Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Symlin-ing Again

I decided a few weeks ago to try Symlin yet again. Despite some lasting fears induced by a couple scary episodes of severe Symlin-induced lows, I felt like perhaps now might be a better time to really test it. My training schedule is a bit more mellow, and with no big races coming up, I am a more willing to do some experimentation which might result in me having to cut short some workouts. I have been taking Symlin for a few weeks and built up to my current dose of 5 units, which I take at each meal. Initially, I took a regular bolus with the Symlin but have found that, for me, it works better if I do a dual-wave bolus with 30-70% of the insulin upfront and the rest extended over an hour. Otherwise, I was getting low within the hour, having a hard time pulling out, and then shooting up over the following hour. So far, I am happy with the results although I definitely have to make bigger reductions in my basal rates before exercising. Of course, with diabetes, it can be pretty tough to pick out what is causing what, so I won't make any big conclusions yet (especially since my basal rates are in a state of flux since the Ironman, then my recovery and now getting back into training). I am still feeling some nausea but that seems to be lessening; also, I have felt more sated after meals although sometimes I wonder if I am just experiencing nausea. It's a feeling somewhere between feeling satisfied and feeling pukey. I do still worry whether this is safe to take since it's relatively new.

Note: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Consult your doctor for help with Symlin.

1 comment:

Scott K. Johnson said...

I do an extended bolus for 90 minutes when I use symlin at meals. It seems to work alright, but could use some fine tuning.

I do feel much more satisfied with less food. It is a very subtle, but clear signal.

Good luck with it, and be sure to ask as questions come up!