A younger friend has just found out he is diabetic Type 3c, due to a damaged pancreas. I have been told that it is more like Type 2 than Type 1 but he is being sent home from Hospital with insulin, rather than Metformin tablets which suggests a severe stage. Does anyone have any specific advice I can pass on to him? I think this is the diet he will be using as he has already lost a lot of weight.

I am not familiar with Type 3 except there has been a link to Alzheimers and this is probably not the case here. If he is looking for advice about using insulin there is little I can say. Maybe to stick to the dose recommended by his doctor. On this diet his BG will go down and he should be prepared to check regularly if he starts to get any of the symptoms of low glucose which are:-
Fast heartbeat. Shaking. Sweating. Nervousness or anxiety. Irritability or confusion. Dizziness. Hunger. Blurred vision.

Always have something close by as emergency sugar like a hard boiled sweet (I prefer Werthers Originals) or in cases of sever emergency a liquid glucose which can be administered by someone else if he isnt able to do it due to confusion. If the low BG is just coming on try eating some protein or a plain yoghurt with some berries or dried fruit chopped in. No need to be heading for the jam and bread like in the old days.

Be able to reduce the amount of insulin but with the advice of his doctor. I am capable of moving mine up and down depending on food or my numbers but this takes time and practice.

When finger pricking wash your hands rather than useing antiseptic wipes – these affect the reading – always prick the side of your finger rather than the tips. This prevents eventual loss of feeling in the fingers – also use a different finger or side of finger every time to spread the damage. When injecting insulin just make sure the area is clean, no need to wash as most body parts are not going to be dirty.

Hope that helps. Unless there is something specific. No it doesn’t really hurt, yes you do get sick of the idea of it but it is necessary. I don’t know what chance there is of him getting off insulin and onto metformin or diet control. It is up to him to speak to his doctor.

That is really helpful, yes. He has been given a lot of booklets and pamphlets to read, but tips from someone who has done it before are so much more accessible. I have passed on your advice to him and got him watching the Eat Smart programme to find out how to keep his spikes down for now, but hopefully when he is stabilised he can start to reduce the carbs as well.

S-g really interested in the fact that antiseptic wipes alter the readings. I always use an alcohol spray before I test! Maybe if I always use it I’ll get a similar ‘incorrect’ reading?

Thats a possibility V. Not thought of that. Another theory is that it causes the skin to contract and makes it harder to penetrate the skin. The blood that comes out is contaminated with a chemical. Washing in warm water increases the blood flow to the fingers. Also if washing, make sure hands are dry or you are watering down the blood.

Thought I would test the alcohol versus hand washing finger prick. Washed hands in soap and hot water, dried and reading was 6.4. Cleaned hands with alcohol spray and tested same finger and got a reading of 7! In future will wash rather than spray!

Wow, that is quite a difference!
Worth knowing!

Unfortunately the sample was far too small to draw any conclusions! Sorry but I’m not double pricking my fingers in the name of ‘science’! I’ll leave the ‘experiment’ just as it is.