Hi! So for all of you who have posted with answers to all my questions lately thank you! I finally seemed to have found the correct basal again and am back to my normal diabetes routines
I do have a question though. Today I had a check up to discuss my numbers with the new basal rate from my doctor and he brought up metaformin to help increase insulin sensitivity. I asked about pros and cons and he said heās had it work well for some type 1s but not others and it really depends on your body. I told him no for the time being as Iām purposely on a weight loss program and as Iām losing weight my insulin sensitivity is improving so I want to try doing it naturally first but said Iād reconsider in the next 6 months. He said the only reason he really wants me to consider it is I do have a higher basal rate and IC ratio and that when Iām older he doesnāt want me on more insulin than I am on right now.
Any thoughts about this or does anyone have any experience they can share if they were put on it at all?
I donāt exactly get why anyone would say that. Anyway, IMO, the āend gameā for t2ās not performing on met is to add insulin. 1) Metformin comes with a unique set of adverse reactions. 2) You are already on insulin which is a closer match to what your body used to makeā¦ in summary you have to weigh the risks of insulin plus metformin over the risks of insulinā¦ Iām not a doctor but the met+insulin appears to have more adverse reactionsā¦ not a doctorā¦ not advice. cheers good luck
See and thatās what Iāve heard too. I fully admit that Iām overweight which obviously causes less insulin sensitivity but am taking control of that by cleaning up my diet and exercising more. Iāve lost 12 pounds already and Iām seeing my insulin needs decrease along with this so I feel as if I continue to do what Iām doing Iām naturally going to reduce my insulin needs and not have all the stomach side effects that go along with it. I was also curious to know why it would matter if my insulin needs are higher when Iām older? Iām currently in my late 20s so have a while before Iāll hit the over 60 threshold like heās concerned about so curious to see. I also hope that thereās even more advancements to diabetes management within the next 30 years as well.
@Tee25, I got nothing. I canāt see any reason to say that. If the doc thinks some magic amount of insulin is too much, well then you can add metformin later. My only wild guess is if the doctorās opinion might be based on t2 and thatāif you ask too much of beta cells they can reduce or stop working ā. They add met to reduce demand and prolong diminishing insulin production. My problem with the logic is that you are making none, so who cares. Anyway by all means ask but I still say keep doing what you are doing.
Hi @Tee25 . The pancreas wants what the pancreas wants (replace āwantsā with āneedsā if you wish but itās not quite as poeticš) and the bodyās needs change over time. Using basal IQ with my pump has resulted in my using less insulin than I did 6 months or a year ago, and who knows if you may not need less yourself later in life due to weight loss, activity or other factors. Having said that you could need more down the road - it remains to be seen.
You sound committed to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and it may be best to work on one thing at a time. Adding Metformin in while youāre losing weight could muddle things so you donāt know which is helping you if you achieve better numbers. Iām not a medical professional so Iāll just share what I think I would do - which is hold off on the Metformin and revisit it later.
Wishing you all the best.
Okay thanks! Thinking the same thing. I just got my labs done and my A1C is 6.7 so thereās still some room for improvement but overall a great A1C and good diabetes management. I guess I just donāt really see the need for it at this point either unless something changes drastically.
I was diagnosed in 1945. I was very slender and used animal insulin for many years. In the mid 1990s I started using a fast acting insulin, Humalog. I gained a lot of weight and I was diagnosed with insulin resistance (IR). I had reduced my carb intake to 130 carbs per day, and was getting a lot of exercise. There was less weight, and I lost about 15 pounds while using Avandia. I saw an endocrinologist in 2010 . She prescribed Metformin ER. I adjusted ti Metformin in about 3 weeks. I started losing weight. In one year on Met I lost all the weight I had gained. I felt much better!! stopped using Met for several months, but I started gaining again. I resumed Met and am averaging 140 carbs per day. I am not overweight . I feel good after 75 years of T1D.
There are many T1Dās with IR, and many of them use Met ER. I know some of them in other support groups. I have/had four relatives with T2.D. I think I may have inherited a gene that caused my weight gain and IR.
Thanks for your input. Thatās super interesting! Have you had any long term effects from using it? Iāve been researching and overall it seems fairly safe and itās been out for awhile. But I also am still nervous to add yet another med to the rotation as I feel like Iām so young. At the same time though, I might consider it if it made me healthier long term.
I suggest that you research Metformin online. There are some side effects that are usually temporary. The extended release form is less likely to cause a problem. Just ask for Metformin ER when you see your doctor.
I tried it a long time ago and went to 150% of what the FDA recommended. It did absolutely nothing. My doctor back then did not know anything about diabetes. I then went to an endo doctor and he was alarmed as to why the previous doctor even prescribed it for Type 1.
