Hi advice needed please

[BashUK]

Hi all, looking for advice. I'm fed up with the GPs - it is like listening to a parrot that can only say "loose weight and take your Metformin".

I was diagnosed T2 7 months ago with a HbA1C of 88 I went straight on Metformin and keto diet and brought my A1C down to 57 in 10 weeks with drastic weight loss.

After a few more months I was waking up with a fasting of 6.5 -7 and rarely spiking above 8.5 so I tried to go off Metformin. Since then I rarely wake up with a fasting of less than 7.5 but still rarely spike above 10.0. but I have very inconsistent spikes and A1C a few weeks ago was 54.

.....but here is the wierd thing. I read a study which linked seratonin in the gut with insulin production in the pancreas and how insulin production is predicated on tryptophan intake in the diet. So I googled "high tryptophan foods" and to my delight cheese was very high.

So then it was experiment time. Long story short, I can now eat a full portion of chip shop chips and not go above 9.5 (2-3 hrs post) if I have 150g of cheese first to kick start the tryptophan,gut seratonin, insulin cycle. I have repeated 3 times with once without and same results with big spike without cheese. Chocolate (also high in tryptophan) also has positive effect.

Anyone else experienced this phenomenon? Thoughts on whether to go back on Metformin?

 

[BashUK]

https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1000227

 

[BashUK]

Btw I did consult a Dr before stopping Metformin.

It would seem that so far cheese before eating literally cuts my BG spikes in half

 

[Deleted member 25429]

Btw I did consult a Dr before stopping Metformin.

It would seem that so far cheese before eating literally cuts my BG spikes in half

I have had a similar experience , i only ever eat carbs with a sprinkling of reduced fat grated cheese as I don’t need as much insulin then

 

[Ljc]

@BashUK . I have not noticed this , If I eat anything with cheese ie a sarnie I would need the same amount of insulin I would normally have for the carbohydrates in the bread

I am wondering if the fat content of the cheese is slowing down your absorption of the carbs , so you are spiking higher later , if you haven’t done so already I suggest testing three hours after starting to eat as well as two hours for a while.
I know on the rare occasions I have some pizza, I need to split my insulin dose ,ie have some insulin immediately before eating then the rest about 15 afterwards , it’s the fat slowing things down.

 

[BashUK]

I have checked this as scientifically as I could. For example - I tested at 6 ,4 before I ate a large sausage in batter and chips from a chippy preceded by cheese, followed by chocolate (approx 150g carbs). Then I tested every 45 mins = 7.2, 7.8, 6.5, 5.2.

Next day I ate chicken roast potatoes and veg (no cheese or choc) = started 7.6 spiked at 12.2.

Any ideas?

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I haven’t observed this myself (or attempted to!) but as @Ljc suggests I am quite familiar with the principle that high fat and large carb load tends to absorb over a longer period when dosing your insulin externally - eg ‘the pizza effect’

One comment I would make, is that in terms of long-term approaches lots of cheese, chocolate and chip shop chips don’t seem to be particularly good choices for overall health no matter what limited effect they are having on your BGs