Please…any tips or tricks to increase insulin sensitivity? IDK what to categorize this under, but please if you’re type 2 also reply!!
I’ve had DKA twice 5 weeks apart and since have experienced INCREDIBLE increase in insulin needs. I have no clue what cause the first DKA, but the second was just unfortunate (my insulin pump canula came out and I didn’t have insulin for at least 6 or so hours, possibly longer…).
I’m willing to try anything. I’ve been getting next to NO help from professionals, and I am swinging from HIGH to low daily. I am averaging 35-45 units daily despite keeping my carbs under 60g per day and I used to take about 20 TDD. Despite extensive blood work and yes, thyroid testing, there is no answer for me.
I also work out daily. I have not returned to full intensity, but I still workout pretty decent and every day. I am sure my stress is also up there but until I figure this out it will probably not go away!!
First, you need to step back and take a deep breath and remind yourself that everything is going to be ok. It is common to become Insulin Resistant (IR) following DKA (for a while) and it is also normal that when you get yourself back into “normal” the IR will go away. You become IR in DKA for a couple of reasons, your body “protects” you from high levels of glucose and insulin by downregulating. Your electrolytes also get all messed up which also affects IR. It can just take a while for your body to get back to normal.
Don’t fret too much over the increased insulin. Just get your blood sugar as normalized as possible. You should also make sure that you keep your electrolytes up and stay hydrated. Other than that I can’t think of anything else, maybe others have suggests. Oh, and don’t stress yourself out too much, this will pass.
My experience with IR is different from yours. From what you say, it sounds like your doctors are thinking your problem is only temporary and will correct itself eventually?
For me my IR is most definitely permanent and severe. Mine is caused from hormone imbalance (PCOS). I have to take well over 100 units of insulin a day just to keep a near normal BG. I have found that regular exercise, plenty of water, and a LCHF diet all help in some way to improve insulin sensitivity. But what has helped the most by far is 2k mg of Metformin a day. The Metformin has helped me to cut my insulin needs quite a bit. I am still resistant, but not as much. I’m also losing weight now, thanks to the Metformin and it’s helping to need less insulin.
I certainly hope your problem is only temporary. Insulin resistance is absolutely not fun at all.
Some general tips to increase insulin sensitivity that work for me are daily walking (about 20 minutes or more at a brisk rate), intermittent fasting, and drinking plenty of water.
First you will have a blood test to look at your hormone levels, then if it is deemed needed you will have a ultrasound type test done to check for possible cysts on your ovaries. I have never had the ultrasound test done. My hormone test (and symptoms) was enough for a positive diagnosis.
Most women with PCOS develop it at puberty, and are diagnosed by their late teens or early 20’s. I was diagnosed at 36 though.
DK plus hormone fluctuations – how frustrating😡! I am sending you some glycemic control fairy dust💫! - My insulin needs after DK were much higher, in fact, 70% higher, too. Let’s hope that is true for you, as well, and your insulin resistance should ease up as time since DK passes. As for PCOS, if you are not on hormonal birth control you would notice irregularity or absence of menses because the follicles that contain the ova get trapped inside the ovary forming a cyst on the ovarian wall. This is due to hormonal imbalances often associated with high blood insulin levels found in type 2 women. You could chart your basal temperatures to determine if you are ovulating. This can be helpful to pinpoint changes in IR that are hormone-related.
