I’m a day late and a dollar or two short this week due to the long holiday weekend. Fortunately, I’m thinking my six readers (well, only four last week) had better things to do on Monday, anyway, so my missing Mounjaro update didn’t cause any separation anxiety. In any case, fear not! The prodigal Turkey returns with another episode of “As the Glucagon Turns” (subtitled “Taking the World in Big GuLPs”).
When I started this series, I just wanted to write about my progress, my trials, and my tribulations on the GLP-1 receptor agonist drug Mounjaro. I have been treating my Type 2 diabetes with Mounjaro for nigh onto a year. As my four regular readers know, I am a 78-year-old male who identifies as male and my pronoun is “who”. If anything, this will classify me as an owl, but anyway, I’ll now recap my accomplishments for new readers.
A Year’s Progress
On Mounjaro, I’ve lowered my HbA1c from 7.6% to 5.3%, eliminating metformin and lowering the dose of losartan (my ARB-inhibitor blood pressure medication). I’ve lost 65 pounds of blubber, cinching in my corpulent waistline from a tight 42″ to a true 36″ (and a cheat 34″). Along with taking the drug via a weekly injection of a 7.5 mg/0.5 ml dose, I have worked hard on resistance training and eating a decent diet. I want to establish revamped behaviors that will serve me from now until I take the eternal celestial dirt nap.
Apart from reporting on my progress and throwing in some information about some of my tools and techniques, I cover subjects relating to Mounjaro, health care, diabetes, and weight loss. My love-hate relationship with Big Pharma and the compromised state of the flawed healthcare system in this country frequently trigger me to vent my spleen through the keyboard. As well, my rants are anathema to YouTube influencers, who serve as mindless cheerleaders and shills for Big Pharma, pushing their products in return for compensation while feigning objectivity for the gullible masses.
This week, before getting to the part where I chronicle my week and present my progress, I’ll write about how coffee spikes my blood sugar in the morning and what that might mean. You might recall that in Week 43, I wrote about some interesting claims that coffee could increase muscle growth. Who knows what the research community will divulge next about the popular pick-me-up?
Rise and Shine: Coffee Awaits
Ever since integrating a Dexcom Stelo into my daily routine, mornings have become a bit more enlightening—or perhaps alarming—particularly regarding my cherished ritual: coffee. Each morning, shortly after my customary cup, a noticeable spike in my blood glucose appears. My curiosity piqued, I delved into the literature to understand this phenomenon better.
Contrary to popular assumptions, it’s not uncommon for coffee—specifically caffeinated coffee—to cause a transient rise in glucose levels. Indeed, the key culprit is caffeine, which acts by stimulating adrenaline release. Adrenaline, in turn, triggers the liver to increase glycogenolysis, thereby releasing glucose into the bloodstream. While this mechanism is fairly well-documented, it generally causes only a mild, temporary increase in blood sugar. However, the extent of this reaction varies among individuals, influenced by factors like insulin sensitivity, overall metabolic health, and perhaps even habitual caffeine intake.
Reduced Insulin Resistance?
The question becomes more intriguing when considering coffee’s broader metabolic impacts. Notably, several studies have highlighted a paradoxical yet beneficial effect: consistent coffee consumption might actually reduce insulin resistance over time. Researchers have suggested multiple mechanisms for this beneficial effect, including the presence of bioactive compounds such as chlorogenic acids and other polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties and may enhance insulin sensitivity.
Chlorogenic acids in coffee may reduce glucose absorption in the intestine and alter gastrointestinal hormone release, thus contributing to improved glucose metabolism. Additionally, coffee’s antioxidant-rich profile is believed to combat inflammation and oxidative stress—two significant contributors to insulin resistance and diabetes progression.
Can Coffee Forestall Diabetes?
Moreover, epidemiological studies consistently indicate that habitual coffee drinkers, especially those consuming 3–4 cups per day, have a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes compared to non-coffee drinkers. A meta-analysis published in “Diabetes Care” found that each additional daily cup of coffee was associated with a 7% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a significant protective effect.
This complex interplay between coffee’s acute effects on glucose and its chronic benefits on insulin sensitivity underscores the nuanced nature of nutrition science. It seems that the transient morning spike in my glucose readings might be a minor trade-off for coffee’s longer-term metabolic advantages.
In practical terms, awareness of this acute effect can help us make informed decisions—perhaps moderating the timing and quantity of coffee intake or combining it with other dietary elements known to blunt glucose spikes, like fiber or protein-rich foods.
Ultimately, while that immediate post-coffee spike might momentarily trouble my Dexcom readings, the broader evidence supports coffee as a beneficial ally in the ongoing struggle to maintain insulin sensitivity and manage type 2 diabetes effectively.
My Week on Mounjaro
Tuesday and Wednesday were to be doctor visits, but I slept through my Wednesday YAG laser zapping appointment. Tuesday was a follow-up with short-timer Dr. DeLorean. Being a concierge doc, he focused on how good I looked and called me “one of my biggest success stories”, reiterating that an HbA1c of 5.3% represents phenomenal glucose control for a diabetic. “That’s better than mine! We normally try to shoot for less than 7%.” But I quickly moved beyond the grandiose accolades, because I had some serious blood chemistry concerns and a possible inguinal hernia.
Last week, I wrote about a sudden rise in potassium level, which we need to monitor. I also mentioned that after several months of supplementation, iron is coming back to the low end of “normal”. We’ll retest both next month to see where they’re going. As for the hernia, DeLorean forgot to examine it, but referred me to a general surgeon anyway. His office called me while I was driving home. I asked if he wanted me to come back to examine me. They said, “No, from your description, he’s pretty confident that’s what you’re dealing with.” That’s pretty much the way that practice works — if they can’t prescribe a drug for it, farm it out to a specialist to do the dirty work.
Wake Up!
I had to postpone the YAG laser, which was to have been Wednesday. I had been “under the weather” all week and I overslept—right through the 7:30 AM appointment time. In fact, the phone ringing at 8:15 asking “where the hell are you?” from the ophthalmologist’s office served as my wake-up call. So that’s postponed to June 11, the same week as my appointment with the general surgeon to evaluate the hernia.
Today, I get to see a sports med doc about my left knee. It hurts when I am resting, but not when I walk, so who knows? I had an MRI about a year-and-a-half ago that showed it was still in pretty good shape, much better than the other knee.
Isn’t it cool how we spend all our time trying to forestall the deterioration of our bodies as we cross the divide between middle age and OLD? On to this week’s numbers.
Mounjaro Numbers for the Week
Body Weight: 180.8 lbs (82.2 kg) — unchanged
Fasting glucose: 95 mg/dl (5.3 mmol/L) — unchanged
Average glucose (Stelo biosensor): 108 (6 mmol/L) — damn Stelo died on me on Sunday! I requested a new one.
Conclusion: Grounds for Optimism
So, where does that leave me at the end of Week 51? Still at 180.8 pounds, still holding fasting glucose steady at 95, and still poking a needle into my gut every week like it’s just another Tuesday—which, often enough, it is.
This week’s exploration into the metabolic minefield triggered by my innocent morning brew reminds me of an essential truth in diabetes management: context matters. A glucose spike from coffee might seem counterproductive in the short term, but it’s a blip on the broader metabolic radar if the long-term trend points toward improved insulin sensitivity and reduced disease risk. That’s the delicate balancing act we play: minute-by-minute vigilance blended with month-by-month patience.
And patience, dear reader, is a virtue you’ll need in spades if you’re trying to navigate America’s healthcare labyrinth with anything more nuanced than a sinus infection. Case in point: I’ve got one foot in the exam room and the other on the voicemail of a scheduling assistant, just trying to stitch together coherent follow-ups for potassium levels, laser zaps, hernia pokes, and knees with minds of their own.
Not Too Bad
But you know what? At 78, I consider it a small miracle to be able to lift weights six days a week, hike nine miles without serious complaint, and gleefully eviscerate the medical-industrial complex from my keyboard. The GLP-1 ride has delivered far more than I expected when I started out, and with my numbers stabilizing, I now focus less on weight loss and more on what I can do with this leaner, meaner carcass.
Next week marks the official one-year point. I’ll take stock, sip some celebratory (black) coffee, and see if the Dexcom screams or shrugs.
Stay tuned—this turkey isn’t done roasting yet.
For an annotated catalog of all my Mounjaro updates, please visit my Mounjaro Update Catalog page.
Share this:
Discover more from The Nittany Turkey
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
[…] Week 51, when I described a glucose spike I attributed to my morning coffee? Well, friends, I found the true reason for the spike, and it wasn’t the cuppa joe. Coffee […]