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Insulin Resistance?


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Anyone have experience with this? I was just diagnosed with this last Friday, after a 2 hour fasting test. I have had a whirlwind of a week - starting on a thyroid med (not because of the insulin resistance), glucophage, and going to diabetes ed to learn how to eat. I have also increased my exercise to an hour a day instead of my 30 minutes.

 

Would you share your story with me? Well, if you have one, lol! I just wonder how this will be long term. I am hoping to lose a LOT of weight. The doctor said that the meds, diet and exercise should really help with weight losss.

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I have a friend with a ds with insulin resistance. It took a long time to diagnose correctly, perhaps because he was only about 11 or 12 at the time. He's about 19 now and still is very careful about his diet. I think the family was grateful for the diagnosis because of the stress they experienced not knowing what was wrong and then finally finding out what it was and having a way to manage it. The entire family is now very careful about how they eat, eliminating sugar and limiting the carbs, having good fats and protein. This has probably contributed to keeping them healthier, so there's a positive way to look at it.

 

Wish I could help more. :grouphug:

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If it makes you feel any better, sometimes weight doesn't have a thing to do with it.

I am 5'4" and weigh around 120 pounds and was diagnosed with diabetes, Type 2.

"Insulin resistance" is just another name for Type 2 diabetes. By defenition, Type 2 diabetes is when you cannot utilize the insulin your body makes. Type 1 is when you do not make insulin. Type 1 is also known as Juvenile Diabetes or "brittle" diabetes. Sometimes with Type 2 you just don't make enough.

I take Janumet and pretty much eat the way I did before diagnosis, which was very healthy to begin with and exercise the same, almost everyday cardio and 3 times a week strength, which is also what I did before.

I just have a strong genetic predisposition.

It happens, we accept, learn as much as we can, and move on.

Good luck.

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"Insulin resistance" is just another name for Type 2 diabetes.

 

 

As a geneticist and someone who has Insulin Resistance, I want to correct this - they are not the same. People with Type 2 diabetes are insulin resistant, but people with Insulin Resistance do not have diabetes...it may turn into it, but it is not diabetes. More often, people with Insulin Resistance actually have Metabolic Syndrome (aka Syndrome X) which includes Insulin Resistance, high lipids, high blood pressure and some other things. Basically with Insulin Resistance, your blood cells are resistant to normal levels of insulin, so, to control the sugars in your blood, your pancreas has to produce more insulin, that extra insulin metabolizes the sugar (often too much) which then causes you to ingest sugars...and so on and so on. Eventually, if uncontrolled, the pancreas tires out and you may need insulin.

 

For me, I have a nasty cocktail of severe hypoglycemia and insulin resistance. I do not have Metabolic Syndrome, just plain old insulin resistance.

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I have Insulin resistance. In the past it was well controlled with diet. I have fallen off the wagon somehow and I am not in great shape now....

 

To feel well, I have to eat very low carb, low glycemic index. I have to eat every 2-3 hours with a protien each time. I need to walk a full hour daily. I need to get enough sleep (the hardest part.)

 

The nice side effect of doing what works to make me feel well, is it makes me look good.

 

When I am not doing what I should, I get terrible brain fog, I gain lots of weight, my face gets numb, I crave sugar terribly, I get very edgy and lately I have been fainting if I get up too fast.

 

Now, I have to get back ON the wagon....like yesterday.

 

 

Faithe

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Thanks for sharing, ladies! I have a lot of the same symptoms as Faithe. I didn't even know I felt bad though. :) The doctor just wanted to screen me for this and I was positive. I'm excited to know there is more of a reason for me to be overweight than just me not "trying". I have tried, it just doesn't work. I'm very hopeful that this medication, eating and exercise will help me to finally get rid of the weight and have more energy.

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Type 2 diabetes is when you cannot utilize the insulin your body makes. Type 1 is when you do not make insulin. Type 1 is also known as Juvenile Diabetes or "brittle" diabetes.

 

Thanks for clarifying the difference between Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes. As the mother of a Type 1, it is always an uphill battle dealing with misperceptions about the types of diabetes. If I may, however, I would like to point out that the term "brittle" is not a synomym for Type 1. In my understanding, it is used at times to describe diabetics whose blood sugar swings more wildly and unpredictably than most. The term is falling out of favor, and most Type 1's would appreciate it if it were not used.

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Thanks for clarifying the difference between Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes. As the mother of a Type 1, it is always an uphill battle dealing with misperceptions about the types of diabetes. If I may, however, I would like to point out that the term "brittle" is not a synomym for Type 1. In my understanding, it is used at times to describe diabetics whose blood sugar swings more wildly and unpredictably than most. The term is falling out of favor, and most Type 1's would appreciate it if it were not used.

 

:iagree:

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Thanks for clarifying the difference between Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes. As the mother of a Type 1, it is always an uphill battle dealing with misperceptions about the types of diabetes. If I may, however, I would like to point out that the term "brittle" is not a synomym for Type 1. In my understanding, it is used at times to describe diabetics whose blood sugar swings more wildly and unpredictably than most. The term is falling out of favor, and most Type 1's would appreciate it if it were not used.

 

As a pediatric nurse I don't like it either, but some of the older people still use it and I just wanted there to be a clear understanding.

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As a geneticist and someone who has Insulin Resistance, I want to correct this - they are not the same. People with Type 2 diabetes are insulin resistant, but people with Insulin Resistance do not have diabetes...it may turn into it, but it is not diabetes. More often, people with Insulin Resistance actually have Metabolic Syndrome (aka Syndrome X) which includes Insulin Resistance, high lipids, high blood pressure and some other things. Basically with Insulin Resistance, your blood cells are resistant to normal levels of insulin, so, to control the sugars in your blood, your pancreas has to produce more insulin, that extra insulin metabolizes the sugar (often too much) which then causes you to ingest sugars...and so on and so on. Eventually, if uncontrolled, the pancreas tires out and you may need insulin.

 

For me, I have a nasty cocktail of severe hypoglycemia and insulin resistance. I do not have Metabolic Syndrome, just plain old insulin resistance.

http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=18822

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What kind of doctor will understand insulin resistance?

 

My OB/GYN is the one that screened me for it. The diabetic RN that did my food education said the doctors that do the most referring to diabetes ed are cardiologists and OB/GYN. So, ask at your yearly physical is my advice!

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That says exactly what I said - it heralds the onset of Type 2 diabetes (Type 2 diabetics have insulin resistance), which means that it can be the "forerunner" of diabetes, but not everybody who has insulin resistance is diabetic. I am neither obese nor diabetic, nor do I have PCOS. My insulin resistance is a result of the gross insult I did to my body as a result of years of anorexia.

 

Also, if you get a diagnosis of insulin resistance you really should be seeing an endocrinologist.

 

http://www.medicinenet.com/insulin_resistance/article.htm

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That says exactly what I said - it heralds the onset of Type 2 diabetes (Type 2 diabetics have insulin resistance), which means that it can be the "forerunner" of diabetes, but not everybody who has insulin resistance is diabetic. I am neither obese nor diabetic, nor do I have PCOS. My insulin resistance is a result of the gross insult I did to my body as a result of years of anorexia.

 

Also, if you get a diagnosis of insulin resistance you really should be seeing an endocrinologist.

 

http://www.medicinenet.com/insulin_resistance/article.htm

 

Diabetes is like pregancy, you either are or aren't. There is no pre-anything. This is a common misconception.

"Insulin resistance" is what is commonly known as "diet controlled".

The resistance to your own insulin is a characteristic of Type 2 Diabetes, not a pre-cursor.

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Diabetes is like pregancy, you either are or aren't. There is no pre-anything. This is a common misconception.

"Insulin resistance" is what is commonly known as "diet controlled".

The resistance to your own insulin is a characteristic of Type 2 Diabetes, not a pre-cursor.

 

Not the case. I am IR even though I have always had normal glucose tolerance tests. I do not "qualify" as a diabetic IF you look at my sugar levels. For me, in my case, what "qualifies" me as IR is the fact that I have PCOS. I have seen an endocrinologist and he told me that "it leads to diabetes if I let myself go."

 

ETA: My A1c level also comes out in the normal range. I just had one done and was 4.6. This was before I went back on glucophage.

 

This is from WB MD:

Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

 

 

If you have pre-diabetes or diabetes, chances are that you’ve heard of the medical term insulin resistance syndrome or metabolic syndrome. Insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome describes a combination of health problems that have a common link -- an increased risk of diabetes and early heart disease.

The cluster of medical conditions that make up the insulin resistance syndrome or metabolic syndrome places a person at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). It is estimated that 70 to 80 million Americans have the combination of diseases caused by insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.

Diseases caused by insulin resistance include the following:

 

 

  • Obesity

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • High blood pressure

  • Abnormal cholesterol levels

  • Heart disease

  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome

 

Edited by jewellsmommy
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Thanks for clarifying the difference between Type 2 and Type 1 diabetes. As the mother of a Type 1, it is always an uphill battle dealing with misperceptions about the types of diabetes. If I may, however, I would like to point out that the term "brittle" is not a synomym for Type 1. In my understanding, it is used at times to describe diabetics whose blood sugar swings more wildly and unpredictably than most. The term is falling out of favor, and most Type 1's would appreciate it if it were not used.

 

 

:iagree:

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Diabetes is like pregancy, you either are or aren't. There is no pre-anything. This is a common misconception.

"Insulin resistance" is what is commonly known as "diet controlled".

The resistance to your own insulin is a characteristic of Type 2 Diabetes, not a pre-cursor.

 

This is not right. You are diabetic or you are not, but there are things that are precursors to developing diabetes. Yes, insulin resistance is one of them, just as obesity can be a precursor to insulin resistance, but if you have insulin resistance you do not necessarily have Type 2 diabetes. On the flip side, if you have Type 2 diabetes, then you also are insulin resistant. Insulin resistance can be a completely separate issue. I have severe hypoglycemia and am insulin resistant. Insulin resistance can be mitigated with diet changes - I eat a low/good-carb diet and have less trouble. I repeat - I am insulin resistant, NOT diabetic - diagnosed by an endocrinologist.

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Diabetes is like pregancy, you either are or aren't. There is no pre-anything. This is a common misconception.

 

 

I beg to differ. While it is true that one either has a diagnosis of diabetes or not, the diagnosis is set arbitrarily.

If it is diagnosis by elevated A1C, then a common standard is greater than 6.0.

If by an oral glucose tolerance test, then a blood glucose above 200 at the two hour mark might warrant a diagnosis. (I am not as familiar with this standard, so this may not be the number they use.)

If by fasting blood glucose, bg above 126 could be considered diabetic.

 

So what about the person who has an A1C of 5.9, or whose bg is 199 2 hours after an OGTT, or whose fasting bg is 125? Certainly that person is suffering from impaired glucose tolerance. His or her body is not processing blood sugar in a normal manner. The body's functions, and hence the associated numbers (A1C, fasting bg, OGTT results), are on a continuum, with the diagnosis of diabetes set at an arbitrary level. This is inherently different than the (almost always) binary process of fertilization and pregnancy.

 

A person with impaired glucose tolerance could justifiably be diagnosed with pre-diabetes, meaning that if glucose tolerance continued to worsen, it would lead to the the full-blown diagnosis of diabetes. Pre-diabetes is that condition where the body is cleary not processing normally, but doesn't meet the (arbitrary) levels established for a diagnosis of diabetes.

 

Just as the standards for diagnosing high blood pressure have changed over the years, it is entirely likely that the standards for diagnosing diabetes will too. So the person that has an A1C of 5.9 will not be diabetic this year, but he or she might get that diagnosis next year, if the standards were to change. Same person, same numbers, same condition. Diabetic or not? You decide:D.

Edited by Lawana
correction
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  • 1 month later...

I feel that I have this as I have been reading about it and seem to have all the symptoms pretty clearly.

 

My doctor is an old school "just put your fork down" type of person and clearly would not be the person to go to for help with this. What he doesn't get is that I DO put the fork down and even on a WW system I eat only what is allotted and still don't see any change. It isn't about eating less, it is about eating right. I know I could do this on my own but I need the accountability and a little more info.

 

There is a person at my chiropractor's office, but she doesn't take insurance so it would all be OOP.

 

Trying to think of who to go to to really get the testing done that I need.

 

Dawn

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I have insulin resistance. It commonly goes with pcos as well, which I have. Anyway, you may experience intestinal upset with the glucophage. The extended release is a little gentler, in my experience. I also notice that I get an afternoon slump if I have not been eating enough protein.

 

:iagree: every word. PCOS, insulin resistant if I have a 3-hr GTT with insulin levels (particularly at the 2-hour mark) though my glucose levels are totally normal. I've been on and off glucophage for years (for getting pregnant, etc.) and I agree that the extended release is much gentler on your stomach.

 

And I agree that IR is sometimes a precursor to type 2 diabetes but it is not equivalent. Insulin resistance does not turn into diabetes until the pancreas fails to keep up with the increasing demands for insulin. My dad was a type 2 diabetic (normal weight); it's pretty obvious that this is in my genes and I need to be stricter with my eating. I just ordered some new test strips so I can check my blood sugar levels. My endocrinologist previously wanted me on metformin for life but recently changed his tune (not sure why; I guess it's because I'm "normal" weight :glare:). So I'm about to go back to checking my own blood sugar levels to see how they're doing (though that tells me nothing about what's going on with insulin levels).

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