What does it mean if I have to keep taking more insulin?
Taking more insulin does not mean that you are getting sicker. Health-care providers use a formula to decide your starting dose, but they always begin with a small dose because the formula only serves as a guideline. When beginning insulin therapy, you would expect to slowly increase the dose of insulin based on your blood glucose monitoring results. The dose of insulin that works for you depends on factors such as the amount of insulin your pancreas still makes, how resistant you are to insulin, your activity level, other medicines you take that raise blood glucose, and how much you eat.
You can make a smoother transition to insulin therapy when you have help. Seek the counsel of a certified diabetes educator with whom you can share your concerns and feelings about insulin therapy. Starting insulin is a big step, but the payoff—better blood glucose control—is worth the effort.
