Self diagnosing noob - Am I doing this right?

[lindisfel]

Hi Derek,
Glad you're okay!
It all depends on how much the insulin resistance interferes with the insulin response.
If your first insulin response is poor due to whatever reason, the second will almost counter and overshoot the amount of glucose still there.
The amount of insulin should be balanced to the amount of glucose produced but it isnt.
Getting a lower insulin resistance will help obviously.
And if you low carb the background insulin and just the poor insulin response should be enough to cope and stop the extra insulin response.
The more time without excess insulin and the lower your insulin resistance is, the first insulin response should be better at coping with the glucose derived from the food you eat.
Hope that helps.
But, (isn't there always!)
Other hormones and the likes of beta cells, glucagon, glycogen, your liver and meds will give you different cocktail of circumstances. And what we eat and drink!

Best wishes mate.

Thanks for that Lamont. Low carb works for me I used to have two hypos/day! Now I have had none for over two years.
regards
Derek

 

[Lamont D]

That is absolutely brilliant mate!
Couldn't agree more.

Knowledge is power!

Keep in touch mate!

Best wishes.

 

[kokhongw]

Ran across this at http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/54/suppl_2/S108 (a couple of paragraphs in). In bold is the part that jumped out at me. Are you on to something?

"Glucose is the key physiological regulator of insulin secretion; therefore, it appears logical that it also regulates the long-term adaptation of insulin production by regulating β-cell turnover. Indeed, in all species, short-term exposure of β-cells to increasing glucose concentrations induces proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner (9–11). However, in Psammomys obesus and humans, the proliferative capacity of these cells is suppressed after a prolonged exposure to increased glucose concentrations."

I think that is exactly why it is recommended for low carbers to carb load for the few day before OGTT...

But yes I think this is an important paper that sheds light on how glucose affects our beta cells...

 

[Bluetit1802]

Ran across this at http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/54/suppl_2/S108 (a couple of paragraphs in). In bold is the part that jumped out at me. Are you on to something?

"Glucose is the key physiological regulator of insulin secretion; therefore, it appears logical that it also regulates the long-term adaptation of insulin production by regulating β-cell turnover. Indeed, in all species, short-term exposure of β-cells to increasing glucose concentrations induces proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner (9–11). However, in Psammomys obesus and humans, the proliferative capacity of these cells is suppressed after a prolonged exposure to increased glucose concentrations."

Oh wow! Thank you for that. If anecdotal evidence can be believed. and my experience is just a n=1, then maybe that is just what happened to me. I am happy to report that since my OGTT on 11th September (for which I did not carb up) my levels have stabilised at the new lower levels, and indeed some are continuing to drop.

 

[Chook]

Oh wow! Thank you for that. If anecdotal evidence can be believed. and my experience is just a n=1, then maybe that is just what happened to me. I am happy to report that since my OGTT on 11th September (for which I did not carb up) my levels have stabilised at the new lower levels, and indeed some are continuing to drop.

Is that your FBG as well?

 

[Bluetit1802]

Is that your FBG as well?

It is right across the board, testing 8 times a day. It is FBG, before lunch and tea, mid morning (I don't have breakfast), 2 hours post lunch and tea, plus 2.5hrs post tea and bedtime. Nothing else has changed in my routine. Levels just dropped, from the day following my test. I was so shocked at first I kept re-testing thinking I'd had rogue readings. I even used control solution on my meter, which I've never done before. I am now shocked if I see a higher level!

I can't think of anything else it might be. My weight has been stable for 3 years with a BMI of around 21.

 

[Chook]

Excellent! I've been worried about doing an OGTT but your experience has reassured me.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Excellent! I've been worried about doing an OGTT but your experience has reassured me.

I don't know if @CherryAA and @bulkbiker noticed anything different - they did their tests just before I did mine. Cherry did carb up. Bulkbiker didn't (but he has low levels anyway)

 

[bulkbiker]

I had an odd couple of days afterwards but no lasting ill effects..

 

[Bluetit1802]

It makes sense because of your low BMI, regular exercise / walking and being on VLC for so long. You may have cleared the fat out of your liver and pancreas sometime ago combined with being on a VLC diet, didn't require a lot of insulin for your day to day needs. The OGTT may have bonked your pancreas to "wake up" and start producing more because the need has increased.

It might be interesting to do another "shock" similar to the OGTT and see what happens. It would be amazing if you saw another drop.

I hope your theory is right. I had thought about doing another but am worried it may have a reverse effect. I am still revelling in what has happened and don't want to risk losing it. I will do another, maybe after my next HbA1c due in December.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I tried to compute your change and it looked like about %5 or 6% improvement. What do you think? If next time you see the same percent change and it lasts a few weeks, wouldn't that be something !! We'd have to celebrate.

I am no mathematician so I'll take your word for it. I'll be sure to let you know what happens after I do my next one. I like celebrating!