I would like to get my insulin levels checked to see if my insulin levels are spiked. Blood sugar level is the last thing to increase so for many people a fasting glucose test detects diabetes too late. Long before your blood sugar rises, your insulin spikes. High insulin levels are the first sign that can precede type 2 diabetes by decades. A two hour glucose tolerance test can help detect high insulin levels. This test measures not only glucose but also insulin levels. I went to my GP to ask for this test to be done and they said that the NHS doesn't check insulin levels. She said that i can only have my blood sugar levels checked and only would only have insulin levels checked if it's necessary. The problem with this is that you can have normal blood sugar levels but high insulin levels. If i just get my blood sugar levels checked and they are normal then i still won't know if i have high insulin levels. This is crazy. Does anyone know of any good places to get my insulin levels checked?
checking insulin levels for prediabetes
- Thread starter AdamS78
- Start Date
Lesleywo
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 714
- Type of diabetes
- LADA
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Dislikes
- My addiction to carbs
My integrative GP checked my fasting insulin as I was overweight. Top of range was 10, my fasting insulin was 16. My mum had Type 2 and an aunt and uncle of hers had diabetes, not sure what type. This was end of April last year. Bought myself a metre, hired a dietician and have lost 10kg. After 2 months my fasting insulin dropped down to 9. I had it done just before Christmas when my diet had been bad and it had gone up to 11. I get non diabetic blood sugar readings if I stick to a fairly low carb diet which makes me wonder what would happen if I didn't. The 3 HbAlc readings I've had are always 5.8% despite changing my diet and weight loss which I find a bit weird. I am also Gad positive, which makes me wonder, if I proceed to diabetes, does that automatically make me LADA? Or both?
In answer to your question, can't you just get it done privately at the normal lab if a doctor won't do the request? And do you have diabetes in your family and are you overweight, how old are you etc.? Just trying to ascertain your risk factors.
In answer to your question, can't you just get it done privately at the normal lab if a doctor won't do the request? And do you have diabetes in your family and are you overweight, how old are you etc.? Just trying to ascertain your risk factors.
Yes i will go private but I was just wondering if anyone can recommend any private places where i could go. I'm not overweight and am in mid thirties. Don't know all my families history with regards to diabetes. I just know one of my grandparents had it. I'm just interested in my insulin levels as i used to eat a lot of modern wheat and regularly eat too much sugar.
I know this is an old post but hopefully still useful to answer. I have just been through the same frustration of feeling that i needed to know my fasting insulin levels when the nurses at my GP surgery say it is not necessary. I ended up doing it privately. It frees me from needing a GP's approval to test the things that concern me.
Edited by mod to remove a commercial link.
Edited by mod to remove a commercial link.
Last edited by a moderator:
I know that in the USA there are online sites that will let you order your own labs. The problem is that I was able to get a fasting insulin with my labs, (insulin low-normal with high glucose and HgbA1C), but they don't offer an insulin load with glucose tolerance without a physician's order. This test checks insulin and glucose for each draw of a glucose tolerance test and is what is used in research, pointing out people who are insulin resistant or pre-DT1, but still maintain glucose levels within normal parameters. Since it is used in research, pointing out people 10 or more years before they are diagnosed, health care does not use it. They still see diabetes as a progressive disease requiring tons of money to treat. What would be the cost of treating people for an additional 10 years? When I see my doc, I am going to ask for this test, letting her know I will pay out of pocket for it. Hopefully that will work.
Oh, BTW, if you eat low carb, you need to eat > 120 carbs/day for 3 days before the test or the results won't be accurate. I think it has to do with the slow and fast release of insulin. Would look it up, but get kicked out of place every time I leave to get info.
Oh, BTW, if you eat low carb, you need to eat > 120 carbs/day for 3 days before the test or the results won't be accurate. I think it has to do with the slow and fast release of insulin. Would look it up, but get kicked out of place every time I leave to get info.
