AfrezzaUser

Advocate for Afrezza

Week 4 – 2,016 Calculations per User per Week with Dexcom = Total Transparency

The Good Friday and Easter holidays are over, and everyone is back on track in an increasingly positive way. Even Eric who went to sunny Jacksonville, FL for the week and ate out almost the entire time was able to stay in the “non-diabetic” zone #’s which he said was a miracle (when Eric is back home and has a chance to post his data we will update the chart for this week and last week). We are all here to share with you our “real world” experience, the good days and bad days. For those of us on CGM’s, each measurement was taken every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week = 2,016 monitoring calculations per person per week. You can tell every single one of us has tremendously improved our diabetes control in only 4 weeks of reporting this–it does continue to get better and better. When each of us reach the end of our individual 12 weeks or so on Afrezza and see our respective doctor for an official A1C test, we will be posting our OFFICIAL A1c results for the world to see. Based on results so far, it will be truly “UNBELIEVABLE” (thank you Dr. Bode of Atlanta Diabetes Ctr. for those words already–just wait until we each have 90 full days on Afrezza-I can’t wait to hear what you will say next!).    

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What surprises you most about the fourth week data?

The biggest surprise for me was how well Jackie who has about six weeks of experience really “dialed it in” this week–She achieved a “Personal Best” with every single zone, and also was able to attain a correlated A1C level of 5.28 (ie. non-diabetic) which she has never done. When you look at her Dexcom monitor postings on twitter (@IM_TypeOne) you can see she has mastered in a very short period of time, how the drug Afrezza works best for her body. I applaud you Jackie for helping and encouraging other diabetics to get tighter control and not settle for mediocre diabetes management. You will be one of the original heroes who was willing to show everyone that anyone with practice can improve their results.

At the same time, I would like to introduce Laureen to everyone. She has been a T1D since 1983 and like Brian also has experience with Exubera. Both have relayed to me how well Afrezza works so much better, faster, easier, etc. that perhaps a future blog article will be written about this! Lauren has faced hurdles with her insurance company to be on Afrezza, and is glad to contribute and share her knowledge with everyone–thank you so much Laureen!

Next week or so I will reformat the chart and post weekly comparisons but for now it should be so obvious that Afrezza works, especially in looking at the week 4 data! Add in all the conveniences from discreet, anywhere use, pain-free inhalation vs. needles, ultra rapid effectiveness and Afrezza shows it’s superiority. Also, the A1C’s levels we are running at now are considered “non-diabetic” or “pre-diabetic”. Of course, this number needs to be run for 12 weeks before any of the participants can claim an A1C in 5’s or low 6’s. You should know that none of us have ever had an A1c that low. We are all stunned, as will our doctors be when we do get that 3 month A1C number. Note: Dr. Bode did look at my data from my Dexcom Monitor and it was only for the first 4 weeks and used the word “unbelievable” several times. On the trials I finished with an A1C of 7.1 even with all the protocols. Can’t wait to see other doctors reaction around the country when all the Afrezza users officially report their A1C’s – doctors will be shocked. Let the revolution begin…

What is the Afrezza Users “Real Life” Results Group?

It is a group of Afrezza Users who use a Continuous Glucose Monitors (Type 1’s) seeking tighter diabetes control and measuring the time spent in each blood sugar range. This week we are adding a new trusted user who like most diabetics uses “finger prick” measurements throughout her day to measure her blood glucose levels. For her (Laureen) we will take an average blood glucose per day (which is an average of approximately 7 or more daily finger pricks). It is NOT a competition and was only started so people could understand and see the inherent benefit of why Afrezza provides better control and higher patient satisfaction for t1 and t2 diabetics over our previous regimens.

Why are you doing this?

There has been so much discussion about the FDA Afrezza Drug trials and why I feel as a participant in the Affinity 1 trial, there were significant “hold backs” as to why we were not able to materially outperform Injectable Insulin because of the protocols on the trials. This is no longer the case!

To Summarize just a few of the hold backs why Afrezza didn’t get to show it’s metal:

  • Afrezza Dosing only changed approx. every 6 weeks, and not flexible dosing depending on meal
  • No CGM’s allowed
  • Time in Zone not measured
  • Patient quality of life not measured
  • Brand new Afrezza users vs. Very experienced Injectable users (what if it was brand new injectable users vs. experienced Afrezza users—would that be fair? No-they would stop the trial right away because it would be a TKO/referee stops contest victory for Afrezza which we are proving by real world experience.)

 

What would you like to express to everyone out there considering Afrezza or to any doctors considering prescribing Afrezza for their patients?

My opinion is that Afrezza is a “life-changing” drug that is not very well understood by the diabetic community at large—both doctors and patients. It improved my life and gave me hope in treating my diabetes. I would wish the same for any other diabetic out there—a better and higher quality of life!

 

 

 

 

9 Comments

  • Reply johnhindepost |

    Thanks to all for the time and effort you are putting in to provide these weekly stats. I too would like to welcome Laureen . Good to have a stats records of non-CGMs. Thanks Sam for your contribution on this weeks blog.

  • Reply Debby |

    Thanks for all the good stats, Sam! I am sending a copy of this blog to my daughter’s doctor in Miami, as she has an appointment tomorrow. Fingers crossed she will prescribe so she can start getting healthy again with numbers like you all are showing. She has no CGM, so will have to make do with stabbing for now . . .

    • Reply Sam Finta |

      I am sorry I have not made it to Miami yet but I plan on coming. I will have more non cgm diabetics to show that it can be done without a cgm. A cgm does make it easier, but it is not necessary. Tight control will require 7-10 finger pricks a day. There are also many new exciting technologies coming out to replace current cgm devices that are less invasive.

      • Reply Ygor |

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        • Reply Sam Finta |

          Thank you. My original goal 3 years ago was to save my life and at least save another person. I know the issues I had with lows on injectables would take my life one day. Now I do not have those issues nor do I worry about it while maintaining non-diabetic blood sugars.

    • Reply Laureen |

      Hi Debby-

      I don’t have a CGM and don’t want one. I have been checking pre and post until I feel comfortable the dosing and am checking a lot less now. I am amazed at how I can see an 85 or 90 1, 2 hours after, so a lot of my finger pricks is because I want to see if it is still “normal”. 🙂

      • Reply Debby |

        Thanks, Laureen, just saw your comment as I was going back over the blog. I just got a new device for my daughter (on ebay) that’s only available in Europe til next year – so she can know what’s going on with initial dosing- called freestyle libre. I knew the current CGMs would be too bulky and too much work for her to do. It doesn’t even require calibration, you just wave the reader next to the sensor on your arm – it doesn’t beep or anything.

  • Reply Jackie |

    Thrilled to be a part of this. I am inspired each week to do better and better, and with Afrezza, I know I can!!

    • Reply Sam Finta |

      Jackie, First, thank you your comment-it was not expected or needed but very appreciated. Second, thank you for your willingness to be a part of the group, and put yourself publicly “on the line” every single week with your CGM results. You inspire all of us and you receive nothing in return except a heartfelt thank you for your service to help others on their journey. I think particularly of Rich the Diabetic, and other longtime diabetics who have endured so much and had so little help in the way of available “state-of-the-art” medicines like Afrezza for their treatments, that is, until now. As fellow Afrezza Users, we know this is “life-changing” and hopefully people will see and read our testimony (and results) so that the needless suffering and long-term damage of diabetes and the hurt it causes families can be minimized or even avoided. Thank you Jackie for being a part of the group–the bar is set high–and you have shown what is possible in only a mere month. My applause to you for inspiring countless others and sharing your insight. I can’t wait to see what your official A1C will be in eight weeks (or less) and how many lives you will touch. You are a champion.

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