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The Question
11/13/09 01:15 PM

"what really happens if you stop taking insulin and try and use diet alone"
Asked By: darrin  
Category: Insulin

Background Info Hide
I was a type 2 since 1992. I started taking lantus and apidra in 2007. My doctor says that I am a type 1 now. I was laid off in march/2009 and still can't find a job and telling an employer you need extra breaks for snacks and insulin will not win them over. I've heard all the horror stories about dying if you stop taking insulin but how much is made up and how much is real. I want to try and wein myself off but am not sure. I've heard people say they have relatives who quit taking insulin 20 years ago and they are fine. So am I just feeding the profit seeking drug companies. Some say Oh your organs will all shut down and will die in a couple of days without insulin. Is this true? My cobra is gone after December and I really need to figure this out, so any help you could give would be appreciated. Thanks

Expert Answers (1)

11/13/09 06:37 PM

Dear darrin, You really need to know whether you have type 1 or 2 diabetes. Yes, you will die in a few days if you are type 1 and don't take any insulin. You need insulin to get carbohydrates into your cells where it is broken down into calories. If you don't get the carbohydrates into your cells, your blood sugar keeps rising and then you can have a condition where you may go into a coma or have a drastic change in the ph of your blood and die. If you have type 2 diabetes, you possibly could be weaned off of insulin and perhaps onto an oral diabetes medication. You need to know what kind of diabetes you have. That isn't determined by whether you take insulin now or not. It is determined by blood tests that tell if you make insulin and if you have antibodies to insulin. If you doctor hasn't done these tests, you really don't know for sure what kind of diabetes you have.
Answered By: Janice Fisher
Accreditations: RD, LD, PHD, CDE, BC-ADM
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Community Answers (4)

11/26/09 07:31 AM

If you are a type 1 you cant go without taking insulin and if those people who "weened" themselves from insulin are still alive -- they are N0T type 1. if your pancreas is not making insulin and you are not taking any in from Lantus or Novolin R--which i found works BEST, then you cannot use energy you eat from carbs and essentially starve your body to death; and lose weight -- thats why some ppl stop taking insulin and lose a lot of weight .. they starve themselves of energy.. not taking insulin wont help fewer breaks. keep snacks handy in a pocket to avoid taking a lot of breaks -- Lantus in a combination with you speaking to a dietician about how many total grams of carbohydrates [15grams=0NE "carb" so 4 "carbs" per meal id say] you need in a meal -- probably about 60 whih is 4 "carbs" as thats what my boyfriends is -- and stickin closely to that, with 32 grams of total carbohydrates as a snack will help you take almost just the lantus once .. and then if you can get Novolin R and use it on a sliding scale -- my boyfriends is if blood glucose level 151-200 its 4 units and increase by 2 units for every 50 points it goes up.. then you may find it better :) he uses this and at diagnosis was in diabetic ketoacidosis = H0RRIBLE w bs of 686 and a week in a medical center which is what you will get if you stop insulin.. but his A1C was 12.3 in july 2008!! at admission because he had N0 CLUE he was diabetic; b/c his healthy eating and playing high school football and exercise had hidden it keepin it managed so he found out at age 19 just last year .. scary stuff that ketoacidosis..S0 i would advise the diet and lantus and novolinR to have fewer shots, etc.. and the better managed and good the numbers are LESS chances of complications, his A1C just 2months after with this diet and meds was 7% in november 2008 :) and has been 5.6% since january 2009 :) and we are excited as 8-9 is good control for diabetics and 6% or less is that of N0N diabetics- Hope this helps :)
Answered By: kcld54
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11/20/09 03:22 PM

Here in Ontario Canada it is possible to ask the phamaceutical companies to help you out - income is taken into consideration. I am sure you can apply for help in obtaining your insulin. Give it a try. Helrivl
Answered By: elkariv
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11/14/09 08:34 AM

If you are truly a type 1 and you stop taking it most likely you will die. Now if its in a few days that is hard to say. Carbs raise bs so if you lower them you might be able to see what happens. Thing is if your bs go up the first few days you will know you can not do it. This is your life your playing with, if you need insulin walmart has there brand for $25 and no script is needed in Missouri where I am from. It wont be the exact same as what you are using but its affordable. Look into it all you can do is try. I am a type 2 on insulin and without insulin my bs would be 300 to 500 without it this I already know.
Answered By: furball64801
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11/13/09 05:53 PM

Insurance-wise, I've been in the same boat you'll be in, but have been there for two years. When you job hunt, it's illegal for an employer to ask, so don't bring up the fact that you have diabetes. Also, if you are well-managed, you shouldn't need to be taking extra breaks; you should be able to meter and if needed, have a small snack with you. I've worked for many companies in the 30+ years I've had type 1. None of my former employers ever had a problem with it. If you are now type 1, and you stop taking insulin, you could try "managing" the disease with diet alone, the same as people did before 1926. Unfortunately they didn't live very long on a very low carb, high-fat diet, semi-starvation diet.. If cost is a very big concern, and you have to pay for the entire cost of insulin out of pocket, you should discuss a better alternative, using the insulin therapy that immediately preceeded the introduction of Lantus: using human synthetic NPH insulin (Humulin N), which costs roughly half as much as Lantus. It's less convenient, but if you are between jobs, you shouldn't have difficulty "squeezing in" a second shot of NPH each day. The time to make a switch is BEFORE COBRA runs out, so you can get your routine worked out with your doctor. Another place to economise is on BG strips. The ones covered by most insurance plans cost twice as much as equally accurate and convenient ones from other companies. Oddly, with most insurance plans, the copays are the same for Humulin N and Lantus.
Answered By: psdaengr
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*** All information contained on dLife.com is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Our Expert Q&A is not intended to be a replacement or substitute for consultation with a qualified medical professional or for professional medical advice related to diabetes or another medical condition. Please contact your physician or medical professional with any questions and concerns about your medical condition.

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