Do any of you guys use or heard of Symlin? If so can you give me any details...
Hey Isaac - yes, I use Symlin. Wow, a lot of details here. It is an extra shot (whether you inject or on the pump). Does it help you lose weight? I think so but just because you eat less. It make you feel full very quickly. I started with just 2 units at meal time and moved up from there but it did make me feel nauseous at the begining. I got in to trouble b/c I'd have it, have my insulin for what I'd eat, then not be able to eat 3/4 of the meal. My body took a while to get used to it but it did help me lose a good deal of weight then I was sick of doing it and gained it back quickly - I'm back on it again to help me drop. It significantly reduced the range of highs and lows. I don't know about others but when I was (and now am again) on it, my bs levels didn't go over 200. It significantly helps the highs after a meal. It really helps if you are on a pump because you can either have a square wave bolus (over a couple hours) or a dual wave if you are a touch high, you can correct and square wave the rest. I am a big fan of it. Can be hard to get used to but it really helped my beta and a1c - the a1c went from an ave of 6.0 - 6.5 to 5.3 - 5.5. The peaks and valleys were minimal although if I screwed up my bolus, I would go low and that's the scary part of it. Let me know if you have any other specific questions. Be well.
Pretty much everything that Doug said. I myself am not on symlin but I am planning to start using it within the next few weeks. I have a few friends who it has done wonders for. My reasons for wanting to go on it is that I actually never feel full. i can eat and eat and eat. Now that was ok when i was 12 and had the metabolism of, well, a 12 year old. But now i'm 20 and even though I work out, eat right etc. it can be really frustrating to still be starving after eating a perfectly normal sized meal. And don't even get me started about snacking and studying. I know that symlin is no miracle cure but I see it as a nudge in the right direction.
Pretty much everything Doug said except - I noticed a weight loss when I first started using it, but after about 6 months I stopped losing weight. I keep taking it because I'm afraid to start having insulin weight gain again (which seems to be a real problem with me), so I'm afraid that I'll go back up if I go off it. And technically, you're supposed to need half your normal insulin dosage when you take it, but with me it's closer to 10-20%. I need very little insulin when I'm taking it. I had MANY significant lows when I first started taking it....until I figured out to lower my insulin more than recommended. It's a lot of trial and error involved.
How long has Symlin been around,I never knew of it before coming to Juvenation.Is it safe for teens?
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How long has Symlin been around,I never knew of it before coming to Juvenation.Is it safe for teens?
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i remember reading somewhere it is approved for 18+ i could be wrong though
I went on it before I had my son...so it's been on the market for at least 3-5 years now. I did have to go off it when I was pregnant because it's not approved for pregnant or nursing moms. But not sure about teens...never asked about that.
yea i noticed when reading these responses that the majority/all of the people that are using it are 18+, i wonder if there are any teens on it. But it doesn't matter age that much cause my birthday is in 2 months and ill be 18 but im gonna look for article with teens taking symlin.
I started using symlin about 2 years ago. When I first started, my doctor had me on a strict 1200 calorie per day diet. She restricted my eating because she said that if I ate more than 400 calories per meal that I would get nauseous. I never did get nauseous no matter how much I took. I lost weight for the first few months, mainly because of the restricted diet and it was only about 10 lbs. Gradually, my eating habits went back to normal and I ended up gaining all of the weight back. I did feel full quicker, but I think it was more about food choices than portions.
About the blood sugars, it definitely helped regulate my blood sugars after meals. However, they did say you're supposed to use 50% of your insulin. For me, it did not change my need for insulin and I still required 100% of the insulin I was taking before.
For me, it was all about trial and error because she originally told me to half my insulin, which caused alot of highs.
Isaac,
You asked for details and I'm adding homework, I'm afraid, LOL - There are a couple of good proponent views that are worth review, I think:
http://tudiabetes.com/video/amylin-and-insulin
http://forecast.diabetes.org/magazine/features/symlin-close
I don’t know what your management goals are but in connection with this, my research left me feeling like I would rather be able to find a way to supplement my missing C-Peptide, as it seems to be mostly a protective agent… (http://www.medwire-news.md/57/80931/Diabetes/C-peptide_protects_against_microvascular_complications_in_Type_1_diabetes.html , http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1783537 )
I may still pursue the Symlin next year and I am always interested in reading the experiences of others in this area so please keep us up to date as you make your decisions and if/when you are in a position to post results/descriptions/events – please do!
Cheers,
A-D