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

CherryAA · Aug 14, 2017

Bluetit1802 said:
Can you tell me where the ideal normal ranges can be found? There seems to be some confusion, and there are different measurement units knocking about when you search for answers. The majority of the sites I've looked at say under 25mIU/L or under 174 pmol/L. Who says it should be under 6?

I've seen the number of under 6 in a few places -
for example Dr Bernstein in his books

Dr Mercola ( http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fi...vitamin-d-and-blood-test-health-factors.aspx_
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fi.../vitamin-d-and-blood-test-health-factors.aspx

My understanding of this is that the "Normal" ranges used in blood tests is based on an average of the population where the average population is eating a high carb diet and thus is actually processing a lot of glucose for which they will need a high level of insulin to cope with it.

Conversely if you don't eat carbs, you need much less insulin ( including T1's who inject) so therefore your body settles on much lower numbers.

8 of the people in the Noakes study had figures under 6 reflecting and they were the one's that were effectively in " remission" i.e. their body was not having to do anything special anywhere to control blood sugars

bulkbiker · Aug 15, 2017

Very impressed with these guys again..New testing kit arrived this morning so just have to make appointment at phlebotomists at local(ish) hospital for blood draw.

Bluetit1802 · Aug 15, 2017

@bulkbiker

Do you know if it has to be drawn at one of their listed places, or can you take it to be drawn at your own surgery and then post it off as normal?

Vegman1441 · Aug 15, 2017

bulkbiker said:
Just wondering if anyone has ever managed to get one of these. I'm interested to see what my fasting insulin level is but have just been informed by my surgery that this test os not available on the NHS and ... wait for it.. the Diabetes Nurse couldn't see that it would be any use to my condition. So either she is covering her ignorance, genuinely thinks that it won't be useful or doesn't want to let me have it. Hence my question.
No-one that I have spoken to so far in the HCP realm seems to have ever heard of it although I do believe that it is fairly common in the US.
Looks like more private medicine for me if I want one.

Vegman1441 · Aug 15, 2017

I believe everyone is entitled to fasting test once a year on NHS it's your right.
Ask at your chemist which doctors do most test strips and get regesterd there.
Check online with your health authority and even email them.
My test strips where stopped so I contacted mine and as I drove 38 tons all hell broke loose, they rung my doctor he rang chemist and he delivers strips all in 20 mins

Bluetit1802 · Aug 15, 2017

Vegman1441 said:
I believe everyone is entitled to fasting test once a year on NHS it's your right.
Ask at your chemist which doctors do most test strips and get regesterd there.
Check online with your health authority and even email them.
My test strips where stopped so I contacted mine and as I drove 38 tons all hell broke loose, they rung my doctor he rang chemist and he delivers strips all in 20 mins

You are mixing up fasting blood glucose with fasting insulin levels. They are not the same.

Vegman1441 · Aug 15, 2017

I have had this test for over 12 years but on insulin for 3?

bulkbiker · Aug 15, 2017

Vegman1441 said:
I have had this test for over 12 years but on insulin for 3?

This is a test of the level of insulin (not glucose) in the blood.. I can almost guarantee you have never had one in the UK. My diabetes nurse had never even heard of it.

Fleegle · Aug 15, 2017

bulkbiker said:
This is a test of the level of insulin (not glucose) in the blood.. I can almost guarantee you have never had one in the UK. My diabetes nurse had never even heard of it.

Nor my GP

DCUKMod · Aug 15, 2017

CherryAA said:
Thank's I was going to do it as a separate thread, but so much of the info is intermingled with the fasting insulin test it seemed more sensible to leave it in the one place as I probably have more data on the outcome of fasting insulin in T2 diabetics than most others, since being able to get the thing actually tested seems to be rare as hen's teeth . I will post any other observations in separate thread if they come up. I have also separately asked some questions regarding poor responses to the LCHF diet resulting in high figures including fasting insulin on the thread Type B insulin resistance.

I personally will be astonished if @bulkbiker has anything other than exemplary fasting insulin figures given everything else .... oh to be @bulkbiker LOL

No pressure there then, @bulkbiker .

bulkbiker · Aug 15, 2017

DCUKMod said:
No pressure there then, @bulkbiker .

Indeed not.. although I think it may be quite high still.. we shall see.. blood will be taken Monday lunchtime.. should get results a few days after that.

lindisfel · Aug 16, 2017

CherryAA said:
I've seen the number of under 6 in a few places -
for example Dr Bernstein in his books

Dr Mercola ( http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fi...vitamin-d-and-blood-test-health-factors.aspx_
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fi.../vitamin-d-and-blood-test-health-factors.aspx

My understanding of this is that the "Normal" ranges used in blood tests is based on an average of the population where the average population is eating a high carb diet and thus is actually processing a lot of glucose for which they will need a high level of insulin to cope with it.

Conversely if you don't eat carbs, you need much less insulin ( including T1's who inject) so therefore your body settles on much lower numbers.

8 of the people in the Noakes study had figures under 6 reflecting and they were the one's that were effectively in " remission" i.e. their body was not having to do anything special anywhere to control blood sugars

The 'normal' and abnormal insulin levels can be found out from the Dr Kraft video on YouTube with the Fat Emporer! D.

CherryAA · Aug 16, 2017

lindisfel said:
The 'normal' and abnormal insulin levels can be found out from the Dr Kraft video on YouTube with the Fat Emporer! D.

Thanks - I know I've seen it in a few places now one gets confused as to where though !

bulkbiker · Aug 21, 2017

Just back from having bloods taken...

they had a bit of trouble getting some blood.. but sample now sent off to medichecks.. will let you know when I get the results.

Snapsy · Aug 21, 2017

bulkbiker said:
Just back from having bloods taken...View attachment 23629
they had a bit of trouble getting some blood.. but sample now sent off to medichecks.. will let you know when I get the results.

But are all your fingers still there? Not clear from picture.........
*worried*

bulkbiker · Aug 21, 2017

The guy who eventually got the blood (on the third attempt) gleefully told me he was from Romania.. then said a region called Transylvania.. so a true vampire obviously..

bulkbiker · Aug 21, 2017

Snapsy said:
But are all your fingers still there? Not clear from picture.........
*worried*

All fingers present and correct thanks..
phew..

Mr_Pot · Aug 21, 2017

I hope your insulin test comes back as normal @bulkbiker, but if not what can you do about it?

bulkbiker · Aug 21, 2017

Mr_Pot said:
I hope your insulin test comes back as normal @bulkbiker, but if not what can you do about it?

More fasting and carb cutting I guess.. with attendant weight loss..I just wish I had had one at the start of the journey so I could see progress.

bulkbiker · Aug 22, 2017

OK the results are in.... trumpet blast...

Which I think is pretty normal.. I'm quite amazed...

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

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