Not Able To Control Blood Sugar Level

by baskaran
(chennai,tamilnadu,india)





Quick Answer
If your blood sugar remains high despite a strict diet and insulin, your treatment plan needs a medical review. This does not mean that you have failed. Possible reasons include an insulin dose or timing that no longer matches your needs, missed doses, incorrect injection technique, injecting into thickened areas, expired or heat-damaged insulin, illness, stress, other medicines, or changes in weight, meals, kidney function, and physical activity. Do not increase insulin on your own unless your doctor has given you a correction plan.


Answer by Dr. Albana Greca, MD, MMedSc



Hi Baskaran,



After 15 years of diabetes, it is possible for blood glucose to become harder to control even when you are careful with food. In type 2 diabetes, insulin production may gradually decline, so treatment often needs adjustment over time.



Starting insulin is not a punishment or a sign of failure. It is an established treatment when the body no longer produces enough insulin or when other treatment is not achieving safe glucose levels.



Record your fasting, before-meal, and two-hour after-meal readings for several days. Compare them with the general ranges in our blood sugar level chart, but remember that your personal targets may be different.



Why Can Blood Sugar Stay High on Insulin?



Common reasons include:




  • The insulin dose, type, or timing no longer matches your needs.

  • Meals contain more carbohydrate than expected or mealtimes vary.

  • Insulin doses are missed, delayed, or taken at the wrong time.

  • The insulin has expired or was exposed to excessive heat or freezing.

  • Repeated injections into the same area have caused lumps or thickened tissue.

  • An infection, poor sleep, pain, emotional stress, or another illness is raising glucose.

  • Medicines such as corticosteroids are increasing blood sugar.



Your doctor should review your complete insulin treatment plan, including the insulin names, doses, timing, injection sites, meals, and glucose records.



Check How You Use and Store Insulin



Inject insulin into healthy tissue and rotate sites within the abdomen, thighs, upper arms, or buttocks as instructed. Avoid hard lumps, dents, scars, or repeatedly using the same small area because insulin absorption can become unpredictable.



Check the expiry date and follow the storage instructions for your specific insulin. Do not use

insulin that has been frozen, overheated, or looks different from how it normally appears.



Which Tests Are Helpful?



Ask for an HbA1c test if it has not been checked recently. HbA1c estimates your average glucose over approximately the previous two to three months. Our guide to understanding HbA1c explains how the result relates to average blood sugar.



Your doctor may also review kidney and liver function, urine protein, cholesterol, blood pressure, thyroid function when appropriate, and signs of infection. The aim is to identify why your current treatment is not meeting your individual target.



Diet and Exercise Still Matter



A “strict diet” is not always the same as a balanced diabetes meal plan. Eating too little, skipping meals, or removing entire food groups can make insulin use less predictable.



A consistent pattern of measured carbohydrate, vegetables, and protein is usually more practical. See our diabetic meal-planning guide.



Regular physical activity can improve insulin sensitivity, but the type and timing should be safe for your health. Our guide to diabetes and exercise explains precautions for people using insulin.




Do not adjust insulin blindly: Extra insulin can cause severe or delayed hypoglycemia. Ask your doctor for written instructions covering correction doses, missed doses, illness, meals, exercise, and when to seek help.


When Is High Blood Sugar Urgent?



Seek prompt medical advice if glucose remains very high despite following your prescribed correction plan.



Get emergency help for vomiting, abdominal pain, fruity-smelling breath, deep or difficult breathing, confusion, severe weakness, dehydration, or moderate to high ketones.



For everyday management, follow the steps in how to control diabetes safely and arrange a treatment review rather than relying on diet alone.



Hope this helps.



Dr. Albana Greca



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References






Educational only — not personal medical advice. Insulin doses must be individualized. Do not start, stop, or change insulin or other diabetes medicines without instructions from your healthcare professional.



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