Not injecting to lose weight

[catfish185]

I've heard a few things about people, mainly girls, who have stopped taking their insulin because it makes them lose weight. I've also heard about the problems this can cause like blindness etc.

I just wondered really what happens inside your body, is it actually fat that's lost? Or does the body start breaking down muscle or something instead?

 

[sugarless sue]

If you Google DKA you will find out exactly what happens to the body. A very dangerous practice and not one to be encouraged !

 

[alaska]

Missing injections to lose weight is a bad trap to get into.

Numerous girls are around (many in their twenties and some in the teens ) who now have complications such as retinopathy, kidney damage and nerve damage to contend with day to day.

It's not good I'm afraid :|

 

[phoenix]

I just wondered really what happens inside your body, is it actually fat that's lost? Or does the body start breaking down muscle or something instead?

Both, muscle and fat and without the insulin both glucose levels and ketones rise. In the short term as Sue has said it can cause DKA.
In the longer term greatly increased chances of retinopathy (and possibly blindness) kidney disease and neuropathy.
can I quote from a Ovidio Bermudez a doctor who specialises in the field

Please understand that even if you start to withhold your insulin just a little bit, you may be awakening a monster as far as genetic vulnerability goes. You unravel a [sequence] of events in the brain, including lost perspective, from which you cannot pull back" without outside help. If you're concerned about being diabulimic, start by telling someone on your diabetes care team

 

[totsy]

really bad idea, ive met girls whove done it and are now suffering, i was lucky since becoming insulin dependant i lost 6 stone

 

[HLW]

I imagine this was why I was loosing weight before I started insulin. I thought I was just eating better

 

[noblehead]

I've heard a few things about people, mainly girls, who have stopped taking their insulin because it makes them lose weight.

They might lose weight but its a fast exit to self-destruction!

Nigel

 

[ClaireG 06]

I'm a type 2 but had DKA before Christmas. This was caused by my BG levels going high due to pneumonia and also me not being able to eat. I have never felt so ill in my life and wouldn't wish DKA on anyone.

 

[jameshallam]

I lost about 2 stone just before I was diagnosed (from 11.5)... I also looked pale and unhealthy, couldn't walk up a flight of stairs and felt like c**p.

When I found out I had diabetes and got on the insulin I was back to my normal weight and felt much better again!

 

[dectjoh]

I similarly lost two stone before diagnosis (3 weeks ago) and felt dreadful. I put a stone back on within a week of starting on insulin but I have since lost half of that, 3 pounds last week and 4 pounds this week. Should I be worried? I have had reasonable BG control and have no ketones. Tracy

PS I should have said - I currently weigh 9st exactly and am 5'4''.

 

[Levy]

I lost half a stone before diagnosis and gained two stone afterwards. Thankfully after a while the weight I gained sort of disappeared again slowly but surely until I got back to my normal weight. My doctors were very worried about me because they thought I was dieting. Quite frustrating because even though I tried to tell them that wasn't the case they didn't seem to believe me...

 

[IrishJoe]

Essentially no insulin means that your body digests part of itself rapidly to get energy this produces toxins in the form of Ketones (a type of molecule with a C=O bond group - like acetone (hence why its called acetone)), meanwhile there's usually high bloodsugar resuling in lowering potassium and leads to dehydration, nausea, V&D and so on.
Eventually the body dies. 5% of people who get DKA DIE.

So no insulin = body digests itself. And of course high sugars lead to other problems. The irony is that taking insulin promotes weight gain which of course SUCKS

 

[oldjake]

I just wondered really what happens inside your body, is it actually fat that's lost? Or does the body start breaking down muscle or something instead?

Firstly, I'm nothing to do with the health care profession so below is what I understand of the process rather that being an expert!

It's because your body uses the sugar in some foods to convert to energy to keep your muscles working. If your body can't get the energy from sugar because it's floating around in your blood and wee - mainly in carbohydrates - then it will start to use your fat stores to do the same job.

Bingo! Quick weight loss.

I have to admit to being very flippant with my medication until quite recently and I could lose half a stone very quickly just by easing back on my insulin.

The trouble is, being skinny and grey looking is probably less attractive and a lot less good for you than being half a stone over weight and having your glucose under control.

I'm getting better. I still miss 4 or 5 injections a week and I've put on about 8 pounds. But overall, I feel a million times better than when I was only taking 30% of my meds and seeing BG up in the late teens in the morning and late 20s throughout the day.

Andy
Last hba1c - 11.1