Insulin resistance question

[twokatss]

How to determine if you are insulin resistant?

If you take insulin can you be resistant to it and it builds up in your body making you gain weight?

If you are resistant, does taking insulin actually work?

I know there are people here who can answer these questions. My DR kind of pushes me out of office when I ask questions... I am from Canada and we can not pick a new DR ....

Any info on this phenomenom would be helpful....

[SamQKitty]

I know there are tests to determine how insulin resistant you might be...possibly someone else can jump in here with information as to how that's determined.

As far as resistance and taking artificial insulin...yes, taking insulin does work if you have resistance. Resistance just means that your body needs way more insulin than the average person in order to utilize glucose.

And, no...the insulin itself doesn't build up in your body exactly. If your blood sugar levels are high AND you're producing ketones, you'd be losing weight. If you're not losing weight and your blood sugar levels are high, then I believe it's that the free-floating glucose in your blood stream changes the way your body metabolizes things and causes you to gain weight. (Here again...one of the more scientific people might be able to jump in and explain this better.)

If I recall, Twokatts, you are a Type 2 who has been having difficulties getting your blood sugar levels under control? It just might be time to start taking insulin.

Ruth

[twokatss]

Thanks Ruth for the info....I am taking insulin---rapid before meals and Levemir at night....still have the morning highs tho....a couple weeks ago my DR dropped my Levemir from 55units at night to 42 because of going low in middle of night. Now the diabetic nurse I see, said he should not have done that. So she has put me on a regime of upping from 42 units---to 2 more units every 3 nights. So now I am at 64 units and my morning readings are going higher too...This morning it was 15 mmol...

This all seems so strange to me and confusing....and I am not having lows at night anymore either....

I also heard something about brittle diabetics.

Could you explain that to me a bit....

I am really pi--ed at the DR actually an ENDO.
My family DR seems to know more than him.

[SamQKitty]

Of, for cryin' out loud....the reason your doctor dropped your levemir at night was precisely because you were going low at night...thus your morning highs were probably rebounds! The nurse should NOT have upped it! And of course your morning readings are going even higher.

Go back to doing what your doctor suggested, and keep testing, both at night (set an alarm to test at, say, 3 AM) and in the morning. I'll bet you see those morning numbers start to come down with the reduced dose of Levemir.

Ruth

[DibeticAthlete]

Hi twokatss,

I'm on Lantus and had the same thing happen. My morning readings were going higher and higher which happened because I was having reactions in the middle of the night and my liver was dumping all of its glycogen (which is NOT GOOD!). Once she lowered my dose my sugars leveled out. Also I now take Lantus in the morning instead of at night. You might want to talk to your Endo. Also I would NEVER EVER EVER listen to a nurse or change my insulin based on what a nurse says. They went to med school for 4 years and generalized whereas an Endo was at med school for 7 and THEN specialized. Also I am Canadian and know the health care system up here very well (I've been diabetic for 25 years) so I know it's a load of crap when you say you can't change Endos. Of course you can. I have when my favorite retired and I didn't like the new one. Also in Canada they give you 15 min of time....demand longer or write your questions down and hand her/him the sheet. Ask for diabetes education classes. In Canada since we don't pay for the visit you need to be pushier to get what you want.