There is a lot of talk about reversing type2 but no mention of those of us that are on insulin.
I was diagnosed 18 years ago but after taking metformin for about 6 weeks,with all the sickness and diarrhoea problems,my blood levels went so high the readings were off the scale.
Have been on vovomix 30 now for 9 years and test 4/6 times a day to help avoid hypos.
Does anyone think this is reversible?
BMI 25
I wouldn't have a clue, and really nor would anyone else really.
What I would say is we have evidenced a number of T2s, who were initially taking insulin, reduce then stop insulin when they made some changes to their eating and/or other lifestyle aspects. So much depends on whether your own body is able to recover and cope without insulin, if your diet is adding to the mix.
Clearly, I would not consider telling anyone how to manage their insulin, so you could need support with that, unless you are confident with adjusting doses yourself. Most people find reducing the amount of carbs they eat has a two-fold impact. Firstly, those with a pancreas functioning at a reasonable level find their blood sugars reduce, which for those on insulin can mean they need reduced doses, and secondly, many lose weight. Not everyone, but many.
To extrapolate that as far as reversal would be very bold at this stage, but I guess where I am coming from is why not set yourself some credible targets - to reduce your blood sugars or safely reduce your insulin doses (with appropriate support), with a sideline of maybe trimming up a bit, if you get double lucky?
Should you manage to see some improvements, in whatever you decide is most important to you, then you can begin to plan what any next stage might be and what a longer term approach could look like.
Were you unfortunate enough to have a pancreas that really is just too tired and worn out to bounce back, you may still be able to improve things, if your diet could be tweaked at all, but starting with an all or nothing approach to reversal could be a tricky one.
In Professor Taylor's work, of his initial subjects 40% achieved "reversal" by the end of their 8 week programme and one more, making 43% had achieved the same markers by the end of a six month time frame.
There is no doubt 43% in six months is extremely laudable, but it clearly isn't guaranteed for anyone, so please consider setting yourself up for a resounding success (improvement), rather than risking joining a devastated 57% likelihood.
I do hope that doesn't come across as a downer, because that absolutely isn't what I want to express, but sadly we often see folks embark with a full expectation they will reach the holy grail, only to find they don't, then we rarely encounter them again. I often wonder if they continue with their improved results or revert to where the started. I'll never know.
Good luck with whatever you choose to do, but if you do decide to "Do something", please ensure you are managing your insulin safely.