Free 14-day Libre 3 CGM, you do need a script

Justin · April 7, 2024, 12:28am

Yes, it’s legit. I’m not diabetic (yet) and struggle to stay that way. Abott’s Libre 3 CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) is amazing. It’s about $70 for 14-days (at the end it simply shuts down).

For a free trial ask your Practitioner for a prescription (the lowest that I’ve found, if you want to buy a 2nd or 3rd, as I’ve done is Amazon, but GoodRx has good prices too.

It’s utterly fascinating to see how different foods, different orders and so on affect the shape of the glucose spike. I imagine that the AUC (area under the curve) remains constant, but oh my, eating fat+protein+fiber flattens the spike remarkably for me and I suspect that even w/ constant AUC it’s the peak glucose that causes harm.

An example: I ate a 1.5 ounce chocolate covered marshmallow on Easter alone. My BG spiked to 200. The next day I did the same after a meal w/ protein + fat + fiber, and the spike was 140, that’s a big difference.

See: FreeStyle Libre 3 System | FreeStyle Libre US for one free 14-day Libre 3 CGM. Amazing tech, IMHO.

KarlT · April 7, 2024, 3:59pm

So, do we know what is important? Height of the spike? Area under the curve? Both? Neither? Something else?

Justin · April 7, 2024, 5:23pm

Both AUC and spikes are part of life. There are no real simple answers because, if you are “normal” your average BG will be a good “average,” so an average A1C (average BG over 3 months) should be between 4.3 (which is average BG equivalent of 77) to 5.6 (which would be an average BG of 114).

Above an average BG of 114 (A1C of 5.6) would be pre-diabetes, which I think is far, far more important than most realize.

My A1C is 5.6 and I don’t want it to go higher, so I eat very carefully and usually keto. On Easter I ate that egg and it spiked to 200. The peak should be, so I’ve read no more than 140.

So, it’s a bit of both. My average BG is at the upper end of normal so I need to “flatten the AUC.” For healthy folk, even if you eat a dozen sugar cookies, you’ll peak to about 140 and then drop down. In other words, a healthy person’s pancreas will not let them peak too high, it’ll just release insulin which removes BG to a healthy level.

If your A1C is between 4.3 > 5.6 you’re “good.” Although I’m 5.6 and I am NOT good, I’m at severe risk of turning diabetic. Flattening my curve w/ (over the past year) forty days of dieting and OMAD has prevented me from turning diabetic and I’ve gone from being not sensitive to insulin to being very sensitive.

Sadly though, my A1C has not dropped, I think because of my age (I’m 74). Check out your A1C for all the Rapamycin in the world won’t help if you become diabetic. (Note: Feel free to refute that, perhaps Rapamycin might be protective).

Joseph_Lavelle · April 7, 2024, 5:25pm

@KarlT this is the best discussion I found on this question. It seems to be a well balanced discussion among well informed scientists who don’t always agree about aspects which are not fully understood.

KarlT · April 7, 2024, 5:25pm

Do you think that you increased glucose level is too much intake of carbohydrates, or insulin resistance? I need to get more up to speed on this topic.

Joseph_Lavelle · April 7, 2024, 5:27pm

@Justin i have been a 5.5 to 5.8 HbA1c my entire adult life. I have done every reason thing to control it. Starting on Akkermansia (pendulum) got me to 5.0.

Justin · April 7, 2024, 5:45pm

Eat carbs, that gets turned into BG. A healthy body will react w/ insulin production, and heathy cells will allow the insulin to do its job and poof, quickly your BG is back to baseline.

The SAD (Standard American Diet) is so carb-rich that over time, cells resist the effect of insulin, and over time, the pancreas simply puts out a bit more to force the insulin to do its thing brining the BG back to baseline.

So, for most, its the carbs, over time that creates resistance, resulting in an increased insulin level, aka decreased insulin sensitivity. (This is not true for Type I diabetics).

This is why one cannot rely on A1C results alone. Yes, you may have a good A1C, but in fact, your blood insulin level might be much higher than it was a decade ago. Your pancreas is fighting (by increasing insulin) which does lower the A1C, but as time goes by you may wear out the beta cells in the pancreas. And, as time goes by, your cells get more and more resistant, a vicious cycle that = diabetes.

I think the term “pre-diabetes,” is horrific. It should be “ongoing-cardio-circulatory-renal destruction.”

If concerned about insulin sensitivity consider this test, w/ a coupon it cost me $70 and frankly, I was shocked to see that I had become so sensitive to insulin.

Testing was done by https://labtestingapi.com/ but I went to Quest, a local lab for the blood draw.

I wish I had done this test a year ago (it did not exist then, it’s quite new). I’ll bet that a year ago I was above 66. But then a year ago I wore compression stockings every day, these days, nope, not ever.

Justin · April 7, 2024, 5:55pm

Thank you, I’ve never heard of it. I have been so very frustrated, 40 days of water fasting over the past year (1,2 day fast w/ a few 3 and 4-day fasts) + OMAD for six months + 4hrs aerobics + lifting 2-3x/week.

I’ve lost 54 lbs, become very insulin sensitive, but contrary to the talking heads on utube, my BP has not dropped a whit, nor has my A1C. I’d be thrilled to go from an A1C of 5.6 to 5.4!