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help to interpret result

curious2know

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Other
Hi there, i would really appreciate any guidance on my test results. I had a oral glucose with insulin test done and my results are:

fasting glucose
fasting/30mins/60mins/90 mins/120mins
5.0/7.7/5.2/5.8/4.3 mmol

fasting insulin
fasting/30mins/60mins/90mins/120mins
11.3/ 117/90.6/93.2/31.4

Doctor says i'm not insulin resistant based on these results although although my fasting insulin is more then 10, which is not ideal. My concern is i eat a LCHF diet in general but do have about 50grams of carbs a day - maybe a portion of rice with dinner and a sweet potato for lunch and 3 squares of 85%dark chocolate (1.5grams sugar). Also, i do eat a desert once a week but try to max the sugar load in one sitting to max 7grams. I'm, 37, female, slimish, 56kg, 5"4tall, size 8-10. i do have borderline PCOS- got other symptoms of this.

My concern is with already eating so healthy, should i be very concerned that my fasting insulin was so high? 11.3 seems really high based on some things I've read. Do i have to cut all carbs out of my diet or have absolutely no sugar? A different doctor suggested i could start taking metaformin based on my pcos symptoms, but ideally i don't want to take it if i don't have to. Are there any long term reasons to not take metaformin ?

Any advice would be much appreciated
 
I cant offer any advice re fasting insulin but you blood suar results look perfect
 
Hi and welcome,

Well, the good news is you aren't diabetic! You can relax about that.

Can you tell us why you had the OGTT?

High circulating insulin is not a good idea, not least because it is a pre-cursor to insulin resistance. It can also be inflammatory and cause other problems, including weight gain. Maybe you could try switching to foods that trigger less insulin? The most insulin-triggering foods are of course the starchy carbs and sugar, but also surprisingly for many, fruit. If you do eat fruit (and juices) you would do well to leave it out.

This is a chart showing some insulinogenic foods as a rough guide
https://public.tableau.com/profile/christoffer.green#!/vizhome/InsulinogenicFoodData/Dashboard1

Edited to add another list at Table 4
https://watermark.silverchair.com/1...y-JzMoBeu0n_qQc7DEr9OMEg_G49xM1iq8dH9SoyoAXVk
 
Metformin is considered a safe drug. Some people see temporary bowel upsets that clear in a few days/weeks but others cannot tolerate these side effects. And some people see no side effects whatsoever.

Long term, the only thing I have heard so far is that Metformin can change the absorption rate of vitB 12 so this needs to be measured periodically and supplementation of vitB 12 may be needed at some point.
 
Hi and welcome!

My opinion on your questions is very simple:

PCOS is strongly associated with insulin resistance
Your results show some insulin resistance
Your results also show that your insulin resistance is nowhere near as high as it could be, and many people with PCOS have much higher insulin resistance

So no, I wouldn't be very worried. But I would bear in mind that anyone with PCOS is more prone to insulin resistance and weight gain, and the knock on effects of hyperinsulinaemia, so I would be looking toward a life long lifestyle that minimises insulin resistance (controlled carb intake, regular exercise, regular monitoring of health markers, and most important of all avoiding future weight gain), to prevent future problems.

Fortunately it looks like you are tackling this early, so you are off to a great start.

I speak as someone with PCOS who didn't have a clue back in the 1980s when the symptoms started, and the weight gain seemed surreal in view of the tiny calorie intake. And while I never wanted to put on weight, and tried very hard not to, I really wish that someone back then had taken me to one side and said your future health will hinge on your weight control, and if you low carb, then that weight control will be more achievable)

Oh, and regarding the Metformin - it may just be your best friend. I would accept it on a trial basis and see what happens. It has a very well established track record for PCOS.
 
Thank you so much everyone for replying. Apologies if the format of my response is not correct as i don't usually chat on forums.

I will defo take a look at the charts a user posted. I had the test as i have been battling horrible symptoms of PCOS for years but my hormone profile for testosterone/progesterone comes back ok -but on the borderline. So i changed my diet to account for insulin resistance (i really miss my high carb diet), i thought i'd done enough considering i eat max around 50g a day. But as a last resort i thought i'd take the test. The 11.3 result is a bit concerning as i was hoping to increase my carbs as tbh i'm sick of watching what i eat so much. And i enjoy alcohol and hear metaformin is not a great mix with that. sigh.

I actually don't eat fruit, maybe the odd apple. I basically have eggs and avocado for breakfast, maybe 1 cracker with it. Then a chicken pitta for lunch, then a meat and salad and sweet potato or maybe rice for dinner. on the weekends i like to relax it more. I would think this would be enough but clearly not...
 

Thank you So sorry the info wasn't out there before. It feels surreal to me now that one can eat so little and still be in this position. If i take metaformin, does this mean i can eat more carbs/sugar as my cells will become more sensitive? My main issue with PCOS is elevated androgens, the pill worked but I've come off it and have had really bad skin for past couple of years.
 
Thanks
 
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