A question for diabetics

[rs 2k]

Hi

I was diagnosed with being diabetic in Nov last year and i had to control it with diet, but i got my 3monthly blood check and the nurse decided it was time for me to go on tablets as my blood sugar was a bit high and chlorestral tablets, which is 2 precriptions, i went to the chemist on monday when prescriptions were £6.85 so i decided to wait til tues (yesterday) when they were lowered to £5, so i had to pay £10, which is good really for a months supply of tablets,

but then someone told me if u are diabetic u should b getting your prescriptions for your tablets for free, as they do

Is this true, thats all i want to know and if so is there a form i have to fill in for this?

I will go to the chemist and ask

But i just wondered, what the score was with other diabetics

[davem]

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/12/05141211

You can definitely go for the pay yearly PPC at £48, anyone can do that - there is a diabetic nurse specialist based in Thurso who would be a good source of advice via your GP.

[bish667]

I have never paid for a prescription from the doctor. Thats one of the benefits of being diabetic you dont pay for any prescriptions. I am type 1, I dont know if that makes a difference.

[dirdyweeker]

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069022/ (http://forum.caithness.org/go.php?url=http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069022/)

prescription charges free for Diabetics who are controlled by more than just diet. See link above.

[brandy]

no you do not have to pay for prescriptions for diabeties, i would be dead if you did as i wouldnt be able to afford it! *G* i take 9 pills a day to keep me going!

[rs 2k]

I have never paid for a prescription from the doctor. Thats one of the benefits of being diabetic you dont pay for any prescriptions. I am type 1, I dont know if that makes a difference.

The person that told me was also type 1, which is making me think maybe it is just free for insulin injections and not tablets

I have 2 prescriptions 2 get so paying it yearly is £96 and i can't afford that in 1 go, but paying £10 each prescription doesn't seem so bad, which only works out at about £24 extra a year and if i pay the yearly charge what would happen if my hubby loses his job (which he was told last week he is getting made redundant in Aug this year) would they b so quick in giving me my money back, I don't think so, so paying it monthly works fine for me, til i find out a bit more about getting it free

[rs 2k]

Oh well i am going to phone my surgery now and get this sorted

Thanx everyone

[rs 2k]

Thats me just off the phone to my surgery and they said it is only certain types of diabetics that get free prescritions,:confused so i have to speak to the pharmacy and c if i am entitled to get tablets for free and if he says yes then phone the surgery back and they will get the doc to fill in a FP92A form for me

What a carry on
Hopefully get it sorted today

[bish667]

the joys of diabetes :roll:

[fuzz24]

My hubby on tablets for dibetes and has never paid for his tablets, he's got type 2 so might have to go on insulin like my dad who also doesn't pay for it.

[Loch not Lock]

Hi

I was diagnosed with being diabetic in Nov last year and i had to control it with diet, but i got my 3monthly blood check and the nurse decided it was time for me to go on tablets as my blood sugar was a bit high and chlorestral tablets, which is 2 precriptions, i went to the chemist on monday when prescriptions were £6.85 so i decided to wait til tues (yesterday) when they were lowered to £5, so i had to pay £10, which is good really for a months supply of tablets,

but then someone told me if u are diabetic u should b getting your prescriptions for your tablets for free, as they do

Is this true, thats all i want to know and if so is there a form i have to fill in for this?

I will go to the chemist and ask

But i just wondered, what the score was with other diabetics
Get form FP92A from your doctor and you will then get free prescriptions. Also you may be entitled to a refund on prescriptions you have already paid by applying to the Practitioner Services 0845 30001285 or writing to -
NHS National Services Scotland,
Practitioner Services (Medical),
PPC Refund Team,
Clifton House,
Clifton Place,
Glasgow
G3 7NL

[Liz]

Sorry to hear you have diabetes and hope you do manage to get free prescriptions.

Due to various health problems I have 7 different medications to take daily!

I use the pre-pay certificate and am so glad that this has come down to £48 this year and even better that will be reduced each year and finally abolished!

[Julia]

Prescriptions are also free for people like myself with an underactive thyroid.

[Ash]

Prescriptions are also free for people like myself with an underactive thyroid.


yeah my mums the same

[rs 2k]

Thats me got it all sorted now and i am getting free prescriptions

So all u people who r diabetic and paying for prescriptions go to the doctors and ask for this form

Thanx for all the replies

Lindsay

[percy toboggan]

i would never cross the diabetic rubicon of going on to 'tablets' on the say-so of a 'nurse'.

See your G.P. at least...even getting a second opinion. i'd ask for another three months and be more rigid with my diet.

I'm convinced the health 'industry' is not averse to adding to the number of alleged diabetics in our midst. Doctor surgeries are paid more for every one they monitor.

I'm borderline diet controlled myself.

[rs 2k]

I agree with u Percy,

I don't want to b on these tablets and they aren't agreeing with me anyway they make me feel worse than what i was before i started them, i was fine,

My blood sugar last test was only 7.6 which isn't too bad i don't think, could of been a bit better right enough

But the nurse says, right i think its about time u were on tablets now, i only found out i was diabetic in nov last year, they haven't give me time to ajust to my new way of eating, i know to keep away from chocolate etc but i do pick sometimes and i know i shouldn't

I think i will go to doctors and explain all this and c if he will take me off them til next tests in 3 months

Cheers for that

[percy toboggan]

I agree with u Percy,

I don't want to b on these tablets and they aren't agreeing with me anyway they make me feel worse than what i was before i started them, i was fine,

My blood sugar last test was only 7.6 which isn't too bad i don't think, could of been a bit better right enough

But the nurse says, right i think its about time u were on tablets now, i only found out i was diabetic in nov last year, they haven't give me time to ajust to my new way of eating, i know to keep away from chocolate etc but i do pick sometimes and i know i shouldn't

I think i will go to doctors and explain all this and c if he will take me off them til next tests in 3 months

Cheers for that

respectfully tell the nurse to begger off!

[rs 2k]

[lol] OK [lol]

[olivia]

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes about seven years ago and have steadily had to increase the number of tablets I take to keep my blood sugar level hovering around 7. They actually like to see it below 7 and I would certainly not hesitate to take more tablets if they thought I needed too. Please take their advice and keep taking the tablets. There are so many side effects to Diabetes, that can creep up on you over the years, like eye problems, kidney problems etc. etc. I see a nurse rather than the doctor on a regular basis and thats fine, they know what they are doing and consult the doctor anyway if they think you need to increase tablets etc.Its a real curse being diabetic especially if you take it relatively young as I did, but thats life, so be it. Things could be so much worse.

[Metalattakk]

Its a real curse being diabetic especially if you take it relatively young as I did, but thats life, so be it.

Diabetes is nowhere close to being a 'curse', no matter what age you contract it at. It's an entirely manageable condition, where simple, basic lifestyle choices can and do reap the long-term benefits.

I've been type 1 for 32 years now, and it's no more of a chore than putting on my socks in the morning. The trick is to not fight diabetes, but to learn to live with it.


Things could be so much worse.

Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. I truly do feel lucky that the progression of my condition is largely in my own hands.

[olivia]

Diabetes is nowhere close to being a 'curse', no matter what age you contract it at. It's an entirely manageable condition, where simple, basic lifestyle choices can and do reap the long-term benefits.

I've been type 1 for 32 years now, and it's no more of a chore than putting on my socks in the morning. The trick is to not fight diabetes, but to learn to live with it.



Absolutely. I couldn't agree more. I truly do feel lucky that the progression of my condition is largely in my own hands.
I'm glad for you that you do not find it a curse and you are able to manage your condition successfully. But for me it is, the tablets I take can have side-effects, such as making me feel dizzy and generally unwell. Luckily it is only now and again, but thats how it is. Unfortunately, its a fact of life that most tablets cause some sort of side effect however, minor.

[Loch not Lock]

I agree with u Percy,

I don't want to b on these tablets and they aren't agreeing with me anyway they make me feel worse than what i was before i started them, i was fine,

My blood sugar last test was only 7.6 which isn't too bad i don't think, could of been a bit better right enough

But the nurse says, right i think its about time u were on tablets now, i only found out i was diabetic in nov last year, they haven't give me time to ajust to my new way of eating, i know to keep away from chocolate etc but i do pick sometimes and i know i shouldn't

I think i will go to doctors and explain all this and c if he will take me off them til next tests in 3 months

Cheers for that

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetis about 8 years ago and my blood sugar levels are extremely erratic even though I am on 30 tablets per day for it as well as other conditions. I take 2 blood sugar tests daily and over the last 3 months they have varied from as low as 3.7 to a high of 22.8 which is most alarming. My diet is fairly good and I see the doctor regularly but I still cannot achieve consistent readings.
It is a bit worrying as not a drop of alcohol passes my lips now after 40 years of chronic over-indulgence. Never mind life goes on.:confused

[Loch not Lock]

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetis about 8 years ago and my blood sugar levels are extremely erratic even though I am on 30 tablets per day for it as well as other conditions. I take 2 blood sugar tests daily and over the last 3 months they have varied from as low as 3.7 to a high of 22.8 which is most alarming. My diet is fairly good and I see the doctor regularly but I still cannot achieve consistent readings.
It is a bit worrying as not a drop of alcohol passes my lips now after 40 years of chronic over-indulgence. Never mind life goes on.:confused

I'm off to the doctor at 8.30 to get the latest results of my full blood test. Bit nervous as my personal reading this morning was 14.7.
My advice is don't overdo it when your young.

[rs 2k]

Hi there

How did it go at the docs?

14.7 is pretty high, the highest i have been is 8

I was also there at 11.30 this morning as i am feeling really bad on these tablets and the doc has told me to stop taking them for a week to see how i get on, i am only on 1 tablet a day just now

But each morning i would get up have my breakfast, take a tablet and within 2 hours i would be lightheaded, dizzy, shaky and lose sight in my left eye, the doc said this was an unusual side effect, but it was a horrible feeling, i couldn't go on like that

I do eat a proper diet as i should and without the tablets i was doing fine, thought the tablets were making my blood count too low but the doc says they wouldn't do that

So have docs again next monday morning

[Humerous Vegetable]

[quote=rs 2k;370484] But each morning i would get up have my breakfast, take a tablet and within 2 hours i would be lightheaded, dizzy, shaky and lose sight in my left eye, the doc said this was an unusual side effect, but it was a horrible feeling, i couldn't go on like that

I do eat a proper diet as i should and without the tablets i was doing fine, thought the tablets were making my blood count too low but the doc says they wouldn't do that

Some types of diabetic medication can cause hypos. Don't you check your blood sugar level when you start to show symptoms? Do the symptoms disappear if you take some carbohydrate? If so, then you probably are hypoglycaemic, whatever your GP says.

[rs 2k]

I don't have a gloucose meter, but i think i will invest in 1

If i eat a sandwich with ham after about 10mins it wears off

What is hypoglycaemic?

Sorry i am new to this and the doctors don't tell u much, they must think u know all this

I am going to phone the diabetic nurse and c her, she will b my best bet in explaining everything to me that i should know

Anyone in Thurso have her number her name is Pamela Campbell, if not, there is a notice in Williamsons i can get it from there

[Humerous Vegetable]

NHS Highland are absolutely hopeless with diabetes. Try this site for basic information: www.diabetes.org.uk

[gollach]

I don't have a gloucose meter, but i think i will invest in 1

If i eat a sandwich with ham after about 10mins it wears off

What is hypoglycaemic?

Sorry i am new to this and the doctors don't tell u much, they must think u know all this

I am going to phone the diabetic nurse and c her, she will b my best bet in explaining everything to me that i should know

Anyone in Thurso have her number her name is Pamela Campbell, if not, there is a notice in Williamsons i can get it from there

She's just left on a year out. She has a replacement coming soon though.

[Loch not Lock]

I don't have a gloucose meter, but i think i will invest in 1

If i eat a sandwich with ham after about 10mins it wears off

What is hypoglycaemic?

Sorry i am new to this and the doctors don't tell u much, they must think u know all this

I am going to phone the diabetic nurse and c her, she will b my best bet in explaining everything to me that i should know

Anyone in Thurso have her number her name is Pamela Campbell, if not, there is a notice in Williamsons i can get it from there

If you are thinking of getting a glucose meter login to www.lifescan.co.uk (http://www.lifescan.co.uk) and go to customer services and enquire about getting a One Touch Ultra2 for free. They sent me one free as they make their profits from the strips and lances which you will get free on prescription. Mention that a friend of yours got one for nothing about a year ago.
They are also very helpful if you call on freephone 0800 121200. Good luck, I'm sure it will work as they want the prescription business. They also send you batteries for no charge.
By the way I had no luck at the doctors as I had an 8.30 appointment and their computers were down at that time so she could access my blood results. Going back Friday.
I am on 6 metmorfin and 3 gliclazide tablets a day as well 21 other tablets for other reasons and have no side-effects, just get erratic results.
All the best.:)

[percy toboggan]

My annual check tomoz.
Bath tonight and clean undies and socks.
I check my blood about thrice a year.

p.s. I'd ditch the ham sandwich.

[Loch not Lock]

There is a good chance you will get the machine for nothing as 50 test strips cost £20.73 and 100 lancets cost £6.15. That is where One Touch make their money.
Of course these strips and lancets will be free to you on prescription.

[gollach]

I don't have a gloucose meter, but i think i will invest in 1

You can go to the desk at the medical centre in Davidsons Lane and ask for a free one. There is a huge pile of them that the reps leave and Pamela is always looking to give them away. Make sure that you take the test strip container to your GPs so you get the correct type put on your prescription.

[olivia]

Hi there

How did it go at the docs?

14.7 is pretty high, the highest i have been is 8

I was also there at 11.30 this morning as i am feeling really bad on these tablets and the doc has told me to stop taking them for a week to see how i get on, i am only on 1 tablet a day just now

But each morning i would get up have my breakfast, take a tablet and within 2 hours i would be lightheaded, dizzy, shaky and lose sight in my left eye, the doc said this was an unusual side effect, but it was a horrible feeling, i couldn't go on like that

I do eat a proper diet as i should and without the tablets i was doing fine, thought the tablets were making my blood count too low but the doc says they wouldn't do that

So have docs again next monday morning
I too sometimes feel dizzy and generally ill, mid-morning after taking my breakfast two tablets. Last time I was at the nurse she thought it was because I wasn't eating sufficient breakfast, then the tablets lower your blood sugar level right down and whammo you get the horrible feeling. The cure? Eat a better breakfast. (Not much good if you are trying to diet though!).

My sister cannot tolerate ordinary metformin at all and is on a special slow-release one which seems to work for her.

[Metalattakk]

I was also there at 11.30 this morning as i am feeling really bad on these tablets and the doc has told me to stop taking them for a week to see how i get on, i am only on 1 tablet a day just now

But each morning i would get up have my breakfast, take a tablet and within 2 hours i would be lightheaded, dizzy, shaky and lose sight in my left eye, the doc said this was an unusual side effect, but it was a horrible feeling, i couldn't go on like that

I do eat a proper diet as i should and without the tablets i was doing fine, thought the tablets were making my blood count too low but the doc says they wouldn't do that

So have docs again next monday morning

Lightheadedness, dizziness and shakiness are all classic symptoms of hypoglycaemia (blood sugar levels that are too low - dangerously low if left untreated). These are some of the warning signs I get when my blood sugar levels drop down below about 3.6mmol. A quick can of coke and a sit down for 10 minutes soon cures that though!

Sounds like you might just be able to manage on diet-control alone. As before.

I'm stumped about the temporary blindness in one eye though. :eek:

[rs 2k]

Thanx everyone for all the replies, learning more each day

Well today is the 1st day i haven't took my tablet and i have been fine, i usually feel funny about 12

I don't think i need to b on tablets either, just diet

As for the blindness, its not really blindness its just a weird thing, it looks like i am looking through a kalidascope (how do u spell that word [lol]) U know what i mean the kids telescope thingy with all the colours and if i look at someone's left eye i can't c their right eye, its like they only have 1 eye, it is really strange :confused

But i am fine today no problems what-so-ever

Cheers guys

Anymore info would b very much appreciated

[percy toboggan]

Had my diabetic annual m.o.t. today. Doc turned up finally, half an hour late.
Blood sugar is 6.3 - the control figure...which wasn't even 'diabetic' a few years ago, I control it by diet only and I'm not rigid....I still reckon I'm very borderline. Kidney's are doing what kidneys should appareently ...liver is usually active about this time of day anyway - glass of red.
Cholesterol 4. point summat, blood pressure 140/75...Prostate Specific Antigens well low...so there might, just might be a good few years in me yet!

There is some bad news among the glee...I've got a slight dose of athletes foot :(.

So, if I drop dead tonight at least you'll know I wasnae expecting it !

[Loch not Lock]

My reading is 15.7 at the moment and that is about 2 hours after taking my pills and a breakfast of bran flakes and 2 cups of tea, both with skimmed milk. The odd thing is that I predict now that after doing about 6 hours work and only having a light snack for lunch that my reading will be between 3.5 and 5.5. Can anybody explain?:confused

[bish667]

My reading is 15.7 at the moment and that is about 2 hours after taking my pills and a breakfast of bran flakes and 2 cups of tea, both with skimmed milk. The odd thing is that I predict now that after doing about 6 hours work and only having a light snack for lunch that my reading will be between 3.5 and 5.5. Can anybody explain?:confused

insulin + carbohydrate = energy, which reduces your reading as carbohydrate is getting lower in your body. The more work/exercise you do the faster the insulin burns the carbohydrates from your body, therefore less sugar in your system.
Hope this makes sense.
Do you test before you go to bed at night as it may already be high in the morning causing the high reading of 15.7.

[rs 2k]

I bought a meter this morning

I got it for £3.99 :D

Did my blood just now and its at 10.9 :(

I am feeling better today tho being off the tablets

I will keep a record of my blood now for the doc

How often would u suggest i test my blood? twice a day?

I was at the dunbar this morning for my 1st eye screening and all is well

[Humerous Vegetable]

We always used to recommend doing it more frequently than that for the newly-diagnosed. You need to be recording it at different times of the day. It's usually before meals for type 1, and 2 hours after for type 2 (which I presume you are) but at least once a week do a full day's profile, which would be 5 tests before or after mealtimes and 1 before you go to bed. You'll probably get sore fingers though!

[rs 2k]

Thanx for that

Yes i am type 2, i did it again just now and it has gone down to 9.4, which is a bit better than earlier

I will do it again in a while

Cheers

[percy toboggan]

maybe keep a written graph and note what foods, or what activities caused spikes or troughs.
Try not to get too hooked up on the numbers, or obsessive about doing it...and above all do not worry...easy to say I know. Good luck.