To contact us Click HERE
This is a Canadian study, but isapplicable to the U.S. physicians as well. The opening statement isa little surprising when the myths about insulin are considered. For many U.S. patients, the myths are out in full force and bothdoctors and patients seem to believe many of them. But, I digress.
The statement that doctors are morereluctant to start their patients on insulin than the patients arethemselves says volumes and must be explored. Dr. Catherine Yu, aresearcher at the hospital's Keenan Research Centre and senior authorof the paper states, "There are no clear recommendations onthe safest and most effective way to start patients on it, and sophysicians are often hesitant to do so."
“Dr. Yu and colleagues analyzedpast studies to find out what barriers existed to starting patientson insulin, and how insulin compared to other blood sugar loweringmedications in terms of its effect on blood sugars and weight. Theythen made recommendations for physicians and other health careproviders based on evidence from the past studies.”
Theirfindings were published in the online edition of the Canadian MedicalAssociation Journal.
What they found is that doctor's fearsof common side effects such as weight gain and low blood sugar wereamplified compared to their patient's fears, and that doctors weremore concerned than their patients about the possibility ofinjection-related pain and anxiety. They also discovered that manydoctors where only familiar with the insulins of past usage and olderdelivery systems. They needed to be reeducated about the newerinsulins and methods of delivery.
Like many of us now usinginsulin, we find it much easier to use and if we use care and learnto use it properly. Instead of eating to a certain amount ofinsulin, we need to learn to count our carbohydrates and adjust ourfast acting insulin accordingly. This will prevent most of the riskof low blood glucose and by limiting our carbohydrates, we canprevent the weight gain many fear. Exercise if medically able isanother way of assisting the prevention of weight gain.
Although Dr. Yu's suggestion ofstarting patients on a once a day injection of long acting or 24 hourinsulin while reducing the oral medications is good, those of us inour group all went from oral medications one day to insulininjections the next day. Granted this worked well for us and we werecomfortable with this transition, some doctors are not. This is whywe like our endocrinologists and the assistance they were able togive us.
When insulin myths are taken out of theequation, adapting to insulin use for most people can be efficientlyaccomplished. Education is required for using the best injectionsites and matching rapid acting insulin to carbohydrates to beconsumed. It is also wise to eat at regular times and is a person isill and does not feel like eating, then do not inject the rapidacting insulin. More frequent testing is required and this mustbecome a habit so that adjustments may be made for higher or lowerblood glucose readings preprandial (before meals).
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder