Afrezza question, are we being hi jacked?

Treatment
21

Dave,

Something unexpected happened to Spiro on 2/18/2015. After seeing his B.G. at 7.1, he became a Type 2 diabetic first and an investor 2nd. If spiro is dumb enough to talk about investments on this great board, he will boot himself off before you guys get a chance. Diabetics from all over the country will decide if Afrezza will succeed or not. There are some that claim that Afrezza can provide early intervention in Type 2's and relieve the pancreas from stress and prolong it's functionality. I certainly hope this argument is proven to be true in the future.

Spiro here

22

Spiro,

The question that leaps to mind when considering the way you are responding to small doses is this: did your doctor ever test your C-peptide or fasting insulin level to determine if you really are Type 2?

The reason I ask is that there are several conditions that arise in older people that can cause insulin production to drop over time that are completely different conditions from Type 2 diabetes.

One is late onset autoimmune diabetes (sometimes called LADA) is a different condition than Type 2. It is progressive over time no matter what the treatment because it is autoimmune, and studies have shown that early treatment with insulin don't stop the progression.

In your case, because you also have something going on with your liver, there are some other possibilities that might explain dropping insulin production. Worst case, catching some of these early could save your life.

So you might ask your doctor to do a C-peptide test next time and if the result is atypical for a Type 2, you probably should see a very good endocrinologist to find out what is going on.

23

for the elderly who are live alone and take care of their diabetes themselves, afrezza seems safer.

24

Good point!

25

I think Afrezza would also be great for the visually impaired.

26

Another excellent point, Trudy... keep 'em coming!

Note that the cartridges are color-coded, which will work nicely for the visually impaired.

27

Do you have a pancake on your head? I thought you had a blonde Mohawk, but I really think you might have a pancake on your head!

28

Hi Denise, sorry for the late reply, I would prefer not to talk about my primary care doctor. Believe me my doctor is very familiar with my medical conditions and was knowledgable about Afrezza. She did not have samples and it was my decision to proceed without them. My insurance company approved the 1st month supply, $50 co-pay. I think a lot of primary care doctors will know enough about their patients pulmonary condition to possibly skip the Fev 1 test. I have been on Afrezza for 15 days now. I have been to my doctors office twice to share and discuss results. So far they are very impressive. I am sharing my results in great detail with another message board. I am not sure my numbers would be welcome here, so I have not posted them. God willing, I hope that my success continues and that this drug can make a difference with some diabetics. I am looking forward to May and June, when the early Afrezza user's start sharing their A1c results with other diabetics. I think most of us will scan our Afrezza/A1c results and share them with the world. I know I will, because that's the right thing to do.I am still struggling to maneuver around this board but I,m getting there.

Spiro here

29

I still have a base question. In February your first never before dealt with that you could possibly be heading towards t2?? You are still the most surprising story I have heard. omg iam t2’ and my first thought is to buy stock and get the the newest insulin with out a doctos approval? Please give me a detailed history so that I may begin to understand this. Please no links. Just explain here

30

I posted this on my blog yesterday. It seems appropriate for this thread as well, just edited to remove some specific names as well as for language. :)

A huge pet peeve of mine are those posters on blogs, twitter, and other forums that are nothing other than food Nazis. One in particular is a particular user on Reddit, trying to sell his book. He always tells T2s to STOP EATING CARBS NOW. He is so proud he can control his disease with Diet and Exercise and Metformin. Well good for him, but some people like rice and pasta. I guess not so good for them, right? Change everything about your life because of your disease. Just deal with it. And there’s a lady on twitter. She is cuckoo. I have nothing else to say about that one. Just read her twitter and you will see!

I for one told the reddit user, and stated to others, that I would rather take insulin and be able to do this little thing I call LIVE. Live a life in which I am happy, and not stuck having to decide on limited food choices. Being able to fully immerse myself and enjoy not just the entertainment and culture, but also the amazing food at music festivals, baseball games, concerts, vacationing, travelling and the like.

I want to be able to eat at my favorite bakery, my favorite Japanese restaurant, to grab some Chinese from time to time, and fast food too. I cannot resist a triple steak stack at taco bell. Sorry diabetes, you lose on that one. Sure these foods are not great for me, but I enjoy them. So the choice is either eat them anyway untreated, or eat them treated? Because I’m not going to give up something that I enjoy if I don’t have to.

That’s the key word here. What I “have” to do. If this was 1900, I would need to eat keto to stay alive, so I would do that. Keto wasn’t really a thing back then though, so I probably would have just died. Anyways, which option do you think I’m going to pick; treated or untreated. Because those are the only two options that I see. I realize others may see additional options and will have no issue eating a low carb lifestyle. That’s great for them, but my life choices are not bound by a fascist totalitarian regime, unlike what that lady on twitter or the people questioning Spiro’s Dr would prefer. I can decide, and so can you.

So yeah, I could practically cure my disease if I gave up carbs and ate Keto, but I’m a foodie. I am also a part time chef for friends and family. My specialty is crab cakes :). I love great food. Ever seen all the grills in Bobby Flay’s back yard. Well that’s like my deck. 7 Grills, smokers, flat top griddle, propane stovetop, 60,000 BTU wok stove/turkey fryer, and more!

Am I supposed to go to Gordon Ramsay Steak in Vegas and not enjoy the beef wellington or Risotto? When I’m at an EDM festival, should I deny myself that amazing general tso’s chicken over rice, topped with sririacha. I don’t believe I should have to limit what I enjoy in life because of my disease.

I am not a celiac, I don’t HAVE to eat a certain way to keep myself from being sick. Insulin can fix that. My best friend is a fully blown celiac and if he could take an injection to be able to eat bread again, to be able to enjoy meals at any restaurant, period, he would do it in a heartbeat! I hope someday there is some kind of treatment that will allow him that pleasure – no that right, in my opinion.
So needless to say, it irks me when those twitters/bloggers/redditors, and others tout their “impressive” diet for treating their disease, while dismissing alternative options. So be it. If that’s what you want to do, do it. If I want to take another approach, that’s my prerogative, and you’re not doing me any service by suggesting I change something that I don’t HAVE to change.

31

Dave, from the breast thumping, goody two shoes who thinks I am better than everyone else. (Quote from you) I can have my doubts. I do not see that facts that back up his claim.

32

Fraser, I think you have read my story, For the benefit of others, I will briefly fill them in. My doctor first called me a diabetic when my A1c reached 6.0 in Jan. 2009. But Of course I didn't accept it, Over the next 5 1/2 years, I exercised, lost weight weight, then gained weight, went through several injuries, stopped exercising, gained weight etc. My A1c went up and down like a see saw between 6.0 and 6.5. Seven months ago on July 14, My A1c was 6.6, at that time I finally admitted to myself that maybe I was PRE-DIABETIC and needed to address this issue. I was 212 lbs. at that time. For 7 months, I tried to eat better and walk 1 1/2 mile at least 5 times a week. I was really looking forward to some low A1c on 2/18/2015, I had lost 12 lbs, eaten better and exercised regularly, but it didn't matter, my A1c had risen to 7.1. It was only until that moment in time that I accepted the reality that I had Type 2 diabetes. Because of serious liver issues and heart disease, oral meds were simply not an option. I have probably had every liver test out there, MRI's, CAT scans, extensive blood testings, phlebotomies, routine ultrasounds, liver biopsy ( very painful) and even a Pet Scan. I have been seeing an oncologist every 6 month's for over 20 years to monitor my blood.

That's the short version. If you want my results, I will post them occasionally. Truthfully, I don't have to convince anyone, I believe my numbers will do that for me in 2 1/2 months. They already have convinced me in 2 weeks that I have done the right thing.

Spiro here, smiling and enjoying life a little better.

33

No I did not go searching for your story, my initial doubt was that you said you were diagnosed first in Feb and startd on insulin, which made no sense, actually you were diagnosed in 2009 and took a treatment plan that in Feb, your. A1c hit 7.0. So your post was incorrect,

If you were truely intestesded In discussing this with me, you can contact me directly, I was diagnosed with an a1c of 12.0 in 2009 now off meds A1c of 6.0.

Also please post on your own thread, I started this by asking you that I doubted your post, whcih was a correct observation.

34

I never said That I had the only answer. Please fact check. I just have one option which I rarely discussed on this site

35

Just a note, I only check this site every day or two so if you feel I should see your response you need to make sure it gets to me. As far as I have seen I am one of the only T2’s on this site doing diet and exercise only. This is an option that is rarely discussed on this site,
Unfortunately this site is weighted heavily to those who use insulin.

36

Fraser do you realize that you just created an entire discussion based on accusing someone of being some sort of a fraud, then when they explained themselves, you again demanded an explanation of their medical history, “just explain here” which he graciously provided right where you asked him to. Then you asked him not to post on your thread (the thread that you predicated upon him being a fraud) which he just more than adequately illustrated that he’s not. This is getting too weird…

37

Why is that so unfortunate? I understand you desire to manage your disease with diet and exercise. That's great for you. If you don't enjoy pizza, chinese, italian foods, dining out with lots of options, bread, the occasional desserts, and whatnot, then by all means, what you are doing is great for you.

And I have no issue with the way you choose to manage your diabetes. Bravo! However, you take issue with the way I want to manage mine, the way Dave and Sam want to manage theirs. That's where the problem lies. It's truly none of your concern.

38

Sam “fraud” is your word, I said I doubted his post, which seems that I was correct. Yes the whole line is weird, but you need to check the timeline of events before you pass judgment.

39

It is “unfortunate that it is weighted .” Because there are many management options from diet and exercise through insulin which people can choose from.
Just check and see how many of the discussions have to do with insulin and insulin delivery on the site. I would like to see other issues discussed.

As to telling others what how to manage their care, I try vey hard not to. For some reason when I bring up diet and exercise only, people hear I am telling them what to do. I just saying what can be possible. When I am asked how get off meds, my response is that first get your A1c under control with meds and then look at if reducing meds is a good thing.

Just to repeat it is not unfortunate that we discuss insulin , but that we talk so little about the rest.

40

Fraser,

My impression has always been that TuDiabetes is primarily a site for younger people with Type 1, so it is understandable that discussions of insulin would predominate here. Other boards have different populations, though over the past five years the growth of Social Media has caused a huge drop in forum participation in boards covering all topics.

When I (briefly) opened a FaceBook page the only thing the thousands of people who joined wanted to talk about was the latest fake miracle cure supplements. Which is why I shut down the page, since FB was advertising the same crap to everyone who liked the page and probalby chasing them around the web showing them the same ads, as is its wont.