Charlottee
Member
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- 15
Is there a way to measure insulin at home? That would be really interesting, rather than blood sugar or ketones.
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Is There A Way To Measure Insulin At Home?
- Thread starter Charlottee
- Start Date
Indy51
Expert
Currently it can only be done by a blood test (and I think it must be expensive 'cos it's hardly ever ordered).
I did hear something on an interview recently (can't remember where though) that a home meter is in the pipeline, though not sure how long it will be before it becomes available.
I agree though - it's one metric that I'd really like to know about.
Daibell
Master
Hi. At the moment there is really only the c-peptide test and that has to be done professionally and it's expensive.
Lamont D
Oracle
- Messages
- 18,141
- Type of diabetes
- Reactive hypoglycemia
- Treatment type
- I do not have diabetes
It is at the moment the only test for insulin, a c-peptide test is really expensive as few laboratories do the test.
My couple of tests were sent to London, and the results were took over a month to come back.
A monitor would certainly be a huge help for my condition!
The pairing up of a monitor and a CGM would give so much information to help explain so much!
My couple of tests were sent to London, and the results were took over a month to come back.
A monitor would certainly be a huge help for my condition!
The pairing up of a monitor and a CGM would give so much information to help explain so much!
chalup
Well-Known Member
It is too bad because knowing your insulin level is very important when deciding to take a diabetes drug or not and especially deciding if it is the right time to go on insulin. So many people have insulin stimulating drugs thrown at them and immediately start packing on the weight, probably because their insulin levels are already high. Others are not producing enough but doctors do not want to give insulin to type 2's without going through months or years of useless drugs and illness. Some of those "type 2's" are actually LADA or type ones and can end up in DKA. Having a simple method of testing insulin, even if it is just at the doctors office would be of great benefit.
GrantGam
Well-Known Member
Would the current C-peptide test not suffice for this? Obviously a facility to measure on-board "home-made" insulin would be handy, but I'd imagine that if it's still in the making, that it'll no doubt be more expensive than the current blood tests available to measure insulin produced by the individual's pancreas?
Lamont D
Oracle
- Messages
- 18,141
- Type of diabetes
- Reactive hypoglycemia
- Treatment type
- I do not have diabetes
I think one of the most frustrating annoying circumstances for some prediabetic and newly diagnosed T2 is because they probably have had hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance before high blood glucose levels.
The doctors can't test, and because the system makes them give drugs to lower blood glucose levels, which means insulin increasing and until the patient returns being made worse by the drugs does the doctor refine their diagnosis.
Regardless of diet, the patient will still put on weight because of the excess insulin.
That's why so many GPs now, try diet and exercise before drugs!
And why so many turn to sites like this because of the lack of testing and knowledge about how diabetes occurs in so many different ways.
If there was a quick test and broader knowledge of how insulin and other hormones effect our endocrine system, we would be a lot better off. And of course how diet is so important to all types of diabetes control.
The doctors can't test, and because the system makes them give drugs to lower blood glucose levels, which means insulin increasing and until the patient returns being made worse by the drugs does the doctor refine their diagnosis.
Regardless of diet, the patient will still put on weight because of the excess insulin.
That's why so many GPs now, try diet and exercise before drugs!
And why so many turn to sites like this because of the lack of testing and knowledge about how diabetes occurs in so many different ways.
If there was a quick test and broader knowledge of how insulin and other hormones effect our endocrine system, we would be a lot better off. And of course how diet is so important to all types of diabetes control.
chalup
Well-Known Member
I have had a c-peptide and will have another with my next blood tests but my doctor did not even know what that test was, just added it because I asked him to. Cost is apparently not an issue in British Columbia and I do not think the doctors here are expected to keep some kind of budget. From what I have seen on this forum though, in the UK most do not get this test due to budget. As a non insulin dependent type 2 I also have a prescription for 4-6 test strips of my choice per day that are covered.
chalup
Well-Known Member
I am in 100% agreement with this.
There is something called an insulin clamp test - which is very different from the c-peptide test.
The insulin clamp test measures how much insulin is currently circulating.
Kraft used it simultaneously with his glucose tolerance tests for decades. Using the two tests together he was able to identify glucose tolerance and glucose resistance issues long before pre-diabetes can be measured using conventional glucose tests (fasting and HbA1c), by measuring how much insulin was released to cope with specific amounts of glucose. I am not aware of this test being offered in the UK.
This is a you tube video of an interview with Kraft which explains far better than I can.
The c-peptide test works very differently. It measures how much insulin is being produced, but is not a good gauge of short term rises and falls in insulin, since c-peptide persists in the body about 5 times longer than insulin.so unless you know how much carbohydrate has been eaten during that time, all it tells you is that the insulin is being produced, and the rough quantity. It doesn't tell you whether that insulin is proportional to the glucose, or whether insulin resistance is present.
http://labtestsonline.org.uk/understanding/analytes/c-peptide/tab/test/
The insulin clamp test measures how much insulin is currently circulating.
Kraft used it simultaneously with his glucose tolerance tests for decades. Using the two tests together he was able to identify glucose tolerance and glucose resistance issues long before pre-diabetes can be measured using conventional glucose tests (fasting and HbA1c), by measuring how much insulin was released to cope with specific amounts of glucose. I am not aware of this test being offered in the UK.
This is a you tube video of an interview with Kraft which explains far better than I can.
The c-peptide test works very differently. It measures how much insulin is being produced, but is not a good gauge of short term rises and falls in insulin, since c-peptide persists in the body about 5 times longer than insulin.so unless you know how much carbohydrate has been eaten during that time, all it tells you is that the insulin is being produced, and the rough quantity. It doesn't tell you whether that insulin is proportional to the glucose, or whether insulin resistance is present.
http://labtestsonline.org.uk/understanding/analytes/c-peptide/tab/test/
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Indy51
Expert
I think there are tests that measure insulin in the blood and a formula that is used to calculate insulin resistance using a combination of fasting insulin and BG level:
https://www.dtu.ox.ac.uk/homacalculator/
It is used in research testing but doesn't appear to have worked its way into general practice.
Measuring insulin during OGTT's isn't standard practice in Australia (or the UK either I gather?) but it seems to be used more routinely in the US?
https://www.dtu.ox.ac.uk/homacalculator/
It is used in research testing but doesn't appear to have worked its way into general practice.
Measuring insulin during OGTT's isn't standard practice in Australia (or the UK either I gather?) but it seems to be used more routinely in the US?
Daibell
Master
I had my c-peptide done privately in the UK when my surgery refused to accept I was LADA. It cost around £300.
DavidGrahamJones
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure why I didn't see this back in August 2016. So apologies for resurrecting an old thread, I was actually doing a little digging for a more current thread about ketones as a way of measuring insulin.
My only comment is that I have paid for 3 c-peptide tests, as part of several other blood tests since January 2016. I went to Genova Diagnostics at their offices near Mareylebone and the cost was less than £100, just for the c-pep.
My only comment is that I have paid for 3 c-peptide tests, as part of several other blood tests since January 2016. I went to Genova Diagnostics at their offices near Mareylebone and the cost was less than £100, just for the c-pep.
And medichecks do a fasting insulin test for £39 or an insulin resistance test (Fasting Insulin , blood glucose and the calculated IR ) for £49. But you do need someone to draw the blood.
DavidGrahamJones
Well-Known Member
Cheers for info, my nutritional therapist is qualified to draw blood although nervous (should I let her near me? LOL). By thye time I've got the train to Marylebone and taxi, albeit only 10 minutes away, that's another £40.
I can now see that my local BMI Hospital, the Chiltern Hilton as it's known, are a partner clinic. Many thanks for that.
You send it off through the post so you don't need to visit..the hospital will charge for the blood draw so far as I know.. that's why I get mine taken when I have my HbA1c etc done.
- Messages
- 14,295
- Type of diabetes
- I reversed my Type 2
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- Diet only
As I understand it, from @bulkbiker , all you need for the blood draw is in the box Do you know any "tame" HCPs appropriately qualified who could play vampire?
