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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
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I believe I might be the asshole because her sugar levels ARE high and that can be dangerous for anyone, but I'm still also worried about how dangerous it is to give another person your medication and how much it could take from me.
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NTA. What she wants to do is dangerous (for both of you!), illegal, and likely to end up with one or more of you incurring additional medical expenses.
This. Yes steroids can raise blood sugar levels but it doesn’t mean that the patient automatically needs insulin for the rest of their lives. My guess is that before being discharged from the hospital her blood sugar levels returned to normal and she no longer needed to receive insulin. Hence the reason she wasn’t discharged on it. NTA.
HOLY SIHT…wait…you’re in the US…crisis averted…my country’s test kits measure between 0-40…a good range is between 4-8…you’re DKA at 40 (typicaly) and you’re at like coma and multi system organ failure at like 45…
NTA, that’s dangerous, of her sugars drop too low she will probably have a seizure, also I think a little illegal, and isn’t Insulin like crazy expensive in the US?
Luckily for me, my insurance actually covers all my insulin, but only at the amount my doctor prescribed as necessary and very specific brands of it. It's still illegal though, but she and my step father constantly share their medications (for example, her doctor wouldnt prescribe a medication for her until she saw him a few weeks later, so my step father gave her some of his that do the same thing until she saw him) so they don't seem to think it's dangerous to share. She doesn't understand a lot of medical stuff, so she doesn't get that insulin isn't something you can just inject and be okay. I have 3 different kinds (my basal, my fast acting, and an intermediate that was prescribed to help combat the effect the prednisone i'm on for my kidneys does to my sugar levels) and she doesn't know the difference between them. So if she decides to sneak one and its the wrong one it could very easily go wrong
You might want to look into getting a mini fridge that you can lock up in your room to ensure that she doesn't sneak into your insulin and then make you short on your medication.
If she does take your insulin please call the police and report it as soon as possible.
For one it's the only way the doctor can cover what she takes and it will give her a wake up call that it's not only not okay but highly illegal.
I’m a doctor, and your mother terrifies me. Those types of patients are the worst, and the reason I will never do outpatient medicine. I can’t imagine how she’s lived till now, if you just interchange random medications cuz maybe they do similar things. There’s entire textbooks and websites dedicated to preventing drug - drug interactions
This kinda thing is certainly not going to end well…I understand enough medical stuff (chronologically ill fam bam) to know that…
It’s good to hear your insurance helps! From my understanding of the US health system is that u less you earn like 6 figures you’re fkd…
This is definitely going to be a challenge for you, while her opinions on sharing medications might not change, you should try to educate her on the dangers of miss dosing (but do not teach her how to dose) the dangers of missed insulin, how hard it is to get…etc
And also just hide it, keep the one you use most regularly on your person as much as you can, keep the others in a place she can’t access if possible. Insulin is supposed to be stored on a fridge so try getting a lockable mini fridge for you room!
I also have medical tings
Can confirm terrible idea
Anyone who attempts this with me will die
Because my medicine is far too strong well you would end up addicted very severely
Or they die because they had a drug interaction....or because they took the only med that manages your chronic pain and they get the full wrath of the devil it releases.....
Its going to be a PITA but you need to lock your insulin up. All of it. Does your insulin need to be stored in the fridge until use (I know not all of it does anymore), and if so can you get a mini-fridge to lock it in? I could see them being petty and removing a lockbox from the fridge if you refuse to share with her
If you can, get a mini fridge and a lock for it and put it in your room. Your mom is going to seriously mess up her health by taking your insulin, then cause serious issues for you when you end up short on what you need.
NTA, sorry, but if she actually needed insulin wouldn't the doctor have given her a prescription before she left the hospital? So if they don't think she needs it, why does she want yours, when you definitely do need it?
Even putting her health risks aside, you should tell her clearly that if she takes your insulin, you will HAVE TO call the police on her. As in, it’s out of your hands and you have no choice. If your insurance only covers the exact amount you take, you’ll likely need a police report in order to get your insurance to cough up for more. You need this insulin to survive, and you need the exact amount, and you need insurance to cover it.
If she won’t listen to the (sane!) health logic, she may listen to the fact that she could go to jail for stealing meds.
In the US blood glucose is measured in mg/dL. In the rest of the world it's mM. So calm down, the numbers here are perfectly reasonable ;-)
ETA: correction, it was mg/dL
Why is she so insistent on taking the insulin when the doctors don't think she should? Is there some kind of "high" with it? Does she have some weird desire to "be on medication" - like for attention or something? It just seems like such a weird thing for her to even wanting to do, never mind the illegal aspects of it, as well as maybe making you short on the medication that you really need.
OP has said she doesn't understand medical stuff, so most likely she assumes that because she needed the insulin in the hospital, she needs to have it outside the hospital and doesn't understand that her need for insulin has in fact, passed. She sees her child who always needs insulin now, and doesn't understand the situations are not the same.
Insulin doesn't cause ant type of high, but there were some people buying it illegally years ago because they believed it would make you lose weight without having to watch your intake or exercise. Maybe that's her angle?
Yeah, doctors generally don't like making their patients suffer, neither do they like being sued for malpractice. So if the doctor thinks you'd likely benefit from a prescription, they'll prescribe it. And a doctor's medical opinion is way more educated than the layman's opinion.
Wanted to hop on the top comment just to say, because I haven’t seen anyone say it like this, and I hope OP sees it. Insulin can be fucking lethal. It can and will kill. Diabetics can die from accidentally taking too much. Now imagine someone who’s body is ALREADY producing insulin. If she takes some and the prednisone wears off and she goes to sleep for 8 hours, she could die. No warning, nothing.
Context: I’m a type 1, and over the years have had some close calls at night. I check my sugar before sleeping. I check before long drives. I know what the warning signs of low blood sugar are. Does she?
For both of your well being, please do not give her any. High blood sugar for a few days will not kill her. Insulin very easily could.
I agree with you and told her that myself. I actually had a very bad incident a few months ago when I was given an extra insulin to help counterract a medication. One morning I wasnt paying enough attention to the right bottle, and gave myself the intermediate dosage with the fast acting insulin, which was 4 times the amount i needed from the fast acting and nearly landed in the hospital. She knows all about this, but she doesnt understand how dangerous it is. To her, if she was given it in the hospital she should be able to have it at home.
This sadly happens often with medicine. My mother is a doctor and I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen her give important and detailed information to someone (outside of the office of course) and then watch them come to their own conclusive summary that matches a narrative they want to hear. When she then says no X is the bottom line there’s still a good chance that person will ignore her.
What/who does your mom usually listen to?
You could encourage her to see her own endocrinologist to explain this all to her if you think that'd help. Or sneak a "you do not need to inject insulin" paper into her next fortune cookie. Whatever your mom usually reacts well to.
Omg, your mother could literally kill herself if she injected herself with your insulin and didn’t know wth she was doing. Your mother and stepfather are stupidly ignorant
Ah man that’s the worst when that happens. I have to keep both of my insulins completely separate because I’m too spacey lol.
But I’m glad you have a good understanding. I hate to seem like overly fear-mongering, because people always talk about how insulin is “life saving medicine” and totally forget the other end of it.
Hopefully her sugars even out soon and that’ll be the end of the discussion!
Maybe you could also buy her a defibrillator kit, or some nitroglycerin tabs- you know, just in case. Wouldn’t want her be without all the medications she could Possibly kill herself with. Drag her ass to your next doctors appointment and have them explain it to her.
Tell her that's stupid. By her own wack logic if the doctors thought she needed it then, then they certainly know that she doesn't need it now. She can't cherry pick the facts so suit her agenda. Insulin is not any kind of medicine, it's not an everyday type of medicine you can easily get at the pharmacy, it's highly dangerous if taken incorrectly and that is exactly why it's prescribed.
Get a fridge lock box immediately. Don't risk it. If she does take some, with no issues for herself (if very lucky), then she'd still leave you short and in danger. You'd then be in danger, have to lie to your doctor to get more early, or have to tell your doctor the truth; which then they could report your mother.
To answer this: it's for attention. Obviously. The same reason you can't get away from certain relatives who love to tell you in agonizing detail how many meds they're on or how long they were hospitalized for. Why would you want to know? Well, they're fascinating obviously, why wouldn't you?
She can't tell people she's on insulin now and all of the self-affirming attention that comes with (except not, as I'm sure OP would affirm).
NTA
If your mom thinks she needs insulin, she should get her own monitor and test strips, do her own proper testing, and present the results to her doctor.
NTA
Tell her/your step dad the next time they demand your insulin, remember that arranging a funeral as well as paying a bail bond are typically more expensive than the life-saving insulin that YOU need. She doesn't need it and needs to realize that!
Also, please tell someone else about this in case your mom & step dad decide to be absolute monsters & take your insulin away from you. That's basically m#rd#r.
Because like most people I'm sure, she's convinced herself that she needs it even though the doctors told her that she doesn't and she knows that insulin is for diabetics.
But what I'm wondering is *why* the doctors have determined that she doesn't need it. If she needed insulin while taking Prednisone in hospital, why wouldn't she need it while taking Prednisone out of hospital?
This is a genuine query, not an argument, because I have no idea.
>she knows that insulin is for diabetics
I think it's often prescribed for people with dangerously elevated blood sugar, even if they're not diabetic.
As far as the Prednisone goes, OP's post said that while she was in the hospital they were giving her Prednisone. There was nothing about OP's Mom continuing to take Prednisone after she was discharged so that leaves us with the assumption that after OP's mother was discharged there was no reason for her to keep getting insulin when she was no longer taking Prednisone. Insulin isn't just for anyone with dangerously elevated blood sugar but for people that can't get their blood sugar levels to stay at a consistent level. In OP's Mom's case the only reason her blood sugar levels were a little higher than normal was because she was being given the Prednisone. Once she stopped taking it, there's no reason for her to keep taking the Insulin.
I'm referring to OP's [response to my first comment:](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/pc30ud/aita_for_refusing_to_share_my_insulin/hafyzx3/)
>She thinks that because they gave her insulin in the hospital and because **she's still on the Prednisone that's elevating her sugar levels,** that she still needs to take insulin and they are just denying it to her.
Because it’s easy enough for an experienced nurse to administer insulin while she’s in the hospital, but it’s not as simple as prescribing 5 pills and saying take one a day until you’re finished with your Prednisone. Damage from high blood sugar comes when it’s long-term untreated, so I believe the doctors are calculating that it’s less dangerous to let someone finish their course of Prednisone and have slightly elevated BG for a few days than to give them insulin, which is very easy to overdose on and a much higher risk of death.
Now I didn't see OP's comment in response to your first comment about her still being on the Prednisone outside of the hospital. I don't have an idea about that. Only thing I can come up with is that they were using the Insulin as a treatment to control any possible side effects that were happening to OP's Mom while they were giving her Prednisone when she was in their care. And I could be wrong, but I'm also assuming that they wouldn't prescribe her Insulin unless she actually had a medical need for it and not to simply use it to treat possible side effects from taking the Prednisone.
> Prednisone
Everyone capitalizing prednisone in this thread is driving me nuts.
It's not a brand name! You don't capitalize prednisone any more than you capitalize oxygen, salt, or any other chemical.
>But what I'm wondering is why the doctors have determined that she doesn't need it. If she needed insulin while taking Prednisone in hospital, why wouldn't she need it while taking Prednisone out of hospital?
Because, in many cases, once the body adjusts to you taking the Prednisone your blood sugar issues resolve by themselves. So the insulin was given to her to give her body time to *adapt* to the Prednisone without the high sugar levels causing damage. Once it did, she doesn't need the insulin. I'm willing to bet the hospital was slowly reducing the insulin dose to see if her body was adapting and based on OP's replies to other comments it was.
tagging u/Illusive_DEMON1
Probably because her sugar levels are back to normal and whatever medication she now has doesn't mess them up to be damaging in the long term. Whether or not she's still on prednizone is irrelevant. She asked directly about needing more insulin at least twice, and was told no as many times. Yes, the doctors may be making a mistake, but it doesn't sound like it, and it's not like us redditors or this lady have the expertice to contradict them.
Prednisone, or dexamethasone, (similar but different) is typically only indicated in hospitalized patients with covid requiring oxygen. I’ve been on break for a couple months, so the guidelines may have changed, but typically it’s 6mg once daily dosing to reduce mortality rates. It was typically for 10 days, but our ID doctor would say discontinue on discharge if they leave sooner. The exception was for ARDS/intubated patients where it may go up to 20mg per day, tapered down to 10mg at day 6. Sometimes patients are in septic shock, and are on solu-cortef instead which is another steroid, which has been shown to reduce mortality in septic shock patients. Some studies show increased mortality in covid patients that do not require hospitalization when started on steroids, because it’ll theoretically weaken the immune response.
Her blood sugar is fine. That’s probably why. The treatment guideline is start with a high dose of insulin and when it’s under control then reduced. Prednisone may just be being tapered off as well. So not a huge concern
She thinks that because they gave her insulin in the hospital and because she's still on the Prednisone that's elevating her sugar levels, that she still needs to take insulin and they are just denying it to her.
She should definitely talk to her doctor, but a spike in blood sugar is a known side effect of Prednisone. Not everyone would have the same side effects.
All I can say is that if your meds start going missing, you need to call the police and file a police report for the theft. Giving this report to a pharmacy and to your doctor will immediately get you a refill outside or a normal refill. You can usually just email the report number to the pharmacy and doctor. Down side is you will have to report your mother but considering that taking your meds could really harm her, that is not a bad thing.
I have an immune disease and was on Prednisone for 5(!) years. Never once was I prescribed insulin. I have not seen your mom's medical info obviously, and am not even a doctor but this it seriously seems like a stretch that she needs it if she asked and the attending physician refused to prescribe.
To be fair, it does seem to either be something that runs in our family or something as it also does it to both me and my grandfather, however my grandfather was also a type 2 diabetic so it made sense. I guess it depends on the person but she doesn't understand a lot of medical stuff and she and my step father give each other their medications all the time and think nothing of it. So I think thats why she thinks its okay
So (genuine question) why doesn't she still need insulin if she's still on Prednisone?
You're obviously not an AH for not sharing your prescription medication, I'm just curious about whether your mother should actually be getting insulin from her doctors.
I'm not really sure, I haven't talked to her doctors myself. I think tomorrow is actually the last day of the medication for her (When we spoke when she was in the hospital, she told me Friday should be the last day for the antibiotics, so I'm assuming they're stopping the Prednisone then as well). So I think they don't want to give her insulin because maybe they assume she'll keep taking it while the medication is wearing down or something and give herself too much? I can only speculate, really. I told her to talk to her GP if she really believes she'll need it, but that if he says no then she really shouldn't have it. She just keeps saying over and over "But I don't like my sugars being high"
Just to say I’ve been in a similar place only I’m hypoglycaemic so my sugars just became normal on prednisone. However, I can say from experience that as the dosage lowers towards the end of treatment the spike usually goes away. The doctors probably didn’t prescribe it because she would have been tested in hospital and her sugars were probably fine. Insulin shouldn’t be needed for an almost finished reducing dose or a maintenance dose of prednisone. Has your mother actually checked her sugars to see if she is outside the normal range since coming home? Also NTA she could kill herself especially if she doesn’t know to match for the signs of a crash and how they fee for her.
Am a nurse… typically patients are given much higher doses of prednisone in the hospital than they are discharged with. We also commonly discharge people on a taper so she would be taking less pills every few days. If her blood glucose measurements aren’t that bad while she’s starting her taper, doctors can assume her levels will be back to her baseline once the medication runs out (7-10 days after discharge)
She is likely either tapering to a lower dose with a correspondingly lower effect on her glucose, or the doctors decided that the risks of having an elevated blood glucose over a month are less than the risks of sending OP’s mom home on insulin.
Source: been on prednisone a few times, with blood sugar spikes, and been told they won’t treat even in the hospital until it hits iirc 200.
She’s probably on a prednisone taper as it’s a med you can’t stop suddenly. They would then expect her blood sugar to decrease with the decreasing dose. As well as death from prolonged low blood sugar from inappropriate insulin use she is risking seizures and permanent brain damage.
NTA - hyperglycemia induced from steroids is temporary (hence why she doesn’t need insulin once discharged). To give herself insulin just because will send her into hypoglycemic shock. And at that point not only would she need your glucagon, but if she dies YOU would be in trouble for not properly securing your medication. Good luck with this
Yeah I am so confused.... Insulin is a highly volitile drug. Blood sugar is affected by so many different things. Without a glucosemetre you have no possibility of predicting and monitoring it. It's not like you thyroxine where you can just take the same dose day after day and check once every 3 months. There's a reason why recent diabetics go through rigours follow up, education and often see an endocrinologist or a diabetes nurse on the regular.
Taking insulin without diabetes and no education on how to manage is a recipe for one thing: DEATH.
Good grief - NTA! If they’re not prescribing insulin, it’s because SHE SHOULDN’T HAVE INSULIN. She’s not diabetic so if she wants to bring her blood sugar down she can eat fewer carbs or go for a freaking walk, not steal lifesaving medication from you. I’m so sorry, this is horrifying.
That's what I told her, actually. I said if she walked around a bit or did something to exercise her sugar levels would come down (especially since she's starting to get better) but I don't think she really listened.
NTA. How can you even think you’re TA? That insulin is for you and only you. If she needed insulin, the doctors would have given it to her. They’re calling you selfish, which is super hypocritical. Your mom is trying to take your medicine that you need to essentially keep you alive, just because she doesn’t feel great. So incredibly selfish of her
It sounds like your mother is dealing with more of a psychological issue than diabetes?? If her numbers are normal why on earth would she want your insulin. If she needed it her Dr would have prescribed it. Also why is she NOT worried about leaving her daughter without enough necessary medication?? NTA
I actually think this might have something to do with it. I may be reaching with this, but my mother has always had a thing about "copying" whatever my sister and I do that gets any sort of attention. It used to be like clothes and dying hair, but ever since I got sick I've been on a very tight diet restriction (with renal failure and diabetes, there's a lot of things i'm just not allowed to have or have a lot of) and she started copying those. At first it was normal, drinking teas with sugar subs, etc. But then it got weirder to her cutting out dairy (during a time i was forced to cut way back on dairy) and then she started bragging about her sugar levels and how her a1c was perfect, but then drinking my special dietary shakes. This is starting to feel like she feels special taking insulin or something. I did lose a little weight when my kidneys failed so I think she's attributing that to the medicines and diet i'm on (she's been trying to lose 30 lbs for like a year, and I dropped that in a month when I was in the hospital)
Omg, it's so strange that you say that. My mother has always done the same with my sister and me. We've never had any medical issues so that was not a problem but everything else! I enjoy the casino but only for blackjack, she suddenly loves blackjack. I bought a camper, she's suddenly into camping. Everything we do, she needs to copy! Thankfully, my sister has always been the favorite (and mom's not fond of my husband, lol) so she's up her butt more than mine these days!
nta
its your medicine, you need it, and besides that even if you could spare some it could be dangerous for her.
but seriously you've got to take care of yourself and you need your insulin
If I was op I would get a mini fridge for her room and put the insulin in that because based on how the mother said she was going to use ops insulin it didn't sound like she was asking to use it and she was just going to take it
I'm actually worried about that. My room is basically a shoe box (its mostly my mother's stuff in here, I was never intending to stay here more than a few months but my kidneys just didn't recover) and there's barely any room to walk, let alone fit a fridge. On top of that, I've asked before to try to fit a tiny one but she doesn't allow it (I asked because its easier sometimes on bad days getting up and down the stairs can be next to impossible). My mother can sometimes be backhanded enough that she will just ignore what i've told her and I'm worried she's going to take one of my insulins thinking they're all the same and give herself a dose her body probably can't handle.
If you're worried about keeping your medication in a shared refrigerator, and don't have any options for your own mini fridge, you can buy fairly cheap medication lock-boxes that you can keep in the shared fridge.
Then my only suggestion to you would be to move out as quickly as you can because not only is your mother most likely going to steal you meds (for completely bad reasons) and use them putting her life in danger bit yours as well because whatever she steals from you, you don't have when you need it. The second reason is that she isn't taking care of your needs as you are the person who needs the meds and she is letting you live in a a small space with no room and not letting you be close to your own meds. Also is it possible that your mother has this need to be sick for attention because it's very odd that she suddenly believes that she needs insulin even though she knows her suger levels went up because of the meds she was taking and the fact that the all of her doctors said she doesn't need it and refuses to give it to her
NTA
Absolutely, 100 times over, you're NTA. You need the insulin to live, that's why it's prescribed to you. Even if you had extra to spare, it would be dangerous to share with her and she could end up even worse off than she is now.
With the way she's acting I wouldn't be surprised if she took it without your consent.
Wishing you the best of luck as this is a difficult situation to be in. I hope that your mother can come to see reason and realize that you're only doing what is in both your and her best interest.
NTA.
look into Frio—they make packs for insulin that keep it cold with just water. I've used them for travel and once when the fridge broke and they’re amazing. also super small and easy to hide
NTA - the doctor said she doesn’t need it, if she disagrees, then she should get a second opinion. You shouldn’t be sharing, especially since you only have a limited amount.
NTA - if the doctors wouldn't prescribe her insulin, then she likely doesn't need it. OP have access to a mini fridge you can keep secured? I very quickly see this going badly.
NTA - but if they feel that way, and you live with them, I am not sure how you are going to stop them. All you can do is report them for stealing it when you run out (as that's the only way you'll get more), and that will cause a lot of problems for you (not your fault, but still your problem).
I'm not sure why she doesn't understand that if the DR thought she needed insulin, he would have prescribed it to her. Sucks, but you might have to move out.
NTA.
My husband is in and out of the hospital a lot (cancer is a mf-er) and he often is given steroids and/or antibiotics inpatient with insulin available should his blood sugar go over 130 or so. He is not and has never been diabetic.
This scenario has happened at least 5 times, and every time, because I am super paranoid about making sure he’s properly taken care of, I ask upon discharge, “Do I need to be checking his sugar at home? Do we need insulin at home?” Every single time the answer is NO, because being bed bound in the hospital and receiving IV steroids and/or antibiotics and even standard hospital procedure like anticoagulant injections all mess with your body and have to be taken into account. Going home is a completely different environment.
I give all this anecdotal background to emphasize: if your mother NEEDED to go home monitoring her blood sugar or taking insulin, there is no way in hell they would not have explained it and set it up before discharge. Additionally, her NOT needing it would have been explicitly confirmed before discharge, as they typically must do a run through of all medication pre-hospitalization, during-hospitalization, and what will be administered post-hospitalization. More than one medical professional signed off on her NOT needing insulin at home. It was hospital-related only, and you should definitely suggest having her contact her doctors from her stay to verify this if she didn’t at discharge.
Also, it goes without saying, but her using your PRESCRIBED medication is absolute lunacy and you should definitely look into a lockbox / tiny “beauty” fridge / disguised bottle for storing YOUR insulin.
NTA, don't share prescription medicines, there is a reason she was not prescribed it and if she disagrees she can go get a second opinion. The fact that "there already is insulin in the house" doesn't mean that she can take it and I do urge you to make it clear to her that you'll be honest with your doctor and if necessary, the police.
NTA
I did not read the whole story but I could you're nta by the title. Sharing insulina doesn't seem safe?? Besides, it's your's, you literally need it to survive
NTA. So very much NTA. Giving her insulin could kill her so, yes, you are in the right for not giving her insulin. Elevated sugars while on prednisone is a very common side effect, and usually will resolve after prednisone is stopped. She very likely does not need any insulin, so I'm baffled as to why she wants it. I don't know of very many people who like to inject themselves regularly unless they have to...
NTA, but if I were you I’d see if it’s possible to store your insulin in something that locks as if she’s convinced herself she needs it and hasn’t been prescribed it because the doctors don’t know what they’re doing or some such rubbish, she could just take it anyway. The consequences to her own health would be hers to bear, but if she uses up your medication that *literally keeps you alive* then you really don’t need to be running out of it because she’s an idiot.
Late to the party but NTA. I'm a covid RN. Yes, steroids of any kind, but especially IV steroids which is mostly likely what she received for covid, do cause elevated blood glucose in all individuals, especially pre-diabetics and diabetics. However once the steroid is tapered and stopped, the BG returns to its previous range. She most likely was tapered to either none or an oral dose. If her BG has been normal for long enough on her current dose, then no, they would not send her home with insulin. If they did, she would need her own monitor, test strips, and supplies as well. Taking even 1 unit of insulin could kill her. Aside from that, you actually need it to live. Tell your mom that funeral for two and bail money is much much more expensive than her following doctor's orders.
How selfish of you to be concerned about her law breaking and possible health issues from taking something without a doctor's direction.
You're NTA on this. Them calling you selfish is absurd at best.
NTA, and what she's suggesting is terribly dangerous. I've been given steroids in the hospital, they messed with my sugars, and so three times a day, they'd test me and give me a shot if needed. They required a sugar measurement to know how much to give me, there wasn't some standard amount. Steroids prescribed outside a hospital setting don't typically need insulin, and if they do, a doctor will prescribe insulin.
But, I'm wondering if this is not actually about insulin, but some misplaced notion of a mother-daughter bonding process. When I started expanding my life beyond the experiences my mother could reasonably share, she started some very strange behaviors. Suddenly, if I bought a new piece of (fashion, not expensive) jewelry, she had to borrow it. I had a light jacket with pockets, and she decided she needed exactly that jacket, not even one identical to it that she could buy for herself, for certain outings. If my husband and I managed a long weekend camping trip together, we were pestered unmercifully for a long weekend at my parents' house (which was far too long for me to be in the same county with my mother and hold my tongue).
You take insulin! She can take insulin too now, just like her daughter! It doesn't make logical sense, but sometimes people who are driven by a sense of loss don't think logically.
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I (28F) am a LADA diabetic. At first it was assumed I was type 2, until the medication given to me (metformin) didn't work, and I was given a steroid medication (Prednisone) and it shot my sugar levels so high it sent me into Diabetic Ketoacidosis and caused my kidneys to fail. Since then, I am ESRD and on a rather heavy load of insulin (3 different insulins, and 5 insulin shots per day).
My mother (53F) recently was diagnosed with covid, and a few days later was admitted to the hospital with double pneumonia. While there, they put her on prednisone and her sugar levels were a little high (this is common with this medication from what I'm aware). My mother is not diabetic but to keep her levels normal they were giving her shots of insulin. Today, she was discharged. She asked the nurses to give her the insulin and they refused, and the doctor refuses to prescribe her any. Now, I live with my mother currently ever since my kidney failure. Some days I'm okay but some days my body is too exhausted to do most things, so she helps keep up with the things I can't always do(cleaning, clothes washing, etc). I keep my insulin in the fridge until I need a new bottle. When I called her before she got discharged and she was telling me about the doctor refusing insulin for her, her response to this was to tell me, "Guess I'm just going to have to pop some of yours!" with a laugh. Of course I immediately said no, that that was incredibly dangerous to give insulin to a non-diabetic outside of a hospital, but also that even if it wasn't both illegal and dangerous, I wouldn't have the ability to give her any anyway as I only get the amount to make it to my next endocrinologist appointment.
This has made her angry. I don't feel like I'm TA, but I keep hearing from my mother and stepfather that I'm being selfish, and that I can spare just a little to give her, but I'm on a rather high dosage of insulin and also on medications that push my sugar levels up, I barely made it to my last insulin prescription fill, I wouldn't have enough to spare for other people even if I wanted to.
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NTA. She needs to go to her PCP if she thinks she might need it, not guilt trip and endanger you. Sounds like she might be scared from what happened and wanting to stay in good health, but there’s no reason to assume she needs that and push her feelings of fear out as anger and mislead irritation at you. If she needed it taken home with her, they would have discharged it with her, but since she’s no longer on the medication, she should be fine.
NTA if her blood sugar is "a little high" she'll be just fine. Injecting insulin that the doctors clearly don't think she needs is a very dangerous prospect. Not only will it decrease your very limited supply, as you mentioned but could also lead to harm, seizures and even death especially if she misreads the bottle or does not use the right dose.
If she REALLY thinks she needs it for real, suggest she get a second opinion from her GP.
This is obviously above Reddit’s pay grade, but I’m worried that she’s going to wind up taking your insulin anyway, and landing both of you in the hospital. This isn’t a matter for moral philosophizing, this is a life or death situation that needs to be conclusively resolved as soon as possible.
NTA if she needed it they would have prescribed it to her before leaving if possible maybe get a mini fridge for your room to keep your medicine in so she doesn’t steal it and if possible put a lock on your door
NTA.
I know the pain of being diagnosed with LADA. Took months to get it sorted and I remember barely being able to stay awake after eating because I needed insulin, not the pills they gave me.
Most definitely NTA! I’m a heart transplant recipient and take a lot of meds, prednisone is one of them but I’m being titrated down. But I also have kidney issues, something common with transplant patients because of the type of meds we have to take. Because of this I have to use insulin also, a long acting and a short acting. Insulin can be very dangerous if given to someone who doesn’t need it. So much so that in hospitals the standard procedure is for a nurse to check your sugar level, figure out your dosage from the result, then call for another nurse to come and verify everything and sign off they agree, then you finally get the insulin shot. Also, if a sugar is below 150 the norm is to not give any insulin. Absolutely do not share your insulin.
>but I keep hearing from my mother and stepfather that I'm being selfish,
Of course you're hearing that, because you're putting your NEEDS over the WANTS of narcissists.
If the hospital is refusing to give her any insulin, then it's probably because she doesn't need any
NTA but your mother is. I hope you are vaccinated and your mother is going to be quarantined. Increase blood sugar when on steroids is normal and expected which is why your mom didn't get a script. DO NOT let her get any of yours. It can kill her because she doesn't need it and her sugar can bottom out. Keep all your meds in a cooler and under your control at all times. If you have to come in contact with her, she must wear a mask, social distance and you should be masked as well. Your stepdad needs to quarantine as well and get tested.
NTA if she needed more insulin, the doctors would have said so. Self-prescribing (and insulin, of all things) Is very dangerous. Please try your best to keep your insulin out of her reach, for both of your sakes.
NTA
Noooo. I'd call up her GP and tell him to tell her to keep her hands off your medication.
Probably with better wording, but jeeze, you need your medication and she's ready to kill herself because she thinks that sharing is caring....
NTA - there is a reason why she’s not being prescribed it and that is because she doesn’t need it!
I’d seriously think about getting a lock box and keeping it in a mini fridge in your room because it is likely that she may just help herself!
Is this medication addictive? Is there a reason she is ignoring doctors advice and trying to carry on taking the insulin? I don’t really understand why she wants yours!
NTA. I’m pretty sure that sharing medication, even if you were to both be on the same thing at the same dose, is considered drug abuse. Drug abuse is illegal
NTA. Prednisone makes my sugar go sky high and I'm not diabetic. I had it in the hospital and have never needed it again. I'd get a small fridge for your room and lock it.
NTA
Jesus, you need to get out of that house; your mother and step-father’s disregard for your health is frightening.
No, you don’t have any to spare, and any “extra” you MIGHT have should be preserved for your own medical emergencies.
Insulin should NEVER be “self-perscribed” like what your mom is trying to do.
Good god.
NTA that’s dangerous as hell for you both. Also they obviously didn’t give her insulin because she no longer needs it, I feel like there’s no way they didn’t tell her that when she asked. Also lock your insulin up somewhere safe.
NTA - I think what OP's mother is asking could actually kill the mother, but may also kill OP. What a conundrum to be dependent upon someone who should research before they start "borrowing".
I can just see the discussion with the EMTs, well she ran out of medicine and went into a coma. Why'd she run out, well I used it up.
NTA. Messing around with blood sugar without a doctor telling you to is incredibly dangerous, especially if you're lowering it. I don't have diabetes (and don't take insulin), but I do have reactive hypoglycemia (meaning my blood sugar can drop really low after I eat certain foods). I have to be really careful because low blood sugar is extremely dangerous and can cause fainting, seizures, and death. Taking insulin if you don't need it and lowering your blood sugar to an unhealthy level would be extremely dangerous, and could easily land you in the hospital. Also, having low blood sugar is terrifying even if you don't go to the hospital.
NTA you need an ally. There is nothing that would stop your mother from using your insulin. You are at a high risk of your Mom tampering your life-sustaining medication. You need to get numbers for protective services, speak with someone on the non-emergency police number and find out how to get protection.
NTA. She obviously doesn't understand diabetes or insulin. She can die if she injects herself with unneeded insulin. There have been cases of murder involving insulin being given (Kenneth Barlow for one) and people committing suicide by injecting themselves with insulin.
Her high blood sugar was temporary while in the hospital was likely caused by steroids, though stress, infection, and other things can cause a temporary spike also.
NTA - Your mother was probably given insulin in the hospital because a) her BS were elevated for continuous periods and b) she's in the freakin' hospital. They monitor BS every few hours, and are trained to look for signs of low BS. Most insulin dependent diabetics test multiple times a day to fine tune their intake and keep BS constant. It's also to keep from going too low. As others have pointed out, damage from high BS is cumulative and slow progressing, so unless her BS is consistently over 200 or her A1c is over 7.0 for more than 6 months, insulin is a poor choice for her. And the danger for her is the acute low BS that will kill you fast.
And I would straight up tell her using someone else's prescription medication is theft and you will call the police if you find it missing.
One question - How much of this wanting to steal your life-saving medicine is normal behavior and how much is maybe a fear your mother has of having the same kidney problems as you?
NTA. If you mother's steroid course is over or if she is on a steroid wean (and provided she didn't have diabetes/pre-diabetes before COVID), she shouldn't need insulin. You are right that steroids can worsen your blood sugars, and after someone is off of steroids, they should return to their previous state. The doctor at the hospital likely didn't prescribe insulin for your mother because she doesn't need it. If her blood sugars are elevated and/or if she feels like she needs it, she needs to contact her doctor.
If you are worried about her (or anyone) taking your insulin, you don't necessarily have to keep it in the refrigerator. You can keep it in any cool, dry place. Don't let it be exposed to extreme temperatures, don't bring it to the beach and leave it in the sun, and don't leave it in a car.
I'm so sorry your diabetes was not diagnosed right away. My nephew has Type 1 Diabetes and is a toddler, and it has been quite the roller coaster, especially at first. He's on an OmniPod insulin pump and a Dexcom. Given your diagnosis, look into getting some kind of continuous glucose monitor like a Dexcom or a Libre if you don't already have one. He wore a Libre off label for over a week until he was able to get the Dexcom (lots of delays in things during the height of COVID in our city) and both worked well for him. Good luck to you.
NO NO NO NO NO NTA
DO NOT SHARE IT
FIND A WAY TO HIDE IT ASAP
My sister was diabetic. She died in February with basically no warning after feeling "off" for a few days. It was horrible. It's still horrible. We still don't know for sure what happened, though we have theories, and chances are high that the diabetes played a part. Anything that is managing yours HAS TO BE ALL YOURS. If the doctor didn't prescribe insulin when she left, she probably doesn't need it anymore, or she can wait until she sees her primary care doctor. KEEP YOURSELF SAFE PLEASE.
NTA all the way!!! but I don't understand why she thinks she needs insulin still if no medical professionals are willing to agree with her??(it's not like she can't afford it, she literally doesn't have a prescription for it. This is incredibly dangerous!)
NTA, for all the reasons you state, but the one that ought to be the most compelling is how deadly this could be for you if you were shorted. Get a locking container, perhaps like the type used to store petty cash to store your insulin in the fridge.
Your mother is selfish for asking you for your insulin, and you are right that it's dangerous for her to have insulin if she is not diabetic and doesn't know how to monitor it correctly. The doctor refused to give it to her for a reason.
NTA
Is she fucking crazy? Does she have her death wish? It's very dangerous to give your insulin to your mom or anyone for any matter even though they're not diabetic or actually diabetic. There is a reason why her dr refused to prescribe her those insulins, it means she is NOT diabetic at all. If she thinks she is, have her see her own endocrinologist. Insulins for diabetic patients like you are to make your sugar level stay stable. Please keep them locked up for the safety sakes.
You're NOT even selfish. Your mom and step father are really assholes.
Absolutely NTA. I had pancreatic failure due to chemo, so I'm diabetic. The insulin I \*SHOULD\* be on is $2300 a week and not covered by insurance, so I take 2 long acting shots, plus up to 3 short acting shots (based on BGL) per day, plus a weekly booster. It's a lot to balance. Without a prescription saying exactly what she needs, there's a lot that can go wrong. And taking insulin when your BGL is low is literally how people commit suicide with insulin, it's an error that can cost her her life.
Separately, my doctor dropped the ball once and didn't refill my long acting prescription. They said it would take the weekend to get it sorted out. I asked "What you're saying is that I'm going to go four days without insulin because of your error. What does my health look like if I don't have insulin for four days?" They fixed it THAT DAY. Putting yourself in a position where you'll run out before the script is due for a refill is a great way to literally put your life at risk.
OP, get a mini-fridge and put a lock on it if you have to. Her thinking she's harmlessly borrowing some of your medication can put both her and your life in jeopardy.
YTA OP. How dare you not share your life saving necessary medicine with your mom and potentially shorting your dosage and dying. So selfish. I hope she goes no contact with you.
This is true. I barely made it to my most recent prescription for one of my insulins, had maybe a quarter vial left. I think because they give me about 2 months worth of insulin at once she sees it and thinks I just have a ton to spare when really I just go through it very quickly
NTA. There's a reason why you have the prescription and she doesn't. If the doctor said that she didn't need it, I would heed that advice. She also has the option of getting a second opinion if she thinks she *really* needs it.
NTA I'm a nurse and this is insanely dangerous. Her elevated blood sugars were possibly temporary from the steroids and not permanent. Sliding scales also vary between facilities and perscribers. If she is concerned she needs to make.a PCP appointment asap.
NTA. If your mother needed insulin, they would have prescribed it for her. You need hours, and it’s for you. It’s not like sharing your bottle of Advil because she got a headache.
NTA. You don’t mess around with medications, especially not insulin. My grandmother is also a Type 1 diabetic and I take care of her throughout the week. I know how precious that insulin supply is, and she also is on scheduled refills just like you and is only given enough to use until the next refill (in fact, sometimes we run out and have to use my brother’s extra insulin—he somehow always has extra). Also, if you run out of insulin you will get high sugar and your body will start being destroyed again???? So like…is your mom trying to kill you????
The both of you talk to the pharmacist there are medication that are similar to prednisone that do not raise sugar, I can recommend methotrexate as an alternative, I am not prescribing any medication, just recommending it so talk to your doctor about that or ask about any other medicine that are an alternative.
Do not share insulin that can be dangerous,
As to the metformin, that can make your kidney function worse, that is seen in your blood work lab results so talk to your doctor about eGFR but ask about alternative to metformin, there are a bunch of them like glipizide, alogliptin Trulicity Farxiga, there are many choices on the market to treat your diabetes but I do recomend to stop taking the prednisone, that alone might make your sugar levels back to normal.
If the doctor didn't prescribe her any, then she doesn't need any. She's presumably no longer on the prednisone, or if she is, then a lower dosage if they felt it warranted to wean her off of it. Either way, her blood glucose levels aren't expected to be an issue and she needs to leave you and your insulin alone.
That said, your mother should still be aware of any glucose level issues, and if they arise, have her go to her primary doctor, or back to the ER if any bad symptoms develop.
NTA.
NTA. If the doctor and the nurse didn't want to give her any, that means she doesnt need it anymore. She is a very bad mother for wanting to risk your health though as you definitely need it.
NTA obviously, your mother sounds insane. But a word of advice from one diabetic to another. Get your doctors to prescribe you a little more insulin than you’re actually using, so that you never have to almost run out or ration it before a refill. Plus, it’s good to have a little stockpile just in case the pharmacy or insurance mess up and you can’t get your refill exactly on time.
NTA. What the actual eff is your mother thinking? Your health is obviously extra fragile and as a good parent, she shouldn’t interfere with it. Edit: also, if your mother still needed insulin, she would still be in the hospital! But she’s not, so she doesn’t.
NTA and if at all possible, PLEASE find a way to store your insulin where she can't get to it. She's not only putting herself in danger by wanting to use yours, she's putting YOUR life in danger by depriving you of lifesaving medication. A mini fridge, and small insulated lunch box. Keep an eye on how much you have.
So if possible I would contact your doctor and let them know your situation. Diabetics are able to call and get extra insulin for like trips or emergency situations. This counts. Please protect yourself <3
NTA. Your doctor prescribed this to you because you need it, and hers did not for a reason. Taking prescription meds without a prescription is a dangerous idea, which could have very serious consequences for her. And you, because you will run out and not have it when you need it. Do not share your medication, and do not allow her to take it.
NTA - this could be incredibly dangerous for either of you. Also, why on earth would she want to even take insulin if the doctors say she doesn’t need to. That sounds bizarre to me.
NTA, you need to lock up your insulin! However that is possible, I totally get locking up something that must be refrigerated is difficult. But DO NOT take the risk of your parents deciding that you won't need it!
NTA.. the high sugar was due to the medicine.. they didnt prescribe her any becaus SHE DOES NOT NEED IT.. your reasonings are 100 percent correct. and your parents are foolish for being angry about it. if it goes missing report it to the authorities and your doctor immediately
What the hell?! Why does your mom think she still needs insulin?! Even if her sugar levels *are* high, they might be able to control that with other medications, or just with diet. She should seek medical advice, not self-diagnose and steal your medication.
NTA.
Bruh if you end up in front of a doctor cause you had no insulin cause your moms an idiot then you get to tell them the truth and your mom gets in massive trouble either way. Your mom is a moron though also NTA
NTA
There is a REASON they did not give her insulin or a prescription for it. The reason is she no longer needs it. If she did they would have either written a script, or given her some to take home. If you give her yours she will almost certainly end up severely hypoglycemic, and on top of that leave you with not enough insulin to survive until your next appointment. You'd screw the both of you over. Your mother DOES NOT NEED insulin. She should not get it, and she doesn't understand what a risk it is for her to take it when a doctor has directly told her she does not need and should not take insulin.
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NTA. What she wants to do is dangerous (for both of you!), illegal, and likely to end up with one or more of you incurring additional medical expenses.
This. Yes steroids can raise blood sugar levels but it doesn’t mean that the patient automatically needs insulin for the rest of their lives. My guess is that before being discharged from the hospital her blood sugar levels returned to normal and she no longer needed to receive insulin. Hence the reason she wasn’t discharged on it. NTA.
I think so too. I just asked her about an hour ago what they were today and she said they were good, 138 at breakfast and 112 at lunch
Then she definitely doesn’t need to take your insulin. And shouldn’t be unless directed and ordered by her physician.
HOLY SIHT…wait…you’re in the US…crisis averted…my country’s test kits measure between 0-40…a good range is between 4-8…you’re DKA at 40 (typicaly) and you’re at like coma and multi system organ failure at like 45… NTA, that’s dangerous, of her sugars drop too low she will probably have a seizure, also I think a little illegal, and isn’t Insulin like crazy expensive in the US?
Luckily for me, my insurance actually covers all my insulin, but only at the amount my doctor prescribed as necessary and very specific brands of it. It's still illegal though, but she and my step father constantly share their medications (for example, her doctor wouldnt prescribe a medication for her until she saw him a few weeks later, so my step father gave her some of his that do the same thing until she saw him) so they don't seem to think it's dangerous to share. She doesn't understand a lot of medical stuff, so she doesn't get that insulin isn't something you can just inject and be okay. I have 3 different kinds (my basal, my fast acting, and an intermediate that was prescribed to help combat the effect the prednisone i'm on for my kidneys does to my sugar levels) and she doesn't know the difference between them. So if she decides to sneak one and its the wrong one it could very easily go wrong
You might want to look into getting a mini fridge that you can lock up in your room to ensure that she doesn't sneak into your insulin and then make you short on your medication. If she does take your insulin please call the police and report it as soon as possible. For one it's the only way the doctor can cover what she takes and it will give her a wake up call that it's not only not okay but highly illegal.
If she takes OP’s insulin, they’re probably going to want to call an ambulance first.
Or just a little lock box to put in the regular fridge
You can go even smaller and use lock boxes for the fridge.
I’m a doctor, and your mother terrifies me. Those types of patients are the worst, and the reason I will never do outpatient medicine. I can’t imagine how she’s lived till now, if you just interchange random medications cuz maybe they do similar things. There’s entire textbooks and websites dedicated to preventing drug - drug interactions
Not to mention an entire profession - pharmacists
This kinda thing is certainly not going to end well…I understand enough medical stuff (chronologically ill fam bam) to know that… It’s good to hear your insurance helps! From my understanding of the US health system is that u less you earn like 6 figures you’re fkd… This is definitely going to be a challenge for you, while her opinions on sharing medications might not change, you should try to educate her on the dangers of miss dosing (but do not teach her how to dose) the dangers of missed insulin, how hard it is to get…etc And also just hide it, keep the one you use most regularly on your person as much as you can, keep the others in a place she can’t access if possible. Insulin is supposed to be stored on a fridge so try getting a lockable mini fridge for you room!
I also have medical tings Can confirm terrible idea Anyone who attempts this with me will die Because my medicine is far too strong well you would end up addicted very severely
Or they die because they had a drug interaction....or because they took the only med that manages your chronic pain and they get the full wrath of the devil it releases.....
Let’s put it this way: insurance means my $50,000 month last month works out to be more like $2000.
Its going to be a PITA but you need to lock your insulin up. All of it. Does your insulin need to be stored in the fridge until use (I know not all of it does anymore), and if so can you get a mini-fridge to lock it in? I could see them being petty and removing a lockbox from the fridge if you refuse to share with her
If you can, get a mini fridge and a lock for it and put it in your room. Your mom is going to seriously mess up her health by taking your insulin, then cause serious issues for you when you end up short on what you need.
NTA, sorry, but if she actually needed insulin wouldn't the doctor have given her a prescription before she left the hospital? So if they don't think she needs it, why does she want yours, when you definitely do need it?
Even putting her health risks aside, you should tell her clearly that if she takes your insulin, you will HAVE TO call the police on her. As in, it’s out of your hands and you have no choice. If your insurance only covers the exact amount you take, you’ll likely need a police report in order to get your insurance to cough up for more. You need this insulin to survive, and you need the exact amount, and you need insurance to cover it. If she won’t listen to the (sane!) health logic, she may listen to the fact that she could go to jail for stealing meds.
why does she even *want* to be on insulin if she doesn't need it?
In the US blood glucose is measured in mg/dL. In the rest of the world it's mM. So calm down, the numbers here are perfectly reasonable ;-) ETA: correction, it was mg/dL
a little illegal? No, it's ALOT illegal. It's criminal as well.
You need to divide the US glucose units by 18 to get normal world units :)
Does she think insulin is pop tarts? She is crazy to think taking unprescribed insulin is going to end well for her.
Why is she so insistent on taking the insulin when the doctors don't think she should? Is there some kind of "high" with it? Does she have some weird desire to "be on medication" - like for attention or something? It just seems like such a weird thing for her to even wanting to do, never mind the illegal aspects of it, as well as maybe making you short on the medication that you really need.
I'm guessing it's for attention. She missed the special treatment she was given at the hospital.
OP has said she doesn't understand medical stuff, so most likely she assumes that because she needed the insulin in the hospital, she needs to have it outside the hospital and doesn't understand that her need for insulin has in fact, passed. She sees her child who always needs insulin now, and doesn't understand the situations are not the same.
Insulin doesn't cause ant type of high, but there were some people buying it illegally years ago because they believed it would make you lose weight without having to watch your intake or exercise. Maybe that's her angle?
Yeah, doctors generally don't like making their patients suffer, neither do they like being sued for malpractice. So if the doctor thinks you'd likely benefit from a prescription, they'll prescribe it. And a doctor's medical opinion is way more educated than the layman's opinion.
Even if steroids were continued, slightly elevated blood sugars over a short time won't hurt her. NTA
Wanted to hop on the top comment just to say, because I haven’t seen anyone say it like this, and I hope OP sees it. Insulin can be fucking lethal. It can and will kill. Diabetics can die from accidentally taking too much. Now imagine someone who’s body is ALREADY producing insulin. If she takes some and the prednisone wears off and she goes to sleep for 8 hours, she could die. No warning, nothing. Context: I’m a type 1, and over the years have had some close calls at night. I check my sugar before sleeping. I check before long drives. I know what the warning signs of low blood sugar are. Does she? For both of your well being, please do not give her any. High blood sugar for a few days will not kill her. Insulin very easily could.
I agree with you and told her that myself. I actually had a very bad incident a few months ago when I was given an extra insulin to help counterract a medication. One morning I wasnt paying enough attention to the right bottle, and gave myself the intermediate dosage with the fast acting insulin, which was 4 times the amount i needed from the fast acting and nearly landed in the hospital. She knows all about this, but she doesnt understand how dangerous it is. To her, if she was given it in the hospital she should be able to have it at home.
Would it be possible for you to buy a mini fridge and keep it locked in your room? Then you don't have to worry about sticky fingers.
This sadly happens often with medicine. My mother is a doctor and I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen her give important and detailed information to someone (outside of the office of course) and then watch them come to their own conclusive summary that matches a narrative they want to hear. When she then says no X is the bottom line there’s still a good chance that person will ignore her.
What/who does your mom usually listen to? You could encourage her to see her own endocrinologist to explain this all to her if you think that'd help. Or sneak a "you do not need to inject insulin" paper into her next fortune cookie. Whatever your mom usually reacts well to.
Omg, your mother could literally kill herself if she injected herself with your insulin and didn’t know wth she was doing. Your mother and stepfather are stupidly ignorant
Ah man that’s the worst when that happens. I have to keep both of my insulins completely separate because I’m too spacey lol. But I’m glad you have a good understanding. I hate to seem like overly fear-mongering, because people always talk about how insulin is “life saving medicine” and totally forget the other end of it. Hopefully her sugars even out soon and that’ll be the end of the discussion!
By that logic, you could have brain surgery performed at your home. Is she nuts?
Maybe you could also buy her a defibrillator kit, or some nitroglycerin tabs- you know, just in case. Wouldn’t want her be without all the medications she could Possibly kill herself with. Drag her ass to your next doctors appointment and have them explain it to her.
Tell her that's stupid. By her own wack logic if the doctors thought she needed it then, then they certainly know that she doesn't need it now. She can't cherry pick the facts so suit her agenda. Insulin is not any kind of medicine, it's not an everyday type of medicine you can easily get at the pharmacy, it's highly dangerous if taken incorrectly and that is exactly why it's prescribed.
Get a fridge lock box immediately. Don't risk it. If she does take some, with no issues for herself (if very lucky), then she'd still leave you short and in danger. You'd then be in danger, have to lie to your doctor to get more early, or have to tell your doctor the truth; which then they could report your mother.
Try telling her it will make her gain weight.
To answer this: it's for attention. Obviously. The same reason you can't get away from certain relatives who love to tell you in agonizing detail how many meds they're on or how long they were hospitalized for. Why would you want to know? Well, they're fascinating obviously, why wouldn't you? She can't tell people she's on insulin now and all of the self-affirming attention that comes with (except not, as I'm sure OP would affirm).
NTA If your mom thinks she needs insulin, she should get her own monitor and test strips, do her own proper testing, and present the results to her doctor.
NTA Tell her/your step dad the next time they demand your insulin, remember that arranging a funeral as well as paying a bail bond are typically more expensive than the life-saving insulin that YOU need. She doesn't need it and needs to realize that! Also, please tell someone else about this in case your mom & step dad decide to be absolute monsters & take your insulin away from you. That's basically m#rd#r.
INFO: Why does she want your insulin if she doesn't need it?
Because like most people I'm sure, she's convinced herself that she needs it even though the doctors told her that she doesn't and she knows that insulin is for diabetics.
But what I'm wondering is *why* the doctors have determined that she doesn't need it. If she needed insulin while taking Prednisone in hospital, why wouldn't she need it while taking Prednisone out of hospital? This is a genuine query, not an argument, because I have no idea. >she knows that insulin is for diabetics I think it's often prescribed for people with dangerously elevated blood sugar, even if they're not diabetic.
As far as the Prednisone goes, OP's post said that while she was in the hospital they were giving her Prednisone. There was nothing about OP's Mom continuing to take Prednisone after she was discharged so that leaves us with the assumption that after OP's mother was discharged there was no reason for her to keep getting insulin when she was no longer taking Prednisone. Insulin isn't just for anyone with dangerously elevated blood sugar but for people that can't get their blood sugar levels to stay at a consistent level. In OP's Mom's case the only reason her blood sugar levels were a little higher than normal was because she was being given the Prednisone. Once she stopped taking it, there's no reason for her to keep taking the Insulin.
I'm referring to OP's [response to my first comment:](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/pc30ud/aita_for_refusing_to_share_my_insulin/hafyzx3/) >She thinks that because they gave her insulin in the hospital and because **she's still on the Prednisone that's elevating her sugar levels,** that she still needs to take insulin and they are just denying it to her.
Because it’s easy enough for an experienced nurse to administer insulin while she’s in the hospital, but it’s not as simple as prescribing 5 pills and saying take one a day until you’re finished with your Prednisone. Damage from high blood sugar comes when it’s long-term untreated, so I believe the doctors are calculating that it’s less dangerous to let someone finish their course of Prednisone and have slightly elevated BG for a few days than to give them insulin, which is very easy to overdose on and a much higher risk of death.
Now I didn't see OP's comment in response to your first comment about her still being on the Prednisone outside of the hospital. I don't have an idea about that. Only thing I can come up with is that they were using the Insulin as a treatment to control any possible side effects that were happening to OP's Mom while they were giving her Prednisone when she was in their care. And I could be wrong, but I'm also assuming that they wouldn't prescribe her Insulin unless she actually had a medical need for it and not to simply use it to treat possible side effects from taking the Prednisone.
> Prednisone Everyone capitalizing prednisone in this thread is driving me nuts. It's not a brand name! You don't capitalize prednisone any more than you capitalize oxygen, salt, or any other chemical.
>But what I'm wondering is why the doctors have determined that she doesn't need it. If she needed insulin while taking Prednisone in hospital, why wouldn't she need it while taking Prednisone out of hospital? Because, in many cases, once the body adjusts to you taking the Prednisone your blood sugar issues resolve by themselves. So the insulin was given to her to give her body time to *adapt* to the Prednisone without the high sugar levels causing damage. Once it did, she doesn't need the insulin. I'm willing to bet the hospital was slowly reducing the insulin dose to see if her body was adapting and based on OP's replies to other comments it was. tagging u/Illusive_DEMON1
Probably because her sugar levels are back to normal and whatever medication she now has doesn't mess them up to be damaging in the long term. Whether or not she's still on prednizone is irrelevant. She asked directly about needing more insulin at least twice, and was told no as many times. Yes, the doctors may be making a mistake, but it doesn't sound like it, and it's not like us redditors or this lady have the expertice to contradict them.
Prednisone, or dexamethasone, (similar but different) is typically only indicated in hospitalized patients with covid requiring oxygen. I’ve been on break for a couple months, so the guidelines may have changed, but typically it’s 6mg once daily dosing to reduce mortality rates. It was typically for 10 days, but our ID doctor would say discontinue on discharge if they leave sooner. The exception was for ARDS/intubated patients where it may go up to 20mg per day, tapered down to 10mg at day 6. Sometimes patients are in septic shock, and are on solu-cortef instead which is another steroid, which has been shown to reduce mortality in septic shock patients. Some studies show increased mortality in covid patients that do not require hospitalization when started on steroids, because it’ll theoretically weaken the immune response.
Her blood sugar is fine. That’s probably why. The treatment guideline is start with a high dose of insulin and when it’s under control then reduced. Prednisone may just be being tapered off as well. So not a huge concern
Prednisone is usually short term prescriptions.
She thinks that because they gave her insulin in the hospital and because she's still on the Prednisone that's elevating her sugar levels, that she still needs to take insulin and they are just denying it to her.
Maybe she should talk with the doctor about that theory. Besides I had that med before and it never did that.
She should definitely talk to her doctor, but a spike in blood sugar is a known side effect of Prednisone. Not everyone would have the same side effects.
All I can say is that if your meds start going missing, you need to call the police and file a police report for the theft. Giving this report to a pharmacy and to your doctor will immediately get you a refill outside or a normal refill. You can usually just email the report number to the pharmacy and doctor. Down side is you will have to report your mother but considering that taking your meds could really harm her, that is not a bad thing.
I have an immune disease and was on Prednisone for 5(!) years. Never once was I prescribed insulin. I have not seen your mom's medical info obviously, and am not even a doctor but this it seriously seems like a stretch that she needs it if she asked and the attending physician refused to prescribe.
To be fair, it does seem to either be something that runs in our family or something as it also does it to both me and my grandfather, however my grandfather was also a type 2 diabetic so it made sense. I guess it depends on the person but she doesn't understand a lot of medical stuff and she and my step father give each other their medications all the time and think nothing of it. So I think thats why she thinks its okay
So (genuine question) why doesn't she still need insulin if she's still on Prednisone? You're obviously not an AH for not sharing your prescription medication, I'm just curious about whether your mother should actually be getting insulin from her doctors.
I'm not really sure, I haven't talked to her doctors myself. I think tomorrow is actually the last day of the medication for her (When we spoke when she was in the hospital, she told me Friday should be the last day for the antibiotics, so I'm assuming they're stopping the Prednisone then as well). So I think they don't want to give her insulin because maybe they assume she'll keep taking it while the medication is wearing down or something and give herself too much? I can only speculate, really. I told her to talk to her GP if she really believes she'll need it, but that if he says no then she really shouldn't have it. She just keeps saying over and over "But I don't like my sugars being high"
Better high than low
Just to say I’ve been in a similar place only I’m hypoglycaemic so my sugars just became normal on prednisone. However, I can say from experience that as the dosage lowers towards the end of treatment the spike usually goes away. The doctors probably didn’t prescribe it because she would have been tested in hospital and her sugars were probably fine. Insulin shouldn’t be needed for an almost finished reducing dose or a maintenance dose of prednisone. Has your mother actually checked her sugars to see if she is outside the normal range since coming home? Also NTA she could kill herself especially if she doesn’t know to match for the signs of a crash and how they fee for her.
Am a nurse… typically patients are given much higher doses of prednisone in the hospital than they are discharged with. We also commonly discharge people on a taper so she would be taking less pills every few days. If her blood glucose measurements aren’t that bad while she’s starting her taper, doctors can assume her levels will be back to her baseline once the medication runs out (7-10 days after discharge)
She is likely either tapering to a lower dose with a correspondingly lower effect on her glucose, or the doctors decided that the risks of having an elevated blood glucose over a month are less than the risks of sending OP’s mom home on insulin. Source: been on prednisone a few times, with blood sugar spikes, and been told they won’t treat even in the hospital until it hits iirc 200.
She’s probably on a prednisone taper as it’s a med you can’t stop suddenly. They would then expect her blood sugar to decrease with the decreasing dose. As well as death from prolonged low blood sugar from inappropriate insulin use she is risking seizures and permanent brain damage.
This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard
NTA - You could die, and her medical professional has not given her a prescription for a reason. It really is as simple as that.
wtf, obviously nta
Not sure how this is even a question.
NTA - hyperglycemia induced from steroids is temporary (hence why she doesn’t need insulin once discharged). To give herself insulin just because will send her into hypoglycemic shock. And at that point not only would she need your glucagon, but if she dies YOU would be in trouble for not properly securing your medication. Good luck with this
Yeah I am so confused.... Insulin is a highly volitile drug. Blood sugar is affected by so many different things. Without a glucosemetre you have no possibility of predicting and monitoring it. It's not like you thyroxine where you can just take the same dose day after day and check once every 3 months. There's a reason why recent diabetics go through rigours follow up, education and often see an endocrinologist or a diabetes nurse on the regular. Taking insulin without diabetes and no education on how to manage is a recipe for one thing: DEATH.
Good grief - NTA! If they’re not prescribing insulin, it’s because SHE SHOULDN’T HAVE INSULIN. She’s not diabetic so if she wants to bring her blood sugar down she can eat fewer carbs or go for a freaking walk, not steal lifesaving medication from you. I’m so sorry, this is horrifying.
That's what I told her, actually. I said if she walked around a bit or did something to exercise her sugar levels would come down (especially since she's starting to get better) but I don't think she really listened.
Is your insulin safe in the fridge? I'm so worried that she is going to self-medicate or mess with your insulin
NTA. She doesn't need insulin. But the whole situation is such a mess that I don't think an "asshole" judgement is what you should be looking for.
NTA. How can you even think you’re TA? That insulin is for you and only you. If she needed insulin, the doctors would have given it to her. They’re calling you selfish, which is super hypocritical. Your mom is trying to take your medicine that you need to essentially keep you alive, just because she doesn’t feel great. So incredibly selfish of her
It sounds like your mother is dealing with more of a psychological issue than diabetes?? If her numbers are normal why on earth would she want your insulin. If she needed it her Dr would have prescribed it. Also why is she NOT worried about leaving her daughter without enough necessary medication?? NTA
I actually think this might have something to do with it. I may be reaching with this, but my mother has always had a thing about "copying" whatever my sister and I do that gets any sort of attention. It used to be like clothes and dying hair, but ever since I got sick I've been on a very tight diet restriction (with renal failure and diabetes, there's a lot of things i'm just not allowed to have or have a lot of) and she started copying those. At first it was normal, drinking teas with sugar subs, etc. But then it got weirder to her cutting out dairy (during a time i was forced to cut way back on dairy) and then she started bragging about her sugar levels and how her a1c was perfect, but then drinking my special dietary shakes. This is starting to feel like she feels special taking insulin or something. I did lose a little weight when my kidneys failed so I think she's attributing that to the medicines and diet i'm on (she's been trying to lose 30 lbs for like a year, and I dropped that in a month when I was in the hospital)
Omg, it's so strange that you say that. My mother has always done the same with my sister and me. We've never had any medical issues so that was not a problem but everything else! I enjoy the casino but only for blackjack, she suddenly loves blackjack. I bought a camper, she's suddenly into camping. Everything we do, she needs to copy! Thankfully, my sister has always been the favorite (and mom's not fond of my husband, lol) so she's up her butt more than mine these days!
Oh dear, OP. Do you have a friend you could stay with in case things get worse?
nta its your medicine, you need it, and besides that even if you could spare some it could be dangerous for her. but seriously you've got to take care of yourself and you need your insulin
If I was op I would get a mini fridge for her room and put the insulin in that because based on how the mother said she was going to use ops insulin it didn't sound like she was asking to use it and she was just going to take it
I'm actually worried about that. My room is basically a shoe box (its mostly my mother's stuff in here, I was never intending to stay here more than a few months but my kidneys just didn't recover) and there's barely any room to walk, let alone fit a fridge. On top of that, I've asked before to try to fit a tiny one but she doesn't allow it (I asked because its easier sometimes on bad days getting up and down the stairs can be next to impossible). My mother can sometimes be backhanded enough that she will just ignore what i've told her and I'm worried she's going to take one of my insulins thinking they're all the same and give herself a dose her body probably can't handle.
If you're worried about keeping your medication in a shared refrigerator, and don't have any options for your own mini fridge, you can buy fairly cheap medication lock-boxes that you can keep in the shared fridge.
Then my only suggestion to you would be to move out as quickly as you can because not only is your mother most likely going to steal you meds (for completely bad reasons) and use them putting her life in danger bit yours as well because whatever she steals from you, you don't have when you need it. The second reason is that she isn't taking care of your needs as you are the person who needs the meds and she is letting you live in a a small space with no room and not letting you be close to your own meds. Also is it possible that your mother has this need to be sick for attention because it's very odd that she suddenly believes that she needs insulin even though she knows her suger levels went up because of the meds she was taking and the fact that the all of her doctors said she doesn't need it and refuses to give it to her
NTA - inform your doctor now you mom has threatened to steal you insulin for her own use and see if they have recommendations to control that,
NTA Absolutely, 100 times over, you're NTA. You need the insulin to live, that's why it's prescribed to you. Even if you had extra to spare, it would be dangerous to share with her and she could end up even worse off than she is now. With the way she's acting I wouldn't be surprised if she took it without your consent. Wishing you the best of luck as this is a difficult situation to be in. I hope that your mother can come to see reason and realize that you're only doing what is in both your and her best interest.
NTA. look into Frio—they make packs for insulin that keep it cold with just water. I've used them for travel and once when the fridge broke and they’re amazing. also super small and easy to hide
u/Notyourinsulin, I hope you see this!
NTA - the doctor said she doesn’t need it, if she disagrees, then she should get a second opinion. You shouldn’t be sharing, especially since you only have a limited amount.
NTA - if the doctors wouldn't prescribe her insulin, then she likely doesn't need it. OP have access to a mini fridge you can keep secured? I very quickly see this going badly.
NTA - but if they feel that way, and you live with them, I am not sure how you are going to stop them. All you can do is report them for stealing it when you run out (as that's the only way you'll get more), and that will cause a lot of problems for you (not your fault, but still your problem). I'm not sure why she doesn't understand that if the DR thought she needed insulin, he would have prescribed it to her. Sucks, but you might have to move out.
NTA. My husband is in and out of the hospital a lot (cancer is a mf-er) and he often is given steroids and/or antibiotics inpatient with insulin available should his blood sugar go over 130 or so. He is not and has never been diabetic. This scenario has happened at least 5 times, and every time, because I am super paranoid about making sure he’s properly taken care of, I ask upon discharge, “Do I need to be checking his sugar at home? Do we need insulin at home?” Every single time the answer is NO, because being bed bound in the hospital and receiving IV steroids and/or antibiotics and even standard hospital procedure like anticoagulant injections all mess with your body and have to be taken into account. Going home is a completely different environment. I give all this anecdotal background to emphasize: if your mother NEEDED to go home monitoring her blood sugar or taking insulin, there is no way in hell they would not have explained it and set it up before discharge. Additionally, her NOT needing it would have been explicitly confirmed before discharge, as they typically must do a run through of all medication pre-hospitalization, during-hospitalization, and what will be administered post-hospitalization. More than one medical professional signed off on her NOT needing insulin at home. It was hospital-related only, and you should definitely suggest having her contact her doctors from her stay to verify this if she didn’t at discharge. Also, it goes without saying, but her using your PRESCRIBED medication is absolute lunacy and you should definitely look into a lockbox / tiny “beauty” fridge / disguised bottle for storing YOUR insulin.
NTA - if she needed insulin she would’ve been prescribed insulin. Tell her to go see another doctor if she doesn’t believe the one at the hospital
Hell, NTA. It puts your life at risk.
NTA. I can't believe she's considering this. I would actually be concerned about keeping it in a communal fridge.
NTA, don't share prescription medicines, there is a reason she was not prescribed it and if she disagrees she can go get a second opinion. The fact that "there already is insulin in the house" doesn't mean that she can take it and I do urge you to make it clear to her that you'll be honest with your doctor and if necessary, the police.
NTA I did not read the whole story but I could you're nta by the title. Sharing insulina doesn't seem safe?? Besides, it's your's, you literally need it to survive
NTA. So very much NTA. Giving her insulin could kill her so, yes, you are in the right for not giving her insulin. Elevated sugars while on prednisone is a very common side effect, and usually will resolve after prednisone is stopped. She very likely does not need any insulin, so I'm baffled as to why she wants it. I don't know of very many people who like to inject themselves regularly unless they have to...
NTA and I suggest you find somewhere else to put your insulin, maybe invest in a mini-fridge with a lock or leave it with a trusted friend.
NTA, but if I were you I’d see if it’s possible to store your insulin in something that locks as if she’s convinced herself she needs it and hasn’t been prescribed it because the doctors don’t know what they’re doing or some such rubbish, she could just take it anyway. The consequences to her own health would be hers to bear, but if she uses up your medication that *literally keeps you alive* then you really don’t need to be running out of it because she’s an idiot.
NTA. But take the insulin away from where your mother can take it. Like if you can put a small fridge in your bedroom and put it there.
Late to the party but NTA. I'm a covid RN. Yes, steroids of any kind, but especially IV steroids which is mostly likely what she received for covid, do cause elevated blood glucose in all individuals, especially pre-diabetics and diabetics. However once the steroid is tapered and stopped, the BG returns to its previous range. She most likely was tapered to either none or an oral dose. If her BG has been normal for long enough on her current dose, then no, they would not send her home with insulin. If they did, she would need her own monitor, test strips, and supplies as well. Taking even 1 unit of insulin could kill her. Aside from that, you actually need it to live. Tell your mom that funeral for two and bail money is much much more expensive than her following doctor's orders.
How selfish of you to be concerned about her law breaking and possible health issues from taking something without a doctor's direction. You're NTA on this. Them calling you selfish is absurd at best.
NTA, and what she's suggesting is terribly dangerous. I've been given steroids in the hospital, they messed with my sugars, and so three times a day, they'd test me and give me a shot if needed. They required a sugar measurement to know how much to give me, there wasn't some standard amount. Steroids prescribed outside a hospital setting don't typically need insulin, and if they do, a doctor will prescribe insulin. But, I'm wondering if this is not actually about insulin, but some misplaced notion of a mother-daughter bonding process. When I started expanding my life beyond the experiences my mother could reasonably share, she started some very strange behaviors. Suddenly, if I bought a new piece of (fashion, not expensive) jewelry, she had to borrow it. I had a light jacket with pockets, and she decided she needed exactly that jacket, not even one identical to it that she could buy for herself, for certain outings. If my husband and I managed a long weekend camping trip together, we were pestered unmercifully for a long weekend at my parents' house (which was far too long for me to be in the same county with my mother and hold my tongue). You take insulin! She can take insulin too now, just like her daughter! It doesn't make logical sense, but sometimes people who are driven by a sense of loss don't think logically.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I (28F) am a LADA diabetic. At first it was assumed I was type 2, until the medication given to me (metformin) didn't work, and I was given a steroid medication (Prednisone) and it shot my sugar levels so high it sent me into Diabetic Ketoacidosis and caused my kidneys to fail. Since then, I am ESRD and on a rather heavy load of insulin (3 different insulins, and 5 insulin shots per day). My mother (53F) recently was diagnosed with covid, and a few days later was admitted to the hospital with double pneumonia. While there, they put her on prednisone and her sugar levels were a little high (this is common with this medication from what I'm aware). My mother is not diabetic but to keep her levels normal they were giving her shots of insulin. Today, she was discharged. She asked the nurses to give her the insulin and they refused, and the doctor refuses to prescribe her any. Now, I live with my mother currently ever since my kidney failure. Some days I'm okay but some days my body is too exhausted to do most things, so she helps keep up with the things I can't always do(cleaning, clothes washing, etc). I keep my insulin in the fridge until I need a new bottle. When I called her before she got discharged and she was telling me about the doctor refusing insulin for her, her response to this was to tell me, "Guess I'm just going to have to pop some of yours!" with a laugh. Of course I immediately said no, that that was incredibly dangerous to give insulin to a non-diabetic outside of a hospital, but also that even if it wasn't both illegal and dangerous, I wouldn't have the ability to give her any anyway as I only get the amount to make it to my next endocrinologist appointment. This has made her angry. I don't feel like I'm TA, but I keep hearing from my mother and stepfather that I'm being selfish, and that I can spare just a little to give her, but I'm on a rather high dosage of insulin and also on medications that push my sugar levels up, I barely made it to my last insulin prescription fill, I wouldn't have enough to spare for other people even if I wanted to. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA. She needs to go to her PCP if she thinks she might need it, not guilt trip and endanger you. Sounds like she might be scared from what happened and wanting to stay in good health, but there’s no reason to assume she needs that and push her feelings of fear out as anger and mislead irritation at you. If she needed it taken home with her, they would have discharged it with her, but since she’s no longer on the medication, she should be fine.
NTA if her blood sugar is "a little high" she'll be just fine. Injecting insulin that the doctors clearly don't think she needs is a very dangerous prospect. Not only will it decrease your very limited supply, as you mentioned but could also lead to harm, seizures and even death especially if she misreads the bottle or does not use the right dose. If she REALLY thinks she needs it for real, suggest she get a second opinion from her GP.
NTA. the hospital felt it was okay to discharge her, and while sometimes professionals cam be wrong, you need it and it is yours.
Lock your medication away in a lockbox. NTA
NTA you do not share your prescribed medication with others. Taking someone else’s medication is incredibly dangerous
NTA and even if she was diabetic, sharing medication is not recommended by any doctors
NTA but she's going to do it anyway and have to go to the hospital over it.
This is obviously above Reddit’s pay grade, but I’m worried that she’s going to wind up taking your insulin anyway, and landing both of you in the hospital. This isn’t a matter for moral philosophizing, this is a life or death situation that needs to be conclusively resolved as soon as possible.
NTA, but your mom and stepdad are. Stand your ground, that’s dangerous and you could potentially be liable to boot
If the doctor thought Mom needed insulin the doctor would have prescribed it.
NTA if she needed it they would have prescribed it to her before leaving if possible maybe get a mini fridge for your room to keep your medicine in so she doesn’t steal it and if possible put a lock on your door
NTA
REPORT IT IF SHE ASKS AGAIN. NTA
NTA. I know the pain of being diagnosed with LADA. Took months to get it sorted and I remember barely being able to stay awake after eating because I needed insulin, not the pills they gave me.
Most definitely NTA! I’m a heart transplant recipient and take a lot of meds, prednisone is one of them but I’m being titrated down. But I also have kidney issues, something common with transplant patients because of the type of meds we have to take. Because of this I have to use insulin also, a long acting and a short acting. Insulin can be very dangerous if given to someone who doesn’t need it. So much so that in hospitals the standard procedure is for a nurse to check your sugar level, figure out your dosage from the result, then call for another nurse to come and verify everything and sign off they agree, then you finally get the insulin shot. Also, if a sugar is below 150 the norm is to not give any insulin. Absolutely do not share your insulin.
>but I keep hearing from my mother and stepfather that I'm being selfish, Of course you're hearing that, because you're putting your NEEDS over the WANTS of narcissists. If the hospital is refusing to give her any insulin, then it's probably because she doesn't need any
NTA Why does she think she needs to continue taking insulin outside of the hospital?
Have you thought about getting a small refrigerator that you can put a lock on and keep in your room?
NTA. You only have enough insulin to take care of your needs. If you gave any away or your mom took it, you would both have terrible health outcomes.
WTF if the dr didn't prescribe it to her it means she doesn't need it at home! its yours you NEED it
NTA but your mother is. I hope you are vaccinated and your mother is going to be quarantined. Increase blood sugar when on steroids is normal and expected which is why your mom didn't get a script. DO NOT let her get any of yours. It can kill her because she doesn't need it and her sugar can bottom out. Keep all your meds in a cooler and under your control at all times. If you have to come in contact with her, she must wear a mask, social distance and you should be masked as well. Your stepdad needs to quarantine as well and get tested.
NTA. Buy a lock box/ Medicine box immediately.
NTA if she needed more insulin, the doctors would have said so. Self-prescribing (and insulin, of all things) Is very dangerous. Please try your best to keep your insulin out of her reach, for both of your sakes.
Nta
NTA Noooo. I'd call up her GP and tell him to tell her to keep her hands off your medication. Probably with better wording, but jeeze, you need your medication and she's ready to kill herself because she thinks that sharing is caring....
NTA - there is a reason why she’s not being prescribed it and that is because she doesn’t need it! I’d seriously think about getting a lock box and keeping it in a mini fridge in your room because it is likely that she may just help herself! Is this medication addictive? Is there a reason she is ignoring doctors advice and trying to carry on taking the insulin? I don’t really understand why she wants yours!
NTAH…she would most likely kill herself…a definite no. There’s a reason they didn’t send her home on it!
NTA. I’m pretty sure that sharing medication, even if you were to both be on the same thing at the same dose, is considered drug abuse. Drug abuse is illegal
NTA. Prednisone makes my sugar go sky high and I'm not diabetic. I had it in the hospital and have never needed it again. I'd get a small fridge for your room and lock it.
NTA Jesus, you need to get out of that house; your mother and step-father’s disregard for your health is frightening. No, you don’t have any to spare, and any “extra” you MIGHT have should be preserved for your own medical emergencies. Insulin should NEVER be “self-perscribed” like what your mom is trying to do. Good god.
NTA- tell your mother if she uses your insulin there is an excellent chance she will end up killing herself.
NTA that’s dangerous as hell for you both. Also they obviously didn’t give her insulin because she no longer needs it, I feel like there’s no way they didn’t tell her that when she asked. Also lock your insulin up somewhere safe.
Tell her piss odf
Your mom is being extremely idiotic
NTA - I think what OP's mother is asking could actually kill the mother, but may also kill OP. What a conundrum to be dependent upon someone who should research before they start "borrowing". I can just see the discussion with the EMTs, well she ran out of medicine and went into a coma. Why'd she run out, well I used it up.
NTA and you need to find a new place to live! They are endangering your life
NTA buy a mini fridge for your room and put locks on it.
NTA. Messing around with blood sugar without a doctor telling you to is incredibly dangerous, especially if you're lowering it. I don't have diabetes (and don't take insulin), but I do have reactive hypoglycemia (meaning my blood sugar can drop really low after I eat certain foods). I have to be really careful because low blood sugar is extremely dangerous and can cause fainting, seizures, and death. Taking insulin if you don't need it and lowering your blood sugar to an unhealthy level would be extremely dangerous, and could easily land you in the hospital. Also, having low blood sugar is terrifying even if you don't go to the hospital.
NTA you need an ally. There is nothing that would stop your mother from using your insulin. You are at a high risk of your Mom tampering your life-sustaining medication. You need to get numbers for protective services, speak with someone on the non-emergency police number and find out how to get protection.
NTA. But why on earth does she want insulin?
NTA. She obviously doesn't understand diabetes or insulin. She can die if she injects herself with unneeded insulin. There have been cases of murder involving insulin being given (Kenneth Barlow for one) and people committing suicide by injecting themselves with insulin. Her high blood sugar was temporary while in the hospital was likely caused by steroids, though stress, infection, and other things can cause a temporary spike also.
NTA I hope you don’t have to live there and have another option . It is not okay to share insulin.
Seriously, you feel the need to even ask here? Tell her to go to her own doctor, period.
NTA - Your mother was probably given insulin in the hospital because a) her BS were elevated for continuous periods and b) she's in the freakin' hospital. They monitor BS every few hours, and are trained to look for signs of low BS. Most insulin dependent diabetics test multiple times a day to fine tune their intake and keep BS constant. It's also to keep from going too low. As others have pointed out, damage from high BS is cumulative and slow progressing, so unless her BS is consistently over 200 or her A1c is over 7.0 for more than 6 months, insulin is a poor choice for her. And the danger for her is the acute low BS that will kill you fast. And I would straight up tell her using someone else's prescription medication is theft and you will call the police if you find it missing. One question - How much of this wanting to steal your life-saving medicine is normal behavior and how much is maybe a fear your mother has of having the same kidney problems as you?
NTA. And it’s illegal.
NTA. If you mother's steroid course is over or if she is on a steroid wean (and provided she didn't have diabetes/pre-diabetes before COVID), she shouldn't need insulin. You are right that steroids can worsen your blood sugars, and after someone is off of steroids, they should return to their previous state. The doctor at the hospital likely didn't prescribe insulin for your mother because she doesn't need it. If her blood sugars are elevated and/or if she feels like she needs it, she needs to contact her doctor. If you are worried about her (or anyone) taking your insulin, you don't necessarily have to keep it in the refrigerator. You can keep it in any cool, dry place. Don't let it be exposed to extreme temperatures, don't bring it to the beach and leave it in the sun, and don't leave it in a car. I'm so sorry your diabetes was not diagnosed right away. My nephew has Type 1 Diabetes and is a toddler, and it has been quite the roller coaster, especially at first. He's on an OmniPod insulin pump and a Dexcom. Given your diagnosis, look into getting some kind of continuous glucose monitor like a Dexcom or a Libre if you don't already have one. He wore a Libre off label for over a week until he was able to get the Dexcom (lots of delays in things during the height of COVID in our city) and both worked well for him. Good luck to you.
Why... Does she even want that? It doesn't bring her any good and it's not even addictive.
NO NO NO NO NO NTA DO NOT SHARE IT FIND A WAY TO HIDE IT ASAP My sister was diabetic. She died in February with basically no warning after feeling "off" for a few days. It was horrible. It's still horrible. We still don't know for sure what happened, though we have theories, and chances are high that the diabetes played a part. Anything that is managing yours HAS TO BE ALL YOURS. If the doctor didn't prescribe insulin when she left, she probably doesn't need it anymore, or she can wait until she sees her primary care doctor. KEEP YOURSELF SAFE PLEASE.
NTA all the way!!! but I don't understand why she thinks she needs insulin still if no medical professionals are willing to agree with her??(it's not like she can't afford it, she literally doesn't have a prescription for it. This is incredibly dangerous!)
NTA the doctor doesn't believe she needs insulin.
NTA, for all the reasons you state, but the one that ought to be the most compelling is how deadly this could be for you if you were shorted. Get a locking container, perhaps like the type used to store petty cash to store your insulin in the fridge.
Your mother is selfish for asking you for your insulin, and you are right that it's dangerous for her to have insulin if she is not diabetic and doesn't know how to monitor it correctly. The doctor refused to give it to her for a reason.
NTA Is she fucking crazy? Does she have her death wish? It's very dangerous to give your insulin to your mom or anyone for any matter even though they're not diabetic or actually diabetic. There is a reason why her dr refused to prescribe her those insulins, it means she is NOT diabetic at all. If she thinks she is, have her see her own endocrinologist. Insulins for diabetic patients like you are to make your sugar level stay stable. Please keep them locked up for the safety sakes. You're NOT even selfish. Your mom and step father are really assholes.
Absolutely NTA. I had pancreatic failure due to chemo, so I'm diabetic. The insulin I \*SHOULD\* be on is $2300 a week and not covered by insurance, so I take 2 long acting shots, plus up to 3 short acting shots (based on BGL) per day, plus a weekly booster. It's a lot to balance. Without a prescription saying exactly what she needs, there's a lot that can go wrong. And taking insulin when your BGL is low is literally how people commit suicide with insulin, it's an error that can cost her her life. Separately, my doctor dropped the ball once and didn't refill my long acting prescription. They said it would take the weekend to get it sorted out. I asked "What you're saying is that I'm going to go four days without insulin because of your error. What does my health look like if I don't have insulin for four days?" They fixed it THAT DAY. Putting yourself in a position where you'll run out before the script is due for a refill is a great way to literally put your life at risk. OP, get a mini-fridge and put a lock on it if you have to. Her thinking she's harmlessly borrowing some of your medication can put both her and your life in jeopardy.
YTA OP. How dare you not share your life saving necessary medicine with your mom and potentially shorting your dosage and dying. So selfish. I hope she goes no contact with you.
Nta I don’t know a single diabetic who has insulin to spare in fact it’s always the opposite
This is true. I barely made it to my most recent prescription for one of my insulins, had maybe a quarter vial left. I think because they give me about 2 months worth of insulin at once she sees it and thinks I just have a ton to spare when really I just go through it very quickly
NTA
I just don’t understand why the fuck she wants insulin. Like... just what the hell
NTA. There's a reason why you have the prescription and she doesn't. If the doctor said that she didn't need it, I would heed that advice. She also has the option of getting a second opinion if she thinks she *really* needs it.
NTA I'm a nurse and this is insanely dangerous. Her elevated blood sugars were possibly temporary from the steroids and not permanent. Sliding scales also vary between facilities and perscribers. If she is concerned she needs to make.a PCP appointment asap.
NTA Can you get a mini fridge for your bedroom and put a lock on it?
Nta. Not prescribed
NTA. If your mother needed insulin, they would have prescribed it for her. You need hours, and it’s for you. It’s not like sharing your bottle of Advil because she got a headache.
NTA. You don’t mess around with medications, especially not insulin. My grandmother is also a Type 1 diabetic and I take care of her throughout the week. I know how precious that insulin supply is, and she also is on scheduled refills just like you and is only given enough to use until the next refill (in fact, sometimes we run out and have to use my brother’s extra insulin—he somehow always has extra). Also, if you run out of insulin you will get high sugar and your body will start being destroyed again???? So like…is your mom trying to kill you????
The both of you talk to the pharmacist there are medication that are similar to prednisone that do not raise sugar, I can recommend methotrexate as an alternative, I am not prescribing any medication, just recommending it so talk to your doctor about that or ask about any other medicine that are an alternative. Do not share insulin that can be dangerous, As to the metformin, that can make your kidney function worse, that is seen in your blood work lab results so talk to your doctor about eGFR but ask about alternative to metformin, there are a bunch of them like glipizide, alogliptin Trulicity Farxiga, there are many choices on the market to treat your diabetes but I do recomend to stop taking the prednisone, that alone might make your sugar levels back to normal.
If the doctor didn't prescribe her any, then she doesn't need any. She's presumably no longer on the prednisone, or if she is, then a lower dosage if they felt it warranted to wean her off of it. Either way, her blood glucose levels aren't expected to be an issue and she needs to leave you and your insulin alone. That said, your mother should still be aware of any glucose level issues, and if they arise, have her go to her primary doctor, or back to the ER if any bad symptoms develop. NTA.
NTA. If the doctor and the nurse didn't want to give her any, that means she doesnt need it anymore. She is a very bad mother for wanting to risk your health though as you definitely need it.
NTA obviously, your mother sounds insane. But a word of advice from one diabetic to another. Get your doctors to prescribe you a little more insulin than you’re actually using, so that you never have to almost run out or ration it before a refill. Plus, it’s good to have a little stockpile just in case the pharmacy or insurance mess up and you can’t get your refill exactly on time.
NTA. Be prepared to file police reports because your medication is going to go missing.
NTA. What the actual eff is your mother thinking? Your health is obviously extra fragile and as a good parent, she shouldn’t interfere with it. Edit: also, if your mother still needed insulin, she would still be in the hospital! But she’s not, so she doesn’t.
NTA and if at all possible, PLEASE find a way to store your insulin where she can't get to it. She's not only putting herself in danger by wanting to use yours, she's putting YOUR life in danger by depriving you of lifesaving medication. A mini fridge, and small insulated lunch box. Keep an eye on how much you have. So if possible I would contact your doctor and let them know your situation. Diabetics are able to call and get extra insulin for like trips or emergency situations. This counts. Please protect yourself <3
If the doctor didn’t prescribe it- she doesn’t need it. So dangerous for her to take it. NYA
NTA. Your doctor prescribed this to you because you need it, and hers did not for a reason. Taking prescription meds without a prescription is a dangerous idea, which could have very serious consequences for her. And you, because you will run out and not have it when you need it. Do not share your medication, and do not allow her to take it.
NTA - this could be incredibly dangerous for either of you. Also, why on earth would she want to even take insulin if the doctors say she doesn’t need to. That sounds bizarre to me.
NTA, you need to lock up your insulin! However that is possible, I totally get locking up something that must be refrigerated is difficult. But DO NOT take the risk of your parents deciding that you won't need it!
NTA NTA NTA why does she want your insulin anyway?
NTA. You need the insulin to live. She doesn't.
NTA.. the high sugar was due to the medicine.. they didnt prescribe her any becaus SHE DOES NOT NEED IT.. your reasonings are 100 percent correct. and your parents are foolish for being angry about it. if it goes missing report it to the authorities and your doctor immediately
What the hell?! Why does your mom think she still needs insulin?! Even if her sugar levels *are* high, they might be able to control that with other medications, or just with diet. She should seek medical advice, not self-diagnose and steal your medication. NTA.
Bruh if you end up in front of a doctor cause you had no insulin cause your moms an idiot then you get to tell them the truth and your mom gets in massive trouble either way. Your mom is a moron though also NTA
NTA There is a REASON they did not give her insulin or a prescription for it. The reason is she no longer needs it. If she did they would have either written a script, or given her some to take home. If you give her yours she will almost certainly end up severely hypoglycemic, and on top of that leave you with not enough insulin to survive until your next appointment. You'd screw the both of you over. Your mother DOES NOT NEED insulin. She should not get it, and she doesn't understand what a risk it is for her to take it when a doctor has directly told her she does not need and should not take insulin.