Insulin therapy is the most powerful medication available for treating diabetes.
In spite of this, many people are still reluctant to use it. Sadly, this is one
of the biggest barriers they have to getting the treatment they need.
Most of the reasons why people don't want to use insulin are rooted in myths and
folklore. Diabetes is a condition that runs through families. Lots of people are
put off insulin therapy because they remember an older relative developing serious
health problems whilst taking insulin. It is likely that most of the problems they
experienced weren't the side effects of insulin therapy but the symptoms of untreated
diabetes.
If you have been prescribed insulin, it is important to discuss any concerns you
have with your diabetes healthcare team. You may have some fears about how it could
affect you health and your life. However, most of these fears are rooted in the
following myths that can be busted.
- Insulin therapy causes serious health problems - It is not insulin therapy
but untreated diabetes that leads to health complications. If you have been prescribed
insulin, the sooner you take it the less likely it is that you will experience the
long-term health complications that have been linked to diabetes.
- Insulin therapy will make me put on weight - Insulin therapy has a similar
impact on your weight as the oral treatments you have probably already been taking.
Ask to see a dietician, who will explain how you can keep weight gain to a minimum
through diet and exercise.
- Once I start, I will be on insulin for the rest of my life - This is not
true in all cases. Some people take insulin for a short time to treat hyperglycaemia. However, many people do continue
to take it for the remainder of their lives.
- Insulin therapy is complicated and inconvenient - It can be inconvenient
if you are using short-acting regular insulin, which has to be injected 30-45 minutes
before meals. However, if you are using a rapid-acting insulin, you do not need
to plan ahead and can inject immediately before eating. Most people find that they
develop a routine that includes their insulin therapy with little disruption to
their lifestyle. It is important to remember that the complications arising from
untreated diabetes are likely to be far more inconvenient than insulin therapy.
- If I use insulin therapy, people will think I am disabled - Irrespective
of what some people think, using insulin does not mean you are disabled. However,
uncontrolled diabetes can lead to serious disabilities.
- Insulin injections are painful - Insulin therapy is much less painful than
other types of injections and there are lots of ways of reducing the pain of injections''.
Over time, many people say that their insulin therapy is painless and manageable.