So, I’m trying Symlin again. And I keep calling it Synthroid (my brain just can’t keep up), so I apologize ahead if I do that in this post.
Anyway, I tried Symlin a few years ago when I was on MDI and hated it. It made me very nauseous, and I got no benefits of needing less insulin.
Well, now I’m on the pump and my doctor informs me they offer Symlin in pens now and I decide to try it out, starting Monday.
Started on the lowest dose, didn’t feel sick, didn’t adjust my insulin at all. Moved up to 30mcg. Didn’t feel sick, tried adjusting my insulin carb ratio from 1:8 to 1:10. Big fail. I was high two hours after my meal (170s). And I didn’t start the spike until about 1:30 after. And it really seemed like it got higher than it would have normally (1:10, no symlin). Tried again last night for dinner with 45mcg, 1:10, with similar results, though a tiny, tiny bit of nausea.
Today for lunch I did 45mcg and the 1:10 ratio again. I had 37g of carbs for lunch and took 3.7 units of insulin. All was well until about 30 minutes ago (1.5 hours after lunch) and I get the dry mouth. CGM says 99, but rising. Check with my meter and OH HI, 236.
I’m not sure what the bigger fail here is, Symlin or my CGM.
I’m waiting to take my insulin until after I eat, since I noticed after the first time that my food wasn’t kicking in right away.
But this is ridiculous. I don’t see how taking about one unit less of insulin than normal could even send me to 236 and rising at super speed near 2 hours after eating. Much less with adding Symlin on top of that. I’m getting paranoid the Symlin itself is making me high.
Has anyone had similar frustrations? Should I hold judgment until I reach a higher Symlin dose? I mean the recommended is 60 anyway! I don’t get it. I hated Symlin the first time, and once again it’s giving me headaches. I’m disappointed because I really want this to work for me.
There’s always a chance something else is going on–bad pump site, etc–and that this is all a coincidence. If so, it’s a totally lame coincidence and I think the universe is trying to steer me away from Symlin.
I read oneless’s Symlin guide by the way, though I’m going to read again just in case I missed something. I really think I’m going crazy.