining her personally.
She has frozen shoulder, which is found in many people with uncontrolled sugars. X-ray wouldn’t reveal much. The main treatment is sugar control and not analgesics, which would damage the kidneys in long term. She can be prescribed drugs like pregabalin and duloxetine for her pain (after sugar control) by your physician / diabetologist after examining her.
Some pens from companies like Biocon and Wockhardt are very cheap and affordable.
To conclude, your mother NEEDS INSULIN (probably 3 times a day)
She needs oral drugs too (at least metformin).
Shoulder pain and other joint pains need strict glucose control, for which you need to take a specialists help.
X-ray would not be of much use.
Drugs like pregabalin and duloxetine are to be preferred over analgesics under professional guidance.
Hope I have answered your queries.
I wish you mother good health.
Regards.
Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Shanthi.E
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