Friday, August 19, 2011

Two Weeks on Symlin

I remember now what this feels like. 

The random sweating during the day, the occasionally floaty feeling in my head.  Is my blood sugar dropping?  Is it just kind of a faux-low because I am going from high to normal? 

Symlin has been going well so far.  I am ramping up my doses very slowly, because I remember that's what worked best for me last time.  Going from one dose to another too quickly definitely brought on the nausea, and nobody likes that.  I was surprised at how simple it was to re-adjust to pen injections after so many years on a  pump.  I had forgotten what all that knob-twisting and priming felt like.  I tend to wear dresses to work, so I am perfecting the art of the quick injection through the clothes.  I did my injection so fast at lunch with a co-worker the other day that she didn't even notice I had done anything.  Stealthy!

(Hmm, just realizing you can't spell "healthy" without most of "stealthy"...)

I have been seeing a lot more numbers under 200 mg/dl, which is awesome for me.  I am satisfied with smaller amounts of food, and about that?  I'm finding if you don't take the Symlin at least 10 minutes before your lunch,  you will suddenly find yourself stuffed in the middle of whatever you chose for your lunch that day.  I tend to eat one thing at a time, so it's kind of a let-down if you were looking forward to soup while wondering if you are even going to be able to finish your salad. (First World problems!)

Not THIS kind of Symlin pen, silly.
What's really unpleasant is counting the exact number of carbs, bolusing, eating and then dropping like a rock an hour and a half later.  They are very spikey drops, and with no CGMS, I'm not really sure how fast I'm falling.  If I test after a meal, like last night, and my BG is at 92 mg/dl, and I'm experiencing low symptoms, it's a good bet to just eat some sugar and hope for the best.  I had some glucose tabs and an hour and a half later I was at 97 mg/dl. 

Those are the effects of Symlin right there.  I also forgot about how sometimes when I am on Symlin, my highs sometimes start feeling like lows, just a little.  Normally highs are just times when I'm sleepy, cranky and thirsty, but with Symlin, some of them have been joined by that weird adrenaline-rush drifty feeling. 

For the most part, Symlin and I are pals.  Will this progress into a long-term relationship?  I guess we'll see.  Stick around, and maybe you'll find out.

7 comments:

  1. I really believe that I should be on Symlin, because I believe that it is a missing hormone I need. But it is such a bitch to use! I don't think I would ever go back on it without the aid of a CGM. Not without wanting to murder something...

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  2. James Jones12:57 PM

    I'm not sure that I could be on Symlin because I'd be too concerned that my BG would drop like a rock. I already have "issues" with becoming low due to my obsession of keeping my BG levels as close to normal as possible. Although, I have a CGM that I've grown to rely on probably more than I should, I'm certain that my Endo would advise me not to use Symlin. Having said all that...I'm sure there are those, like yourself, who might do very well with it. And if that's the case, I wish you the very best results.

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  3. I was on symilin for so long! It seems we have the same reaction. I felt like I was writing your blog! haha I am now on victoza which I love as well. Best of luck to you with symilin!

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  4. It was a very odd technique and the reason I eventually stopped, but how I dosed Symlin and insulin was to dose the Symlin at meal time (or before, whatever) and then an hour and a half later I bolused insulin for the carbs I had at that meal. It was the only way I could take both and not have a low. Wasn't worth it for me.

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  5. Hannah, I hope you will continue sharing your experiences with Symlin on your blog. I have pondered using it myself, and would very much like to know the good, bad and ugly about your experiences!

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  6. I could not get past the lowest setting on the pain without getting sick to my stomach. I finally gave up.

    I have been on Victoza (Off label) for several months now and I LOVE it. I get the same benefits but without the nausea or the scary lows.

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  7. I have been on symlin 4 months now and use 60 mcg with each meal. I like it. I only give a tiny portion of the insulin up front with the symlin, actually one unit of insulin. then two hours later I give the rest but with a square wave. This keeps me under 200 all the time. I do use the CGMS. I don't think I could do symlin without it. I don't want to go low.
    Maureen H.

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