Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) For Health/Wellness

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

Has anyone got first had experience of using CGM as part of their health or wellness journey?

I totally understand the CGM is not necessary to be healthy or to reduce weight, but understanding how foods are impacting on your metabolism sounds interesting. So I’m going to try it for a month and see if I learn anything.

Curious to hear from anyone who has tried it and whether they found it insightful or just a waste of time.

paperpudding

Seems pointless to me, other than for type 1 diabetics.

JBanx256

I just recently read a research brief by Eric Trexler about CGM's (for non-diabetics), published in the most recent issue of MASS (Monthly Application in Strength Sport).

The study it referenced is:
Validity of continuous glucose monitoring for categorizing glycemic responses to diet: implications for use in personalized nutrition
https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ajcn/nqac026/6522168?login=false

The brief itself was ~4 pages and went into plenty of details/specifics, but I'm just going to copy/paste the TL;DR here:
"However, for non-clinical applications related to general health or performance in people without glycemic control issues, I’m not seeing much evidence to support a beneficial effect"

cwolfman13

If you aren't diabetic, it seems like it would be pretty worthless data.

horsewishr

I’m wearing a Freestyle Libre CGM. I’m an RN/diabetes educator. I have prediabetes. I LOVE the CGM. It totally motivates me to eat right. I’ve been able to walk away from unhealthy food choices because I don’t want to see my sugar rise. I have several coworkers (docs and nurse practitioners) who have made similar comments.

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

Thank you for posting @horsewishr

sarah7591

I am prediabetic and use a monitor but not continuous. I bought it over the counter and can usually tell what spikes my blood sugar. I would love to have a continuous but I am sure it is expensive if not prescribed. I do try to eat to my meter.

sarah7591

I saw in the paper yesterday a new book (actually best seller) called Glucose Revolution. I have not read the book but it may be worth reading.

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

Thank you @sarah7591 ill look that up

PAV8888

Is there some major benefit by getting the third party app and markup instead of just buying the sensor from a pharmacy and using Abbott's app?

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

@PAV8888 I live in the US and here you need a prescription to buy the sensor. Going through a third party they organize the prescription for you so it’s just much easier than trying to get an appointment with my doctor and getting her to write me a prescription. Lots of places you don’t need a prescription to by the sensor and in that scenario I would absolutely look at other options. In fact if this were to turn out to be something I wanted to do regularly I would look at asking family to send me the sensors as in Europe you can just buy them over the counter - it’s only marginally cheaper though so might not be worth the postage!

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

@sarah7591 thank you so much for the book recommendation. Read it in one sitting and learnt so much practical information about how our metabolism works!

kchapmanma

I am diabetic and have a Dexcom CGM. It has been a huge benefit for me in managing my health, and I would highly recommend it to anyone struggling to manage their diabetes. I don't think it would be worth it for someone who doesn't have diabetes, though.

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

So I’ve been wearing my CGM for a week now and thought I’d circle back for anyone who is interested.

The data is certainly interesting and wearing it is no bother I don’t notice it at all.

Trying to keep my glucose within the recommended limits is hard work - and I don’t have a sweet tooth. I was surprised that my healthy vegetables, beans, legumes etc push my glucose way up which i’d never thought about but makes sense when you’re confronted with the data and take a moment to think about it.

Eating strange food combos in an effort to maintain my glucose in target and still hit nutrient goals and stay in my calorie target.

I am eating the same calories as previously, slightly more on some days. I am not more active than I was. I lost 1.5Ib this week. Previously I was loosing less than half a pound a week. This could easily be a coincidence or water, but it’s interesting because I am eating foods I would never usually eat because of the fat content.

StepWise123

Yes!! I talked my Dr into writing me a trial prescription for the Libre Freestyle. It was a complete eye opener. I wore it for two weeks and I was able to discover that certain foods were spiking my blood sugar more than expected. Once I avoided those I saw normal glucose levels. Also, I discovered through 23&Me that I have a predisposition that causes me to gain weight if I eat too much saturated fat. So I’ve reduced that drastically. By modifying those 2 things, I’ve lost over 20 pounds.
A CGM is a great idea. I wish everyone could get one even for a short time.

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

That is so interesting @StepWise123. I didn’t realize DNA test told you health info, I thought it would just tell me where my ancestors likely lived. I’m going to look into that!

StepWise123

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12 wrote: »

That is so interesting @StepWise123. I didn’t realize DNA test told you health info, I thought it would just tell me where my ancestors likely lived. I’m going to look into that!

Yes, you can get 23&Me's health report. It's a little extra charge but they give you some analysis. If you feel like spending some extra time beyond that, you can download your "raw data" from 23&Me to your computer and start exploring. Well, it's a little bit of a rabbit hole to do that! but the information is out there. It's all fascinating. NIH.gov is a great resource for information and nutrigenomics is the wave of the future.

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

I’m just over two weeks into glucose monitoring and find it to be a very interesting experience.

I started wearing the monitor on 29 April. The day I put the monitor on I weighed 143.8 Ib, today I weigh 137.4 Ib.

For comparison I weighed 145.2 Ib on 15 April, two weeks before putting in the monitor.

I’ve been calorie counting carefully for months loosing about half a pound each week for months. I haven’t stopped calorie counting and have stayed at the same total calories throughout. But what has changed is what I am eating. Lots of fat, lots of protein and limited carbs including sugar because the goal is to limit spikes in my blood sugar. It similar to keto but not low enough cards to be keto (as I understand it).

I question how healthy it is to eat this way - I’m vegan and generally eat lists of grains, beans and vegetables, but in terms of weight loss it seems to be doing something.

For reference I am not doing more exercise, I wasn’t doing any before and I’m not doing any now.

I’m not suggesting anyone else should do this or that glucose monitoring is any kind of magic solution, just sharing because I am finding my experiment very interesting.

ejberliner

Thank you for sharing your update! I am prediabetic and my monitor is on order. I am hoping some real data will help me figure out just what foods I react better to and I appreciate the real-world experience from a person!

natasor1

I ordered CGM 3 months ago. I had worn it for 4 weeks. Very comfy ware, feel nothing in term of needle sitting in my arm. It is eye opener, how food I always was consider healthy rise my blood glucose. Guys, all healthy oatmeal, quinoa, barley, amaranth, whole grain bread, cereals, muffins, beans, cous-cous, brown rice spike blood glucose like crazy. I d better have chocolate moose, keto ice cream and meat. They don t rise my glucose

paperpudding

For most people, (ie non diabetics) temporary rising of glucose is of no consequence though - blood glucose rises, insulin response kicks in, and restores equilibrium.

ccrdragon

paperpudding wrote: »

For most people, (ie non diabetics) temporary rising of glucose is of no consequence though - blood glucose rises, insulin response kicks in, and restores equilibrium.

For those who actually understand how the human body works, this is the perfect answer... for those who don't... oh well.

mlrtri

ccrdragon wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

For most people, (ie non diabetics) temporary rising of glucose is of no consequence though - blood glucose rises, insulin response kicks in, and restores equilibrium.

For those who actually understand how the human body works, this is the perfect answer... for those who don't... oh well.

Exactly. And if we really want to monitor our metabolic health it needs to be how much insulin we have in our system. We need insulin. But if we are resistant and our bodies are adding extra insulin to respond to glucose levels we are increasing risks of other health problems. But glucose is easier to measure (as of right now). So that’s what we do ☹️

BuellerFerrisBueller

Any advice on the cheaper non-continuous blood glucose monitors? Although I'm not diabetic, I'm thinking of buying one for very occasional spot checks of my blood glucose at certain key times, such as first thing in the morning before breakfast, sometime after a meal (presumably the time of peak blood sugar), and then sometime after that (when my blood sugar should settle down).

It seems that most people either rarely get their blood sugar checked (because they're healthy and only get it for checkups) or test their blood sugar multiples times every day (because they're diabetic). There doesn't appear to be any middle ground.

paperpudding

mlrtri wrote: »

ccrdragon wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

For most people, (ie non diabetics) temporary rising of glucose is of no consequence though - blood glucose rises, insulin response kicks in, and restores equilibrium.

For those who actually understand how the human body works, this is the perfect answer... for those who don't... oh well.

Exactly. And if we really want to monitor our metabolic health it needs to be how much insulin we have in our system. We need insulin. But if we are resistant and our bodies are adding extra insulin to respond to glucose levels we are increasing risks of other health problems. But glucose is easier to measure (as of right now). So that’s what we do ☹️

that is not neccesary for most people

the advice for people who are have impaired glucose tolerance (or what some people are calling pre diabetes) is to be a healthy weight and avoid excessive sugar intake.

There is no need for CGM

sarah7591

BuellerFerrisBueller wrote: »

Any advice on the cheaper non-continuous blood glucose monitors? Although I'm not diabetic, I'm thinking of buying one for very occasional spot checks of my blood glucose at certain key times, such as first thing in the morning before breakfast, sometime after a meal (presumably the time of peak blood sugar), and then sometime after that (when my blood sugar should settle down).

It seems that most people either rarely get their blood sugar checked (because they're healthy and only get it for checkups) or test their blood sugar multiples times every day (because they're diabetic). There doesn't appear to be any middle ground.

I use the Relion glucose monitor. You can get it at walmart and the strips are very reasonable. I am not diabetic but certain foods just make me super sleepy and very lethargic. I wanted to find out why this was happening. It has really helped with how I feel. Foods that I did not think would cause a spike really raise it. I had two plums the other day and my BC shot to 190! I could just tell by the way I felt that my BS was high. DM if you have further questions.

westrich20940

General available data doesn't show that there is any reason/need to have a continuous glucose monitor if you do not have diabetes.

And those who use them to ... eat something and then say -- -SEE my sugar went up this much! is very misleading.

They are often eating a singular food, which is high in sugar or carbohydrate in isolation. Most people don't do this. They also have some protein or fiber with their meal, which also affects how your blood sugar rises and falls. It's also important to remember that it is *normal* for your blood sugar to rise and fall throughout the day, when you eat. Sometimes I think, "great, good for you....your pancreas works, why don't you brag about it".
There is also a consideration to be made about how/if people who do not need them - using glucose monitors because of a trend or misinformation may affect the supply chain for those who DO need them to save their lives. I know multiple T1 diabetics who've had issues with their glucose monitor or parts of it having to wait multiple days to get what they need. And TBF, those people should always also have a regular blood testing kit along with regular injectable insulin (that being affordable and accessible to everyone who needs it is another thing completely)...but if you are someone who's lived with a glucose monitor/pump combo --- it's very hard not to have that working properly and can cause a LOT of problems.

So, overall....not a fan of this trend. And having information for the sake of having it - when you really don't know how to use it properly isn't helpful for anyone.

ccrdragon

sarah7591 wrote: »

BuellerFerrisBueller wrote: »

Any advice on the cheaper non-continuous blood glucose monitors? Although I'm not diabetic, I'm thinking of buying one for very occasional spot checks of my blood glucose at certain key times, such as first thing in the morning before breakfast, sometime after a meal (presumably the time of peak blood sugar), and then sometime after that (when my blood sugar should settle down).

It seems that most people either rarely get their blood sugar checked (because they're healthy and only get it for checkups) or test their blood sugar multiples times every day (because they're diabetic). There doesn't appear to be any middle ground.

I use the Relion glucose monitor. You can get it at walmart and the strips are very reasonable. I am not diabetic but certain foods just make me super sleepy and very lethargic. I wanted to find out why this was happening. It has really helped with how I feel. Foods that I did not think would cause a spike really raise it. I had two plums the other day and my BC shot to 190! I could just tell by the way I felt that my BS was high. DM if you have further questions.

Congratulations... you had a normal reaction to eating food (esp. sugary food like plums). Other than that, this is a meaningless data point. If you really want to see how your body is responding, you should check the BG at 1 hour and then 2 hours after eating to see if the BG readings have returned to normal levels. If they haven't, then you MIGHT have some reason to worry.

As to any benefits to CGM for non-diabetics, there are none that I can think of, beyond causing unneeded drama and grief like in the post cited above.