Pancreatitis after taking GLP-1 analog drugs linked to carrier status for hemochromatosis and cystic fibrosis

Page Changed Glp-1 Agonists

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NEW! Pancreatitis after taking these drugs  is more likely to occur in people who are carriers of the Cystic Fibrosis or Hemochromatosis gene.  ​ Research published in 2018 suggests that people who are carriers or the genes for Cystic Fibrosis or Hemochromatosis may be at more risk for the pancreatitis caused by this family of drugs. Since these people are carriers, they are not diagnosed with these conditions, but if they have children with others who also carry these genes their children have a significant risk of inheriting these conditions.  It turns out that these genes, in carriers, may have subtle effects on the pancreas, which may explain why drugs that further irritate the pancreas may cause painful and possibly dangerous inflammation of the organ.

https://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/67/Supplement_1/2296-PUB

The Whole Blood Sugar 101 Site is Moving

UPDATE:  As of August 8, 2018 the move to the new host has been completed. 

After 13 years, the software that runs the Blood Sugar 101 site was showing its age, so I moved it to a new, much more easy to manage host. URLS with "bloodsugar101.com" now go directly to the new host, but the page URLS  ( for example: /912423325.php) will come up as "page not found" as the pages now have new identifiers. The redesigned menus should make it easier to find what you are looking for. 

If you click on any of the articles, which now display in a blog format, you will see a magnifiying glass search icon in the upper right hand corner which you can use to search the new site. There is also a google search you can find under "More" on the top menu. 

The old site at http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes now redirects to the new website. 

This change will allow me to make the new site secure, which I hope will help it rise again in Google searches. Not having a secure site has become a problem as Google doesn't like such sites and Chrome will warn users away from them.

Generic repaglinide may act much more slowly than Prandin, making hypos more likely

Page Changed: Glipizide, Glyburide, Repaglinide etc: Drugs that Stimulate Insulin Secretion

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Generic Repaglinide May Not Have the Same Speed of Action as Name Brand Prandin

By using a FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitor, I was able to see exactly how repaglinide works for me, and discovered that it appears to activate much more slowly than the brand name Prandin version that I used to use before the drug was available as a generic. My pharmacist confirms this is likely. If your insurance will let your doctor prescribe the name brand version, use it. Otherwise, you may have to take repaglinide 1 to 2 hours before eating to get it to lower the peak caused by a meal. If you take it at meal time, as directed by the label, you may get a peak one hour after eating, followed by a potentially serious low an hour or two later. The branded version can be taken at mealtimes and peaks at 1 hour after it is taken.

A Link to the Ongoing Reivew of the FreeStyle Libre CGM Added to Main Site

Page Added: Testing the FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitor

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I am reporting on my trial of the FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System that Abbott, the manufacturer, sent me for review. Disclosure: I received the $70 reader and two $40 sensors for free. I have subsequently filled a prescription and paid for three more sensors myself.

To read my reports in sequence, visit this blog page:
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/2017/11/im-testing-freestyle-libre-flash.html

When my trial concludes I will write up a page about this extremely useful device, which I think could revolutionize the way that people with Type 2 Diabetes use the Test, Test, Test Strategy for acheiving normal blood sugars.

New Fast Acting Insulin Fiasp and new GLP-1 Agonist Semaglutide Mentioned in Relevant Web Pages

Pages changed: GLP-Agonists and Insulin for Type 2 Diabetes

Brief mention made of the upcoming approval of semaglutide, the first GLP-1 agonist in pill form and of Fiasp, a new fast-acting insulin which is similar to Apidra in that it can be injected just after eating and still be effective.

Link Added to Gary Scheiner's Review on the Afrezza Page of Blood Sugar 101

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A review of Afrezza written by Gary Scheiner, a Certified Diabetes Educator whose book I have often recommended, came out in May of 2017 and may be helpful to people considering trying this insulin. I trust Scheiner a lot more than I do random people tweeting, who may or may not be on the payroll of the company making this stuff. You can read his review in his newsletter, HERE. Unfortunately, there is still no one with this kind of preexisting credibility in the online diabetes community reporting on their use of Afrezza for Type 2 Diabetes. This may simply be because doctors are so resistant to prescribing fast acting insulin to people with Type 2 diabetes.

FDA Puts Warning of Doubled Risk of Amputation on Invokana Label

Page changed:  SGLT2 Inhibitors, Farxiga, Invokana, Jardiance.Dangerous New Drugs
Note: "Questionable" has been changed to "Dangerous in this page title.

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Doubled Risk of Lower Limb Amputations

On May 16, 2017 the FDA ordered that a black box warning be added to the prescribing information for Invokana saying that it doubled the risk of experiencing an amputation. You can read the report about this very important warning in this Medscape news bulletin.