As an adherent of LCHF diets since 2015 I have been managing my Type 2 condition very satisfactorily. My readings have been around 120 until June 2019.
I was trapped into a situation where I was forced to do away with my controlled diets for about a months’ time leaving me with readings around 160 at the end of the period. Since then I have been trying my best to keep my intakes of carbs to near zero even with intermittent fasting’s and regular exercises but this figure remains there.
Diamicron twice a day have been my routine along with the other vitamins and statins etc. I increased the dosage of Diamicron to thrice on my own. Still no change!
I will be meeting my doctor soon before that …..I would like to know why my system not responding on my resumption of my routine medications and life style for the last 15 year or so after a brief break , at my present age of 71.
Written by
GVGnanasooriyam
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Both are simple blood tests carried out in the lab. No specific preparation are required. When you check your fasting blood Sugar , you can get these tests done...
(1) Both tests are used to confirm as to what extent your pancreas Beta cells are functioning and whether you are type 1, type 2 or there are other issues in the pancreas.
(2) Both insulin and C Peptide are released in to the blood stream simultaneously in equal quantities , but the way in which they are eliminated from body are different..
(3) Lower values would mean pancreas not producing adequate insulin..
(4) Zero or near zero values would mean your pancreas not producing insulin at all..
(5) It would also indicate whether you have HOMA IR or HOMA B issue and whether or not you should take Insulin secretagouge drugs or exogeneous insulin !
(6) C Peptide test is specifically useful for people who are already on exogeneous insulin therapy since C Peptide would only indicate the endogenous insulin released by pancreas by ignoring the exogeneous insulin...
(7) The ideal way for a type 2 DM is to test without any medication so that it gives the real status of beta cells....
(8) However, one needs to be careful while avoiding medication if he has uncontrolled blood sugar.
(9) It is best measured at early stages of diabetes or at the time of diagnosis...
... To know whether the person has predominantly IR or insulin Deficient...
For example , if one is having excessive circulating insulin in the blood and still has high blood sugar , it is because of IR which can perhaps be controlled by diet and exercise to a great extent...at best he can take an insulin sensitizer like Metformin or Pioglitazone to control his blood sugar...
But if he has low insulin levels which is leading to high blood sugar, only diet and exercise would be of little help , perhaps he needs to take an insulin secretagogue drugs ....
(11) Unfortunately, these tests are not ordered in the main stream and as a standard protocol.. and the doctors directly prescribe a combo of an insulin secretagogues and an insulin sensitizer...
You may please go through the links to get some further information...
I used to visit my consultant cardiologist once in 4 months with the lab report though I have the device at home to measure blood sugar level. Since our understanding the conditions beforehand helps a lot discussing issues in great detail with the doctor only, I am interested in knowing the reasons.
My body weight remains around 76 kg for over 4 years, 77.6 and 74.2 being the extremes on both sides and the figures as per the last report taken in September 15, 2019 are: FBS- 130, CHOL-117, LDL-61, HDL-41, TG-77 HbAIC-6.8%, SGPT- 74, B.Weght-77.2kg
Sugar is the primary fuel for the body and when there is a scarcity of Sugar/ carbs as in case of LCHF/ Keto diet, our Body can always convert Protein and Fat in to Sugar by a process called Gluconeogenesis!
What body can not do ?😊
And conversely, if one eats excess Carbs, Body can always convert excess Carbs into fat by a process called De Novo Lipogenesis ( DNL) !
In your original post you said your latest blood sugar remains @160 in spite of following a zero carb diet along with diamicron thrice daily...
If the blood sugar readings are correct, you seem to have extremely low levels of circulating insulin in the blood and the Diamicron no longer works- I am not sure since how long have you been taking diamicron...
You may like to carry out a lab test for your fasting insulin and C peptide which could indicate your beta cell status...
It is possible that if one remains continuously in a state of strong IR for a long time , the beta cells gradually stop producing insulin ....insulin is a master hormone which is a must for metabolism of not only Carbs , but of all other Macronutrients such as Protein, Fat also....
If you find your fasting Insulin is less than 3 uIU/ml and diamicron seems to be not working, your doctor may advise you for exogeneous insulin....
However, if you are not comfortable with exogeneous insulin, some of the latest classes of oral drugs such as DPP4 inhibitors and SGLT2 inhibitors which can still work for you ... You can take after consultation with your doctor. ..
Wish you all the best....
Disclamer: i am not a medical professional.. the above information is compiled from various literture search...
Please consult with your medical professional before changing any medication..
I am very grateful to you for your going straight to the point without beating about the bush. I fully understand the process and where my system stands at present.
I will now be able to guide my doctor to my condition direct in a very decent way instead of her speculating into the range of possibilities before deciding upon the best drug from the ocean of pharmaceuticals!
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