Type 1 diabetes and metformin?

[Livelifefornow]

I've been a type 1 diabetic for 6 years
Started off on novorapid and levemir then 2 years ago started on humalog and lantus my Doses have always been high but I didn't realise the amount I was injecting was any more than the average diabetic (my mum is also diabetic) I inject up to 150 units a day for a very low carb diet and do roughly 80 units on a day where my diet had less than 20 grams carbs my lasthba1c was 9.2 and the doctor has decided to put me on metformin which I'm starting to.day hoping it will bring my insulin levels down
I'm not overweight I'm 11st 8 and 5 ft 8 but my weight will not go down even with a very low calorie intake has any other type 1s taken metformin for insulin resistance ? Did it help? Did you lose weight ?

 

[SchmIlls]

Hi I'm type one diabetic and have been for ten years. I'm extremely active (karate third dan and current British champion) however my weight was just inexplicably going up and up.
My consultant put me on metformin two months ago. After an initial uncomfortable bedding in period I'm happy to say my weight is now dropping for the first time in about nine years
Might be worth trying?


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[Livelifefornow]

Started the metformin yesterday 500 mg slow release hasn't done anything yet but obviously too soon to tell. Fingers crossed it works

 

[SchmIlls]

For me the effect was evident about a week in. I had an upset stomach constantly for about three weeks but happily that has now gone
I had some really extreme hypos too which is new for me. Understandable given what metformin does. All the very best to you hope it works :0)

Mel


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[petrichor]

So glad I found this post!

I've got my annual review at the end of the month, and after speaking to a different DSN regarding my doses and unexplained weight gain, she has suggested I ask about metformin.

It makes sense, but I'm a bit wary of the hypos!

I'm on a pump, so my readings etc are all quite accurate, but I wonder how stable is Metformin with regards to stable lows? I presume it'll take a bit of time to sort out, but can't cope very well with "random" low's - if that makes sense

How are you all getting on with it?

 

[Elc1112]

I was put on it last summer as my GP thought I was taking too much insulin. I also suffer from PCOS and find it difficult to lose weight. The metformin really upset my stomach. I stayed on it for three weeks before being put on the slow release version. Stayed on that for six weeks but I my stomach did not settle and, as a result of being sick, my levels were all over the place. I did lose some weight but I think that was due to the bad stomach more than anything else!

Hope you have better luck with it than me! Em


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[picklebean]

Im type1 and on Metformin. I take 1000mg slow-release a day. I have PCOS as well and insulin resistance.

I've been on it quite a few years now and to be honest I don't know if it's having an effect or not. It was supposed to help bring my high insulin requirements down and help me lose weight, neither of which it really did. But I'm still on it... I guess my insulin requirements would rise if I wasn't on it.

I had an upset stomach for about a month at first but it cleared up and I found the slow-release version better than the standard version.

Victoza is the only thing that has really worked for me to reduce my insulin levels but not everyone's Dr will be willing to prescribe it for a T1 as it's only licensed for T2s.

 

[petrichor]

Hi Pickle bean,

I'd always thought that things like Victoza couldn't work for type 1 as we don't produce insulin. My understanding was that it encouraged the secretion of insulin (which - in theory - shouldn't work for us).

I'd like to be as informed as possible, but everything I can find online is in relation to T2 on victoza. Do you have any info on T1 use of victoza?

Regards,

Petrichor

 

[picklebean]

Umm, I don't know a huge amount about it, just my experience really. If you search the forum there's a long thread about Victoza in the meds section.

That said, I think the reason it's not licensed for T1s is exactly the fact that we have no insulin to stimulate. But Victoza has another aspect to it - it stimulates the release of whatever chemical it is that gets produced when you're eating and you feel full. Basically it makes you feel full much quicker, after having eaten only a small amount. And it generally reduces the appetite. It also allows you to reduce the amount of insulin you take. Im on the basal bolus regime too and because of insulin resistance I was on a fairly high dose, though not as much as the OP - 80u basal a day and 2u bolus per 10g of CHO. That's reduced to 56u basal and 1u bolus per 10g CHO. Since high insulin levels encourage weight gain, this has also helped me to lose weight, along with the reduction of appetite and the feeling full thing. I've lost 2stone, down to a size 14/16 now. The side effects when I first started were HORRIBLE!! I was ill for two months. But I'm so glad I stuck with it.

My diabetic consultant suggested I try it but it is down to a GP to decide whether they'll actually prescribe it for you. It's expensive, I think, and not all surgeries will agree to do it for T1s.