I’ve been keto for awhile and dropped 21 lbs and decreased my Lantus from 60 units x2 to 15 units x2, but how do I get off the insulin when I still have fasting blood sugars of +120? I track my macros well and get enough sleep etc. why can’t I ditch the meds yet?
Weaning off insulin as a T2
FatMan
(Richard Hanson)
#2
Hi Stewart,
Going from 120 units/day to 30 units/day is a huge accomplishment. I was also T2D and when from a total of 75 units/day to 0 units/day in just 8 days. We are, to a great extent, all the same, that is our bodies have the same basic metabolic mechanisms, but we are also all different, in that our bodies have different sensitives, levels of hormone production, somewhat different levels of response to the same foods.
For just a moment, focus on the past and observe the incredible fact that you are taking 90 units/day less then you where before. Did you ever think that was going to happen?
Now looking forward, the issue might be your level of insulin sensitivity so the goal would be to make your body less resistant to the insulin your body is producing. One of the ways that can be accomplished is by increasing the amount of time your body is not bathed in insulin by compressing the time window in which you are eating food. You can try intermittent fasting and then extended fasting eating patterns.
When you think about T2D in this way, insulin resistance, and when your treatment is targeting insulin resistance instead of just managing the symptom, blood glucose levels, and you remember that Lantus is a long acting insulin, it is going to keep your insulin levels high over an more extended period of time, you might have a discussion with your doctor about reducing the amount of Lantus you are taking and replacing that with a short acting mealtime insulin such as NovoLog.
Please, I am not providing medical advice, I am just suggesting a possible strategy you might want to chat about with your doctor.
Keto for Life!
Best Regards,
Richard
Robert_Johnson
(Consensus is Politics)
#3
Sound like you need an expert in the field of blood sugars. That’s something I’m definitely not.
If I were in your shoes (and three months ago I was in similar happenstance) I would do the following… in whichever order is quickest to do…
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reevaluate my macros, be certain you’re not getting too much protein [i think excess protein can be converted into sugar]
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can you do without carbs. If you can go zero carb. Or go as low as possible. If you are in Ketosis then you shouldn’t have any energy problems
[EDIT: I officially remove my endorsement of the CVS brand glucometer. It has been off horribly. As much as 60 points. This morning I tested with it, I showed 164. Yowza, Test again, 158, sigh… Test again, 138. I then tested with the one the VA gave me (that has test strips that cost $1 each). It showed me 109, with a second test of 108. I tested with the cvs brand again, 148 
]
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evaluate your BG testing method. Get a new meter. I bought a cheap meter from CVS pharmacy with CVS brand slapped on it. $15. Test strips were $12 for 50 count. I also have a Precicion Xtra, BG Test strips for it are $1 each. I did side by side tests, they were within 2% of each other. Close enough for me.
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check the experiation dates on your test strips. Check to see if device is reading properly with the testing solution.
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get your doctor to do a BG Test at his office with his own equipment and do an immediate check with your own and compare results.
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get checked for pancreatic cancer. I have read that there are certain types of tumors that just keep pumping insulin non stop. That could cause insulin resistance (my opinion, not an expert here)
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educate yourself on liver function. (I.e. I didn’t know the liver produced sugar on its own until after I was Dx with T2D and I began researching just about everything. Too make matters worse, it’s all been on the internet. And I hear, that sometimes people on the internet are wrong)
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make yourself a checklist of all the possible reasons that your readings could be wrong, and exclude them one by one (when you have excluded the impossible, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truth)
Good luck my friend. Let us know what you find. We’re pulling for you.
Stewartba
(Briton)
#4
My testing supplies are brand new. My theory is I am super insulin resistant and have been diabetic for 11 years. I also hypothesize that as I burn fat and lose weight it releases stored glucose into the blood stream??? I am going to my endocrinologist shortly but I’ve been toying with doing 16/8 intermittent fasting. I also need to step up my time at the gym and do some more HIIT to burn off glycogen. Keep the feedback coming. I’m loving being keto and feel a ton better.