Weight gain since being on the pump

[Sugar pie]

I have been on the accu-chek pump for nearly 4weeks and am gaining weight at an alarming rate. I'm not eating any more than I was before and my total daily intake of insulin is the same amount if not sometimes, than when I was on MDI. I'm 5ft 3 and now weight 9st (usual weight 8st 3). My daily basal rate is 0.45u from 7am-12am and then from midnight to 7am its 0.75u, with my carb ratio being 1:10. Does this seem alot of insulin? I hate the weight issue so much that I'm wondering whether this pump was a good idea, its making me feel so miserable and depresseed that I am now considering going back to the slimming club. Adding to my misery my DN has been away for 2weeks so havent had much support on what to do. Any advice would be great.

 

[Clorinda]

I can't offer any help, but is this something you could ask Accu-Check and your DN?

I'd be interested to know what they say.

 

[Debloubed]

Hi, if it helps, I've gained weight since being on the pump but probably because if gives me so much more freedom, I eat more! Your insulin ratio's must have been set based on fasting BG levels, is that correct? so they are right for you. I am at the stage now where my basal changes almost hourly and my bolus ratio is different at 4 times throughout the day. Are you having lots of hypo's or hyper's? are you sure you're not just eating more?! I found it quite liberating to be able to bolus without injecting whenever I fancied a nibble on something! I eat more fruit now than ever before and I love it! :lol:

Excess Insulin can cause weight gain but if you maintained your weight before the pump then I can't think why it would cause you to gain now? other than the weight gain, are you enjoying the pump?

 

[Sugar pie]

My insulin ratio's were based on what I used before I went on the pump and I have never had to fast to find out about my background basal rate. Before using a pump my sugars were out of control, mainly thriving on bs above 15. At first when I was given a pump I was so excited but even after increasing my backgorund basal rate and carb:insulin ratio the last two weeks I am having problems bringing my bs down. I love having the pump but its so frustrating having high bs when trying so hard.

 

[sugar2]

Hi,

I am on accuchek combo too...and I am a bit shorter, and alas a bit heavier than you...your ration is lower than mine though. Thing is, it is do down to the individual!

I do not claim to know this as a fact, but I would suggest that you weight gain is a side effect of slightly better control on the pump?

I found a similar thing happened when I started carb counting a few years ago, and realised, that I had been maintaining my weight OK...but this was not becasue I was eating the right amount of calories for me...but taht I was eating too much, but my high s was meaning that I actually lost a bit of weight and it balanced out.

Personally, if I were you, I would try experimenting with your ratios....the fasting thing is explained in teh instruction manual for the combo. It takes a while, but eventually, you find something that works (well, at least most of teh time!). Unfortunately, it may mean that to remian an acceptable weight for you, you have to eat a bit less!

 

[jopar]

Sugar Pie

You need to sort out your basal rate's first, and this is only going to be done via fasting tests... Then work out your ratio's.. With out getting the basal right nothing else will fall into place and you won't be able to set your ratio's probably..

It seems that you are trying to run before you can walk, as it seems you've done a lot in 2 weeks, how do you know if your basal's changes are working if you'll faffing with ratio's at the same time? Remeber on change at a time so that you can see if it worked or not...

I know weight gain can be distressing, but what you need to remember that a the moment it is more important to sort out your control, once you've done this you be able to tackle any weight gain issues separatly, which will make it much easier to tackle...

Don't get dispondant with it all, it can take time to really get up and runing with a pump, and you really need to give it a good 6 months or so...

I would suggest that you invest in a book called 'pumping insulin' by John Walsh, it's the bible of pumping very easy to use and understand...

 

[samkw]

i have defo put weight on since being on the pump, i have been on it just over a month now.
i defo need to go on a diet and try and control myself because i have been eating a bit more aswell. not good.

 

[Sugar pie]

Hi samkw, I'm not eating anymore than usual but the weight gain is really getting me down. Its that bad that I am considering coming of the pump. The only help I get is being told that at least my bs have come down, as if that makes it ok. I doubt if the pct will fund a gastric band or liposuction in the future! (LOL)

 

[shedges]

Hi Sugar Pie,

Have you changed anything else in your lifestyle since starting the pump? Are you less active? Have you stopped any particularly strenuous activities because of going on the pump?

It MUST be very strange to be eating the same amount of food and putting on weight??!?!? Have you written it all down just to make sure? It's only when I write stuff down that I gain a proper appreciation of what I'm letting pass my lips, and hence get proper control too.

I find as soon as I stop exercising I put on weight rapidly, but it comes off just as quickly when I start running again. Do you have an exercise program? Or any sports that you do regularly?

Regards,
Sam.

 

[sugar2]

Are you absolutely sure that you weren't eating too much before as well..and it may have been higher blood sugars that meant that you didn't put on weight?


having said that, I have joined weight watchers to try and lose a few pounds (stone!) so completely understand.

 

[Jugster]

I certainly sympathize. I have been on a pump for 16 years now. My insulin requirement have been going up and up over time along with my weight. I only eat a fruit smoothy for lunch and breakfast and eat a proper meal at tea time. I exercise every day by walking at least 2 miles to and from work. The more insulin you take the more weight you seem to take.
My dr. here in the US just put me on a medicine called Simlin which makes you more sensetive to the insulin which allows you to cut back on insulin intake. I am sure they have something similar there but under a different name.
I am heading back to the UK. so will be checking for similar products too.
Good Luck.

 

[daisy1]

Sugar2,
Are you saying that high blood sugars prevent you putting on weight or have I misunderstood you? If only... :shock:

 

[sugar2]

Yes, that is what I am saying. Try googling "Diabulimia" or similar, apologies for my awful spelling! If you blood sugar is high, then you tend to lose weight, hence why sudden unexplained weight loss is sometimes an indicator that someone may be diabetic. The thing I am not sure of though is how high is high...I am guessing a HbA1C of around 9 would mean that you you lose weight.

This is why I wondered if, a steady weight was being maintained by over eating slightly...but a high blood sugar causing a bit of weight loss? I am very sympatheic...and alos on a pump and atonight is my first weigh in session at Weight watchers...but I think my weight gain is down to me eating too much for me. Thsi may not always be the case though!

Fruit smoothies are packed with calories...so although really healthy, are also very fattening!

Shame, as they also delicious!

 

[daisy1]

Great, but I don't want my nice low HbA1c to go up to 9 :shock: I am also a type 2 so it may of course be different for me. Thanks for explanations though.

 

[Jugster]

Try making own fruit smoothies.. I use a few pieces of frozen unsweetened fruit, and a couple of table spoons of light yogurt and just a touch of milk to thin it down and blend it. Not unhealthy!!

 

[jopar]

HIgh blood sugar levels can cause weight lose and/or lower weight.. As the blood sugar levels raise the body finds it increasly more difficult to utilize/transfer the glucose into usable engery by the cells, so the body will try to source it's fuel it's energy needs, but drawing energy from fat stores in the body, (similar to atkins type fat burning diets, drastically reduce carb intake, forcing the body into kenetic state of buring fat for fuel) the by products are ketones disposed off via the urine, and acidtone that exspells via the lungs.. As fat stores depletes, the body will start to utilize any fat content it can find in mucles including the heart muscle...

For the diabetic, Apart from the long term damage/complication that runing high blood glucose levels, The by products combined with raised blood glucose disrupts the chemical blance of the blood causing DKA at what Blood Glucose has to be the chain reaction of DKA starts to kick in, is dependant on individual tollerance levels... But any diabetic with levels 12mmol/ml or over should be checking for ketones in the urine taking appropiate action to lower blood glucose..


As I am not a fruit smoothy person, how many carbs does it contain?

It is possible dependant of fruit used for a smoothy to be high carb count, and again dependant on fruit used could hit the system very fast..

 

[sugar2]

Thanks for thr technical explanation.

 

[bowersgifford]

Hi
I have been on the pump for 18months also the Accu and I have also put on weight. I feel as fat a a pig!! I eat very little carbs etc as I have hardly any appitite. When I asked my DN about this she said it was because I am now stable. If it was not for the fact my hypo's at night were very bad I would have gone back on injections. :?

 

[jopar]

Bowersgillford

A lot of diabetics can due to control have a weight below what they would otherwise have if they hadn't been diabetic... Pumping can stablise control and the body returns to it's natural weight level. You have to really ask yourself have you just as the DNS said stablised your weight, or have you gained...

Take myself for example, before I was diabetic I weight 9 1/2 stone that sat on my body just right, my ideal weight... At the point I went onto insulin I was something like 6 stone in weight :shock: as the insulin did it's job and my weight increased, there were times I felt fat I wasn't of cause but 8 stone is a lot different to 6 stone... Sadly for me even I have never been able to get my weight above 8 1/2 stone, a stone lighter than pre-diabetes even though I've been pumping for 3 years...

But if you feel that your weight is above that of what you would have expected, then perhaps you need to consider more than carb intake, even with reducing carb intake it's still possible to gain rate, if the calorie content of you consume is above the total calories that you require in a day, you will still put on weight so perhaps comparing both carbs+calories together might prove to be your answer..