Type 1 and Metformin.

totsy

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,041
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
liars, animal cruelty
i was on metformin for a while before i went to basal bolus :D
 

janabelle

Well-Known Member
Messages
816
Dislikes
Lack of choice of insulin for newly diagnosed patients.
Dog owners who let their dogs poop in the street-a hazard for most, but worse if you're visually impaired!
Having RP
I've noted that they type-1 patients on this forum who've been considered 'insulin resistant' are on analogue insulins. Could this have more to do with defective 'insulin' rather than true insulin resistnace. I don't doubt that some type-1s do suffer some form of insulin resistance, but that must not be confused with analogue insulins not working for some people.
insulin needs in pregnancy usually double by the time of the birth. I have experienced this 3 times, but fortunately on synthetic 'human' insulin, and not on analogues. I also noticed that my insulin needs increased smoothly, never a suggestion that I was becoming insulin resistant. I only ever considered that I might be becoming insulin resistant while on lantus.
I could have quite easily stayed on Lantus, been put on Metformin, and still be the walking dead :evil:
Jux
 

Iambackwards

Active Member
Messages
26
As a type 1 without insulin resistance, I use metformin although I'm not prescribed it and couldn't eat certain things without it. It takes a lot to increase your insulin sensitivity to the level that metformin can create and I think a lot of type 1s with good control still suffer from high peaks after eating that non diabetics don't experience. With metformin I can avoid these and use less insulin.
 

janabelle

Well-Known Member
Messages
816
Dislikes
Lack of choice of insulin for newly diagnosed patients.
Dog owners who let their dogs poop in the street-a hazard for most, but worse if you're visually impaired!
Having RP
Hi,
I've asked this question before, and had no reply, but surely 'insulin resistance' can only apply to 'insulin' not synthetic insulin; if someone is having a prob on a synthetic insulin, is it insulin resistance or a drug reaction? If a patient had a prob on any other medication; eg inadequate response, or side effects, in most cases doctors would suggest an alternative treatment. Unfortunately many doctors are denying patients the option of changing insulin, or only offering long-acting analogues.
Of course many people get on fine on long-acting analogues. Unfortunately for the many who can't achieve stable control on them or suffer side-effects, they can end up on more prescribed medication to deal with the problems that are directly caused by the synthetic insulin. Not just metformin, but painkillers and anti-depressants.
Jus
 

ajsmum

Member
Messages
12
Aj gained a lot of weight when he was put on lantus - every appointment we said how concerned we were about it - but the consultant was adamant that we just stick with it.
Then - the consultant declared that AJ was insulin resistant - (due to his weight )and prescribed Metformin as a 'magic' weight loss tablet, and to increase his sensitivity to insulin. He has been on metformin for about 5 months - and guess what, no reduction in weight or reduction in insulin intake! The specialist dietician has now started to work with AJ - and has found that all the advice previously given to us about how much to inject, the carbs etc was wrong (she also said that metformin does not contribute to weight loss - it merely cancels out the weight gain produced by the lantus) - she is reducing his lantus at each appointment but has said not to stop the metformin until the next consultants appointment - and has suggested (indirectly) that lantus isnt the best basal insulin for him. Something that I have been saying to the consultant for the last year!!!!! So ...... I agree that it is all too easy to tell you that you have become 'insulin resistant' rather than actually considering that a change in medication may be the answer!
:|
 

Nexus

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
My GP recently prescibed Metformin for me, I've been type 1 for 28 years with Hb's around the 6.5 mark. I was a little sceptical as to her reasoning and as I was due my 6 month hospital check up. I thought stick the prescription in my pocket and have a talk to my Diabetic Doc. Well I've known him for 28 years and always thought of him as a placid kinda guy WOW he went mental when I showed him the prescription, he even kicked his little foot stool across the office. I guess there must be a bit of confusion regarding Type 1 and Metformin, needless to say I'm not taking it..
 

Iambackwards

Active Member
Messages
26
I don't see why your doctor would go crazy when he found out you were prescribed metformin. I guess it is only necessary when you show clear insulin resistance. One thing that can be dangerous with metformin, if you have normal insulin sensitivity and take metformin there is a huge increase in your insulin sensitivity, in my experience anyway.

1000mg of metformin can make me 2 - 4 times more sensitive to insulin, so for a meal where I would take 8 units of novarapid, I would then need 4 units or less and if you took normal doses + metformin you would get some nasty hypos.

With regards to weight loss, I think its great because it allows you to lower your insulin requirements a lot, which isn't key to weight loss but helps a lot.
 

janabelle

Well-Known Member
Messages
816
Dislikes
Lack of choice of insulin for newly diagnosed patients.
Dog owners who let their dogs poop in the street-a hazard for most, but worse if you're visually impaired!
Having RP
Nexus,
Your diabetes specialist must have had good reason to go so nutty-sounds a bit scary though!:D
He's been treating you for 28 years and as a specialist undoubtedly has a lot more experience and knowledge of diabetes than any GP would have. Did he explain why he was so annoyed with you being prescribed Metformin?
I've edited this post to include the following message to Iambackwards As far as I am aware Metformin is POM(prescription only medication) in the UK. You have already stated that you are not prescibed it. I rarely get bolshy on this forum, but as you have not been prescribed this by a diabetes specialist, I fail to see how your experience is relevent on this posting. I don't mean to be rude, but how to you get it anyway???

Jus
 

Iambackwards

Active Member
Messages
26
I have a relative that gets prescribed way more than they need. I know using drugs that are not prescribed doesn't sound smart, but I researched a lot before using metformin.
I know doctors/specialists do know a lot and are very helpful, but they don't live as a type 1 diabetic 24 hours a day and imo personal experience teaches me a lot more about controlling my sugar levels than what a doctor can tell me.
 

janabelle

Well-Known Member
Messages
816
Dislikes
Lack of choice of insulin for newly diagnosed patients.
Dog owners who let their dogs poop in the street-a hazard for most, but worse if you're visually impaired!
Having RP
Hi Iambackwards,
Sorry if my previous message was a bit harsh,I felt it was and I apologise, didn't want to have a go.
However I do think you are taking a huge risk taking metformin with insulin without advice, as it could make hypos more dangerous. Especially night-hypos, as metformin suppresses the production of glucose from the liver.
If you took the time to research metformin, did you do the same with analogue insulins? I continually hear people saying I'm on this insulin or that insulin, and I want to scream, you are NOT on insulin! Analogue insulins just do not work for many people, and anyone using them IS the long-tem study for their safety.
You've not been diagnosed with 'insulin resistance', you've come to that conclusion because you are having problems controllling your sugars on the analogue insulins and regime you're on. My quality of life was so poor on Lantus, I think if my doc had suggested metformin, I'd have jumped off a bridge-seriously. My docs were quite happy that my BGs were fluctuating and uncontrolled, it was me that was starting to think I was insulin resistant, as there was no pattern to my lousy control.
Jus
 

Nexus

Member
Messages
9
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
In response
I think my Diabetic doc was so enraged was because I was given the prescription with no explanation as to what it would do other than 'it will mop up any excess sugars' . I have highs and lows like any other Diabetic and if I had just started taking the Metformin God knows what trouble I would have been in ! Question everything is my new motto.