This is getting a bit more personal, but hear goes ;-)
My thighs are the oldest & hence slowest area for insulin. They have taken most of the load over the past 43 years and have begun to get a little lumpy. I avoid the lumps and I'm giving the thighs a bit of a rest by moving higher up the thigh and sharing the does of long-acting insulin between each (1/2 each). Obviously I never inject in the same place for at least a few days (I use vials and 50unit syringes - not pens).
About a year ago, I began delivering the fast acting insulin (once per day normally) in the buttocks. This area is much faster than the thighs, but even there, some areas are faster than others.
My oldest reserved area for fast response is around my belly, although this area is slowing down over time and is probably slower now than buttocks.
Another fast reserve area which I only use very occasionally is the back of my upper arm (using a syringe with one hand can be tricky).
"Reserve" means that I'm keeping those areas for my old age ;-).
I asked the last Endo which I visited about the cause for the different responses. I assumed that the response is faster if the delivery is closer to a large muscle rather than being delivered into fat, which I think is true. So, I wondered whether insulin degrades during the delay in absorption, but the Endo disagreed and said that a slow site should result in some overlapping with subsequent doses. I've never experienced any overlap and it doesn't explain why delivery to a fast site can give the same response as increasing the dose by about 50% at least and over an extended period. I don't fully understand the mechanism yet.
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Jock
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Original Message:
Sent: 21-05-2020 21:22
From: Rochelle
Subject: Factors that affect blood glucose
This is an interesting option I had not thought of. Do you use the thigh for the faster absorption?
Rochelle
Original Message:
Sent: 5/20/2020 6:26:00 PM
From: Jock
Subject: RE: Factors that affect blood glucose
The injection injection site also has a very large affect on BGL. I use fast and slow sites on my body depending on the response that I need and also how the area is being changed/damaged in the longer term.
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Jock
Original Message:
Sent: 20-05-2020 11:01
From: Jock
Subject: Factors that affect blood glucose
Thank you Rochelle - this is a very good reference. Its answered one of my long-term suspicions that coffee (caffeine) tends to increase BGL. I changed to de-caff tea and coffee a long time ago and I don't drink much coffee (but a lot of tea). Rooibos tea is supposed to be naturally caffeine-free.
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Jock
Original Message:
Sent: 20-05-2020 10:16
From: Jennifer
Subject: Factors that affect blood glucose
Found it, Rochelle. What a brilliant little resource, and free to download! The whole website is an eye-opener, actually. Many thanks for recommending it. :)
Warm regards,
Jenny
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Jenny
Original Message:
Sent: 19-05-2020 10:05
From: Rochelle
Subject: Factors that affect blood glucose
I am not sure if we are able to recommend info sources but I have found this one helpful on both a practical and psychological level. Not only is it great management information but it also helps me to keep things in perspective when they are not as I expect/want them to be. It reinforces for me that I can only do the best I can and many factors influence BGLs and I cant always control them all.
The resource is called 42 Factors that affect Blood glucose. It is on a US website called diatribe.org.
It is messy to find. I went in through the T1 section. There is also a section called Adam's Corner where you can probably access it as well. The chart and associated detailed info for each factor was developed by Adam Brown.
Brown is the author of Bright Spots and Landmines and like Bernstein (which I have not read) advocates low carbs. His is a very positive and practical guide which I really like. I have it on my Kindle but being an old fashioned reader I also have the book which I find easier and more comforting to use.
I hope the group might find the chart and maybe even Brown's book interesting reading while we are taking care of ourselves at home.
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Rochelle
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