I was diagnosed with Type 1 (possibility Type 1.5) 10 days ago after being treated for 6 weeks for Type 2. I lost 2 stone over the summer while my bloods were really high before diagnosis. However, since I started on insulin 7 days ago I have gained half a stone. Is this normal? Last year I dieted and excercised and got down to a healthy weight, I don't want to undo all the good I did. Did this happen to anyone else?
Weight gain after starting insulin
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ButtterflyLady
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It depends on what your insulin regime is. If you are on fixed doses or mixed insulin, I think weight gain is likely, because you end up having to "eat to the insulin". But if you are on basal/bolus multiple daily injections (MDI) with carb counting, then it is possible to avoid weight gain, because you only use as much insulin as you need, based on what you are eating. Low carbing also helps, as you need less insulin. Here is some info about this, written for T2s, but it also applies to other types:
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/15478720.php
I was started 7 days ago on a basal insulin every night, that wasn't bringing the levels down so 3 days ago I was started on a bolus with each meal also. Both are fixed doses. I haven't been told to carb count yet. This has all happened very quickly and I go back to the clinic this week so I suppose this will be mentioned then. My bloods are still all over the place, going from mid 20s at night to 4.7 mid morning. Had my first hypo which was horrible the other morning. I probably need to be patient, but I just hate the weight gain after working so hard to get healthy.
Thanks for your help
Thanks for your help
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The question is to what level you lost weight over the last few months. While I can't speak to Type 1.5, as a T1, you are unable to use glucose as an energy source so you start to use body fat and muscle as your energy sources, dropping weight. It is normal to regain the weight lost abnormally by the pre-diagnosis Type 1.
The majority of people diagnosed with T1 are an unhealthily low weight when diagnosed. Putting the weight back on is not usually considered to be a problem.
The majority of people diagnosed with T1 are an unhealthily low weight when diagnosed. Putting the weight back on is not usually considered to be a problem.
ButtterflyLady
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You might need to ask about it and stress how much you want to try it, and give the reasons why. I don't know if they will suggest it without prompting, or agree immediately, so you may need to advocate for yourself.
My symptoms started at the end of March exactly when I had my thyroid removed due to cancer. I put all the symptoms down to the operation, cancer, thyroid pills etc. I lost 2 stone in just over 4 months without dieting. I was still a healthy weight but was starting to get a little worried by the weight loss. Hopefully I won't put the full 2 stone back on!
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That's something for you to manage. If you are now a healthy weight/BMI, then you manage your weight by managing what you eat. What advice have you been given with regard to diet and carb counting? These both play a big part in this, and I'm sorry to say that if you are following the eatwell plate, you will be eating a fairly large proportion of carbs that will not help you maintain your weight.
I don't know whether @daisy1 has yet provided you with the new joiner information, but you are likely to be in the honeymoon period which means that your pancreas is still producing insulin in fits and starts. Maintaining a flat level is quite hard in this period, which is why you will see wide fluctuations. One way of dealing with this is to eat a very low carb diet - which stops the pancreas from trying to produce as much insulin, which then smooths out your levels.
What you choose to do is entirely up to you, but be aware that the typical diet recommended by the NHS post T1/T1.5 diagnosis does not make managing your blood glucose, especially in the honeymoon period, any easier.
I haven't had any dietary advice yet, I'm sure I will soon. I'm trying to eat healthily but I must admit I'm a bit confused by the whole insulin/carbs thing. I'm sure it will all become clearer soon. Thanks for your help
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The basic thing is that eating carbs pushes your bg level up, relatively quickly. Your bolus insulin counters this. There's a useful course online that helps to explain a lot of this here: http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/
Have a read!
daisy1
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@Joanneshawx
Hello Joanne and welcome to the forum
Here is the information mentioned by Tim which includes detail on diets and carbs. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello Joanne and welcome to the forum
Here is the information mentioned by Tim which includes detail on diets and carbs. Ask as many questions as you like and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 150,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
phoenix
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As Tim says, you lost weight during the previous 2 months because your body was breaking down fat and muscle to use for energy. This was not good in anyway even though it feels great to suddenly be very thin (I've been their and know absolutely how you feel) The initial weight gain is normal and indeed in the first few days a lot of it is actually water. However, if as you suggest you have a propensity to gain weight before, that unfortunately won't change now.
Important things are:
Important things are:
- A healthy diet; what that is is often debated quite fiercely, I think most would agree though that it contains mostly very few packaged or refined foods and not too much of it
- Regular exercise; this helps with insulin sensitivity meaning that you will need less.It also uses up some calories
- Learning to manage your insulin Whilst you are still using fixed doses it does help to count the carbs in each meal. You can do this by weighing and using carb lists or books (such as the Calorie, carb and Fat Bible or Carbs and Cals ) to calculate the total .Keep a food /blood glucose diary and you can see how each meal effects you. It will stand you in good stead in the future for implementing the type of dose adjustment described in the course Tim mentioned.
Hello! One pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories. If you have been eating that amount of extra calories per day for the last 7 days you might be able to put on that much weight that quickly. More likely you were dehydrated from your body trying to flush out the extra glucose from your blood, and now you are not.
Being dehydrated is normal at diagnosis time, I got put on a drip when I was first diagnosed to get my electrolytes back to normal and rehydrate me.
Being dehydrated is normal at diagnosis time, I got put on a drip when I was first diagnosed to get my electrolytes back to normal and rehydrate me.
silversurfer1953
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Yes Me I have put on 3 stone since starting on Insulin 18 months ago I have tried to diet but nothing works.Am most disappointed and thinking od chucking everything away and getting on with my life!!!
ButtterflyLady
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You might find that changing to a basal/bolus MDI insulin regime with carb-related adjustments works better and helps with your weight. Please read this short article about it:
http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/15478720.php
Emma1980
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Hey, similar to you (not sure if type 1.5), I gained with my insulin too, am also on basal 12hr release overnight but meds the rest. I have levelled off now and stopped gaining but yes, for the first few weeks I gained sadly while my body readjusted. It will level off slowly - just keep active and do what you know how to do
Diamattic
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This seems to be very normal.
I lost a lot of weight in the 3-4 months leading up to my diagnosis as well. I was working out extra hard and was hoping that was why i lost it, but it was not the case.
After going on insulin you body starts to function closer to 'normal' then it did leading up to diagnosis, and as such lots of people typically gain back some of the weight lost (anywhere from 5-15lbs can be just water weight)
Make sure you keep up with your workouts, eat healthy, eat at a caloric deficit and you should keep the weight off (minus the water weight - you need that)
I lost a lot of weight in the 3-4 months leading up to my diagnosis as well. I was working out extra hard and was hoping that was why i lost it, but it was not the case.
After going on insulin you body starts to function closer to 'normal' then it did leading up to diagnosis, and as such lots of people typically gain back some of the weight lost (anywhere from 5-15lbs can be just water weight)
Make sure you keep up with your workouts, eat healthy, eat at a caloric deficit and you should keep the weight off (minus the water weight - you need that)
The whole calories/weight/fat paradigm is becoming outdated now and clearly this person has not been devouring 3.500 calories a day over her needs and the new insulin regime is affecting fluid balance as the body restores what it has lost through a disordered and sugar over-loaded bloodstream for months.
Tabzmcfc
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It happened to me and the doctor checked my thyroid but it was fine, he then said it was probably my hormones. I didn’t lose weight before diagnosis either so it’s annoying. I was diagnosed at a random well-woman check and had had no symptoms.
