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I'd been seeing a NP (primary care) for 6 years and she still hadn't got my BG numbers down. I stopped seeing her and went to an Endocrinologist. She got my numbers down to normal within 3 weeks. She upped some dosages and started me on insulin (Tresiba.)
Since seeing this specialist costs me $200 every visit I decided to find a new Primary Care Physician.
I found one (another NP) and saw her last week. The Endocrinologist had prescribed Tresiba but now it's time to get it refilled. The new NP wouldn't fill it and said I need to see the Endocrinologist concerning anything related to my Type 2 Diabetes. I should have asked her why she wouldn't fill it but I wasn't thinking at the time.
This new NP wasn't very friendly and I don't plan on going back to her.
I gave the new NP all of my lab results from 2 months ago so she knew everything.
Do any of you know why she wouldn't refill my Tresiba?
Is it a normal thing for the PCP not to treat diabetes or to treat it only so far?
Thank you for any help you can give me.
My regular doctor would not treat my #2 diabetes when my a1c went over 7. I was referred to an endocrinologist. Just as a side note... Regular insulin ( the stuff people have used for many years ) DOES NOT REQUIRE A DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION...and can bought over the counter .
Mr78609, thank you for replying. They say Wal-mart has insulin you can buy. Is it cheap or expensive?
And I found out that any NP can prescribe all things for diabetes. But they don't feel comfortable doing it.
Perhaps you already have the answer, but Walmart sells three types of insulin: Novolin N, Novolin R and Novolin 70/30. Each vial costs, from memory, $24.50, give or take a dime.
Look up each concerning duration (one is rather quick acting, etc).
Go to the pharmacy and simply tell the person what you want. You can also buy syringes at a low cost.
I used these for a year or more, and my brother-in-law relies exclusively on them. These old school insulins work, but perhaps not quite as well as some of the newer ones.
For instance, when I began the Omnipod insulin pump, I had to switch to prescription Novolog, which is a fast acting insulin. The Walmart brand, I am told, would not work as well with the pump.
Here in Lakeland, Fla. Medical Care can be ok or really bad. There is one Endocrinologist and her patient count is well over 1000 patients. We had 2 but he retired. So a NP was hired as her assistant. This NP writes prescriptions like no one I've ever seen. She obviously is being influenced by drug salesman. She also radically changes treatment plans the previous Endo put patients on. This info came out at a monthly diabetic seminar here in town.
So yes a NP can write a script. Some NP are very good by the way. I'd just be careful if your instincts are telling you to be careful. Its sad to say but its true. We have to be our own doctor today, Diabetics even more so. Our medical treatment quite frequently, is not always in our best interest. It is to benefit medical groups and drug manufacturers.
You really should be carefully watched by a Medical Doctor if you require diabetic medicines. They may have a CNP that's specifically trained on diabetic care and they may be just fine. But this is not something to fool around with.
Yes, Tresiba may knock the bottom out of your blood sugars. But is it good like it's being prescribed? Are other medicines also being tried to get you stable?
I am under close care of an endocrinologist, and he costs me about $27 a quarter after insurance/Medicare. That's a small price to pay. I'm also fortunate to have Part B of Medicare to pay 80% of the supplies--insulin, etc.
You really should be carefully watched by a Medical Doctor if you require diabetic medicines. They may have a CNP that's specifically trained on diabetic care and they may be just fine. But this is not something to fool around with.
Yes, Tresiba may knock the bottom out of your blood sugars. But is it good like it's being prescribed? Are other medicines also being tried to get you stable?
I am under close care of an endocrinologist, and he costs me about $27 a quarter after insurance/Medicare. That's a small price to pay. I'm also fortunate to have Part B of Medicare to pay 80% of the supplies--insulin, etc.
How do you get Medicare to pay for 80% of your insulin? I'm turning 65 soon and I just started Medicare. My Insulin will cost $42 per month. Then add Trulicity to that and it's another $42. I understand this is better than paying $700 but I'm on a fixed income.
Mr78609, thank you for replying. They say Wal-mart has insulin you can buy. Is it cheap or expensive?
And I found out that any NP can prescribe all things for diabetes. But they don't feel comfortable doing it.
My regular doctor would not treat my #2 diabetes when my a1c went over 7. I was referred to an endocrinologist. Just as a side note... Regular insulin ( the stuff people have used for many years ) DOES NOT REQUIRE A DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION...and can bought over the counter .
Some words of caution to any diabetic who read that post and now has it in his/her head to start treating themselves:
A] It'll take high BS 20 years to kill you....It'll take low BS 20 seconds to kill you.
2) Learning to practice medicine is a long term, staged process. Experience is everything. Juniors learn from their seniors. The Seniors with more experience prescribe something and then the juniors get to watch to see what happens. This involves observing many, many patients and everyone is different, so the juniors get to see the full range of possible outcomes. If you're gaining experience by treating only your own self, that first (or next) dose might be your last.
c] Unless you're in the stage of insulin dependence (and how do you know if you are?) insulin will actually make you worse. (Insulin cause fat deposition. The more fat you have, the more insulin you need to keep BS down. It's a viscious cycle.)
NPs are taught to follow the recipe book and not think independently. The problem is, every pt is different (especially when it comes to diabetics) and the recipe doesn't work as often as it does work.
I retired before Tresiba was available, so I have no experience with it. Based on what I just read about it, I would never prescribe it either: it has an effective blood level for up to 42 hours. Theoretically, any drug that stays active in your system for more than 24 hrs would be building up in your system as you took daily doses. Dumb.
I'd been seeing a NP (primary care) for 6 years and she still hadn't got my BG numbers down. I stopped seeing her and went to an Endocrinologist. She got my numbers down to normal within 3 weeks. She upped some dosages and started me on insulin (Tresiba.)
Since seeing this specialist costs me $200 every visit I decided to find a new Primary Care Physician.
I found one (another NP) and saw her last week. The Endocrinologist had prescribed Tresiba but now it's time to get it refilled. The new NP wouldn't fill it and said I need to see the Endocrinologist concerning anything related to my Type 2 Diabetes. I should have asked her why she wouldn't fill it but I wasn't thinking at the time.
This new NP wasn't very friendly and I don't plan on going back to her.
I gave the new NP all of my lab results from 2 months ago so she knew everything.
Do any of you know why she wouldn't refill my Tresiba?
Is it a normal thing for the PCP not to treat diabetes or to treat it only so far?
Thank you for any help you can give me.
Not one mention of diet?
Unless you are a Type 1 (makes none) or an insulin dependent Type 2 (makes too little) diabetic, insulin is just a band aid. Insulin treats the symptom (high blood sugar). You have to treat the cause which is usually a bad diet.
Diabetes is a progressive "dead end" disease. You can stop it from getting worse by controlling what you eat. Ignoring that fact, will lead to only one thing.. I'll leave that to the imagination.
As Guido mentioned, it becomes a viscious cycle.
Last edited by Sunscape; 12-12-2020 at 08:45 AM..
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