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Has anyone ever had a fasting insulin test on the NHS?

Fleegle said:
This is one of those threads where the more I read the more ignorant I feel.
So - are you saying that even if you have really good BG and do that through healthy eating, that you still might be producing too much insulin - even basal insulin and that is really bad for you?

If that is true could you conclude that you may well be producing too much insulin if your BG drops really low between meals (I think it is ideal to be at 4.7)?
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Hi @Fleegle you're not alone but I think @Brunneria's post (Number 30) on this thread explained it best. It's more of an indicator of how far you have progressed on the path to "remission/reversal" whatever you want to call it. So if my result comes back quite low then I'll be quite pleased.. If it comes back high then I know I still have work to do to get it lower. As to how to do that - well that will be the next research I undertake assuming I need to. Does that make it a bit clearer?
I'm trying to work out an LCHF Newcastle diet protocol that I'm thinking of trying. If I get a high insulin result I'll give that a go and see what happens. As always I'll report back here or blog it.
 
If it's any help.
I had diabetic symptoms at 6yr old. I ate 600cals milkshakes and lost 7stones at 15yr old. So technically within 10-11yrs of symptoms starting.
I believe I hit reversal but cannot prove it. It took 2yrs to start adding weight again after stopping shakes. It took me over a decade after that to readd the 7sts lost.
As bariatric research states after that period diabetics don't resolve their need for medication and hba1c's returns to normal. (So op needs to occur before the 10-11yr period.) On the eatwell diet.
Low carbing maybe a different case.
I'm hoping so.

I'm not sure why after 10yrs the body cannot do without insulin assistance even with the op.

My theory can only be that the body started relying on the instant injected insulin and made the pancreas lazy. Not all 10yr+ diabetics get beta cell burn out. Very few infact as injections protect from that.
 
I was told by the hospital nutritionist not to eat oily fish such as Salmon, Mackerel, Sardines more than twice a week. Tin tuna does not have the amount of Omega 3 that fresh oily fish has, but still a great choice of protein. I think that it is something to do with over doing oily fish, Mercury. I don't think that they are to sure what having to much oily fish can do,but I suppose they are not taking any chances.
 
Has anyone had a Ferritin test? Ferritin like GGT is a marker of inflammation and many problems with heart etc. See fat emporer YouTube april17. It can be reduced by supplements
Derek
 
The problem I have - is I had a quick look around the site and before I knew it had a shopping basket in large four figures.... :)
They are all so tempting.... and how often will I have to re-test... might need to get another job...
 
lindisfel said:
Has anyone had a Ferritin test? Ferritin like GGT is a marker of inflammation and many problems with heart etc. See fat emporer YouTube april17. It can be reduced by supplements
Derek
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Yes, mine was checked at last HbA1c. I requested it and there were no objections from the GP.
 
We should have a 'Heroic' smiley.

This will have to do: :couchpotato:
I'm never sure whether this smiley is
a) olympic medalist proudly displaying his medal
b) man in red and white Y fronts
Either way, he seems very pleased with himself.
 
Brunneria said:
We should have a 'Heroic' smiley.

This will have to do: :couchpotato:
I'm never sure whether this smiley is
a) olympic medalist proudly displaying his medal
b) man in red and white Y fronts
Either way, he seems very pleased with himself.
Click to expand...
I'd go for b)
 
lindisfel said:
Has anyone had a Ferritin test? Ferritin like GGT is a marker of inflammation and many problems with heart etc. See fat emporer YouTube april17. It can be reduced by supplements
Derek
Click to expand...
Yes at a&e which showed very low inflammation for me. Hence not artritis in sacroiliac joint pain but 2 bulging discs.
Cardiologist use it to test for inflammation levels which may affect atherosclerosis.
 
ickihun said:
If it's any help.
I had diabetic symptoms at 6yr old. I ate 600cals milkshakes and lost 7stones at 15yr old. So technically within 10-11yrs of symptoms starting.
I believe I hit reversal but cannot prove it. It took 2yrs to start adding weight again after stopping shakes. It took me over a decade after that to readd the 7sts lost.
As bariatric research states after that period diabetics don't resolve their need for medication and hba1c's returns to normal. (So op needs to occur before the 10-11yr period.) On the eatwell diet.
Low carbing maybe a different case.
I'm hoping so.

I'm not sure why after 10yrs the body cannot do without insulin assistance even with the op.
Click to expand...

One of the current theories is that the beta cells die slowly once they have so much fat in them that they can't work.
 
ringi said:
One of the current theories is that the beta cells die slowly once they have so much fat in them that they can't work.
Click to expand...

Ok - that is interesting. I know there is also a thought that FMD diets cause BETA cells to be recreated and another view that being in Ketosis for long periods regenerates them. I do not know to what degree. Wouldn't it be handy if you had a little report than came out of you every day which said :- Beta cells x, avg BG y, Insulin produced, a insulin resistance j.
It is all such guess work trying to figure out where exactly we are and therefore the best step forward.
 
Insulin resistance is measured by comparing fasting insulin to fasting glucose. A complex set of equations is solved to find the "Insulin Resistance" that is consistent with the two numbers. The result has been shown to give the same answer as an insulin clamp test.

To do an "insulin clamp test" you pump glucose into one of the "victims" arms, and insulin into the other arm, you then increase the both so as to keep BG at a set number with the insulin being at least 10 (if not 100) times more than any one's body can produce. You then look at the amount of the insulin compared to the glucose. Every time the test is done, someone's insulin resistance increases, as high insulin + high glucose leads to insulin resistance.
 
Fleegle said:
Ok - that is interesting. I know there is also a thought that FMD diets cause BETA cells to be recreated and another view that being in Ketosis for long periods regenerates them. I do not know to what degree. Wouldn't it be handy if you had a little report than came out of you every day which said :- Beta cells x, avg BG y, Insulin produced, a insulin resistance j.
It is all such guess work trying to figure out where exactly we are and therefore the best step forward.
Click to expand...

BETA cells have been shown to regenerate but not at a fast enough rate to make much difference. But BETA cells seem to "go to sleep" if they have too much fat in them, and longer they have been sleeping less of them you can wake up by removing the fat.
 
Hi everyone!
I'm am certain I had venous insulin tests done at the same time as my first and two subsequent eOGTTs.

This was done alongside my finger prick test and c-peptide and GAD tests.

That is how I discovered my diagnosis and how my first and second insulin response was measured.
I was shown two charts but not the finite details.

The blood glucose levels during the test were more important in my third and fourth, because that showed the straight spike because of my initial insulin response.
Then the hypo at the end despite the meds that only works to prevent the hyper not the hypo!
The second chart was for another RH patient which mirrored mine exactly.

From fasting, my insulin and glucose are in normal levels.
After glucose, my glucose rockets quickly to double figures because of the lack of first insulin response, the second insulin response kicks in when the glucose is triggering the second insulin response, this overshoot is too much and after three to four hours after glucose, the blood levels drop down into Hypoglycaemia.
The glucagon/glycogen is imbalanced and this effects my gut brain trigger response.
My endocrinologist did a series of tests using sitagliptin, more eOGTT tests. This changes the glucagon/glycogen stores and the balance is corrected. This stops the hyper.

This could only be found out by doing insulin and glucose tests.
 
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