Severe Insulin Resistance
For approximately three years, our unit’s implementation of so-called ‘oat days’ has proven successful for the treatment of severe insulin resistance. The treatment usually entails a supplementary dish of oats with regular meals over the course of two days, to which spices and raw vegetables can be added. In most cases, this results in the dose of insulin being reduced by 30-50%. This effect is sustained over the course of several weeks in many patients.
In severe cases, continuous administration of insulin via a syringe pump (Perfusor) can prove helpful. Following the ‘breaking’ of insulin resistance, the dose of insulin that is needed can often be significantly reduced after switching to subcutaneous injection (insulin pen).
Often, insulin resistance is caused or intensified by concomitant illnesses. These may be an infection, obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (narrowing or obstruction of the upper airways during sleep) or hypertriglyceridaemia (dyslipidaemia). In such cases, treatment of the concomitant disorders is of vital importance to improve insulin sensitivity.
