Insulin or tablets

[Veenaksawhney]

I am type 2 diabetic for the last 20 years. What have people found better to take insulin or tablet to help maintain or lose weight?

Has anyone found anything that helps keep sugar levels down?

Thanks in advance

 

[bulkbiker]

Changing what you eat has "worked" for many of us.
Insulin will usually/often lead to weight gain for a T2.

 

[ianf0ster]

Having a Low Carbohydrate 'way of eating' is what keeps my blood glucose down.
In fact it keeps it low enough that technically I'm no longer have diabetes - though I would again be if I ate the low fat high carb food that I used to eat!

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I am type 2 diabetic for the last 20 years. What have people found better to take insulin or tablet to help maintain or lose weight?

Has anyone found anything that helps keep sugar levels down?

Thanks in advance

I don't know whether after 20 years of being diabetic, your pancreas is still making insulin, but if it is... Low carb/high fat eating would indeed make one heck of a dent, and better than meds would. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ might help, as well as dietdoctor.com. Good luck!

 

[searley]

insulin or tablet to help maintain or lose weight?

on this question alone... insulin most certainly won't make you lose weight.. you'll probably gain weight unless you strictly control your diet

again most tablets won't make you lose weight, some act as appetite suppressants but there is no 'weight loss pill' its all controlling what you eat.. so weigh aside.. its better to ask what's better to control your diabetes..

in my option in order

1, diet
2, tablets
3, non insulin injectables
4, insulin

the reason i put insulin last is it adds lots of complications to life (some tablets do as well)

so if you've tried diet, low carbing as far as you can, then tablets would be the next thing to try

 

[LittleGreyCat]

@Veenaksawhney
As others have said, you usually don't take medication to manage your weight.
[I note that you are asking about both gaining ans losing weight.]
Weight control is usually (although there are exceptions) achieved through diet.
Exercise can help general metabolic fitness but in my very biased opinion exercise can't burn off significant amounts of fat. Exercise can change appetite, however, which can contribute greatly to weight loss.

 

[Roggg]

Weight is not the point when it comes to T2 diabetes, although there is a relationship. And weight is not the purpose of either insulin injections or oral diabetes meds. That said, insulin encourages weight gain. Oral meds that increase insulin (gliclazide/glipizide for example) also encourage weight gain. Other oral meds tend to be either neutral to weight gain/loss. A few actually help with weight loss. Jardience comes to mind here, but again, it's intended to manage blood glucose. Any benefit to weight loss is a side-effect.
Note that you can gain or lose weight on any of these protocols, but it may be harder or easier. Your diet has a bigger impact on your weight than your meds do.

 

[NicoleC1971]

The medical focus is stubbornly fixed on blood glucose levels but the strategy should really be on minimising your insulin needs! I agree that weight is secondary but is a marker of your metabolic issues.
Injecting insulin or using medications that encourage production of insulin are likely to encourage further fat storage and increase cardiovascular risk, inflammation and fat storage. Ask your doctor about the weight gain for type 2s on insulin or sulphonyureas. The newer drugs which encourage a little production of extra insulin are better but aren't solving the problem.
Meds that encourage you to produce less insulin from your liver (metformin) or to pee out glucose via the kidneys (canegelfozin, emphageflozin ) may help slightly but I'd heartily agree with everyone thus far that turning off the dietary tap of carbs is the best way to reduce insulin resistance and its complications. You can turn off the tap a lot or a little but it is usually better than widening the drain (drugs route)!

 

[Daibell]

Unless you reduce your insulin resistance insulin won't help much and that means reducing your carbs