@A DiabetesTeam Member
It seems the doctor has recommended insulin for your blood sugar readings of 8. This is definitely too high a number to continue to be at for sure if you want to avoid future complications and ill health. If you can keep your blood sugar at 5.9 for most of the time without a problem you would be fine and not need the insulin. Obviously the doctor can see that you are not able to do this. One reason you feel crappy at 5.9 is because your body is not used to being in a 'normal' range. You are always used to being high, so you have adapted and become used to living with the higher numbers. This doesn't mean that beause you feel OK that you body will not be damaged by the higher blood sugars. It just means your body need to get used to being in he normal range once again.

If you cannot keep the lower numbers without insuin, then insulin is the answer for you. There are many reasons why this could be so. For myself, I know that I do not produce enougn insulin to cover my food so I take insulin (which is a normal body hormone), to replace the missing insulin that I cannot produce. I can keep my numbers in a good range of between 5 to 7.5 daily with an A1c in the 5.'s and low 6's for the past 15 years. For me it has been a great help and without insulin, I do not think I would have reached 84 years of age.

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A Diabete...

Actually in the long run insulin is better for you than the pills. Metformin would damage your kidneys. That is what caused my kidney failure.

Well said Buscie ; It do take awhile for the body to adapt to changes in readings , main thing , don,t despair , keep your stick on the ice ( smile )

DON"T LET THE DR SUCK YOU INTO INSULIN!!!!! If you are T2...insulin only puts you into a bad spiral that leads no where good......manage this with diet and exercise as best you can.....think about this.......the treatment protocols for T2 diabetes were just transferred from how Drs treated Type 1.....type two is a nutritional issue that REQUIRES a NUTRITIONAL response....and the track record for T2s on insulin is NOT THAT GOOD.....You are already listening to your body....if you feel like CRAP with your A1C too low...listen to that.....there is a new generation of Drs that are questioning whether or not such a low A1C is good for people as they age.....it has everything to do with your BRAIN function.......protect your brain.

Yep. Just got put on insulin but they gave me one more chance after the most recent A1C 8 reading but the next went even higher to 8.6, so here I am. I actually had a whole year's worth of a second chance because I was referred to an Endocrinologist by my Family Doctor who had recommended insulin at that time (last May, 2016).

I had stopped the Metformin (peer pressure) which was keeping my A1C around 6.0 on average so my Family Doctor refused to continue to prescribe the Metformin as this was the 3rd time I had stopped it on my own for 2-3 weeks at a time. But the next pill he prescribed caused 20 lbs weight gain and horrible blood sugars even 349!! The Endocrinologist prescribed yet another pill but said if I couldn't get below 7.0 it would have to be insulin. I did go down from their initial A1C reading of 8.6 down into the 7's like maybe 7.8 then 7.6 and 7.2, but then I got diagnosed with cancer in January 2017 and skyrocketed back up to 8.6 again over the 9 months fighting the big "C".

Enough about me. A1C measures 3 months blood sugar, taking in the spikes and the lows and averaging them out to the A1C reading. If it's measured right after a sugar binge (like birthday cake, my weakness), you can bet it will be higher than after a long period of being careful about carbs. If you can truly get to 5.9 A1C readings, while this is a good thing, it also shows you may not be taking your diagnosis seriously for it to climb to 8. Keep in mind that you did say that "when I cut back on carbs my sugar drops to 5.9".

I've been there. Trust me. Since I'm trapped here at home with no car and I'm disabled so buses are not an option (thank God), when I'm allowed to borrow a family member's car for grocery shopping once a month, I've been known to binge on nachos or other treats that I genuinely thought I could ration out throughout the month. I can actually remember measuring out servings of the salsa, chips, cheese but have difficulty with that now so avoidance is my best bet. I have actually measured out 1/4 cup of nuts and bagged them in snack size baggies then put into quart freezer bags and hid in the freezer. Almonds and walnuts have the most "good" fatty acids. But I also do it with pecans and cashews. Protein snacks are best at holding off cravings.

You may be feeling like crap at an A1C of 5.9 because it's from prolonged extreme carb avoidance. Don't forget the "good" carbs, the healthy vegetables, fruits and whole grains. You can search online for the best fruits and vegetables for diabetics. Whole grains speak for themselves. For me, even just having the no-sugar added canned fruits in my cupboard helps me not panic and dive into a sugar binge, because at least there is SOMETHING sweet available to me. Yes, fresh is best, but back-up is also good for "emergencies".

Definitely talk this over with your doctor. If you aren't seeing an Endocrinologist, maybe you should request a referral to one. Hoping for the best for you!