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insulin and weight gain urgent !!

B

bbsued

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after many trials and problems on byetta my doctor wants me to go back on insulin i have tried this once before but had big problems with high BGS the thing is the first the the diabetic nurse said to me is " your weight will go up " as i have have managed to loose weight on byette i really dont want this to happen as i am still very over weight and fighting a hard batlle to control it so if anyone can give me any input on this before i see the doctor next week i would be most gratful

thanks sued
 
What sort of problems have you had with the Byetta?

I have struggled with bad side effects and am still not out of the woods yet but I think my body is stabilising at last - I stayed on the 5 pen for 3 months and have just gone into my second month on the 10 pen. I havent lost lots of weight but like you do not want to go back on to Lantus. Before the Lantus I was put on Gliclazide along with the Metformin and I put on a stone almost overnight and then they put me on Lantus and the weight still increased. The diabetes nurse is giving me a 6 month trial and then they will reassess - so I have been really anxious to stay on the Byetta as most of the other drugs all put weight on. Jude
 
I gained 20 lbs when I first went on insulin. I was taking too much insulin which made me hungry so I gained weight. I decided to back on my oral meds to see if I could manage my blood sugar w/o the insulin. It didn't work. In the meantime, my test results (GAD antibodies) came back positive for type 1 diabetes. I had no choice but to go back on the insulin.

However, I made sure to keep my insulin levels low and match it to what I ate. I did not just start eating whatever I wanted because I was on insulin which I had done before. I went back to the low glycemic index diet and started going to the gym. I train 3X a week w/ weight + cardio and 3-4 x a week just cardio.

My blood sugars have dropped dramatically and I no longer take my noon insulin on the days I do weight training. I've gained 3 pounds of muscle and can now run on the cross trainer for 15-25 minutes.(depends on which day weight day vs cardio days) I could barely do 5 min when I started. My goal is to do 20 mins on the cross trainer on the days I also do weights. I only started my excercise 6 weeks ago. I wish I'd started years ago!

You CAN lose weight on insulin but you will have to work at it. I know this isn't the answer you wanted to hear, especially if you've been on byetta. The weight just drops off w/ that stuff. (been there!)

Educate yourself on the best type of diet. I personally think the low glycemic index diet is the best for diabetics. There are many books or on-line sites that you can read up on this. It will show you what type of foods to eat that won't spike your bg. (slice of white bread vs chunk of whole meal/multi grain, apple vs grapes, banana vs orange) Do you know which is the best one to eat? Which one will release more slowly and keep your bg level steady? Which foods are "free" virtually no calories + no effect on your bg levels.

Get your dietitian to help you. They will have a vast knowledge of books, recipes and tips you can use.

Oh, take it one step at a time. Don't try to change everything all at once, it will just overwhelm you. I've been working to get where I'm at since 2007. It's a long, slow process of learning what works and what doesn't.

Good Luck!
 
thanks for your advise i have been on byette for 2 years but have never been able to tolarate more than 5 units with other meds ie meterformin and gilipride i can tolarate 10 units of byette without other meds but this dosnt control my bg lvels and now my blood levels are going up i find it all very deppressing at the moment i did ask about the new drug victoza but my doctor belives i would have the same problems with that did mention my concerns on weight gain but he just told me i would need to eat less don't you just hate a smart ar*** ha Ha


thanks bbsued
 
Those doctors all seem to expect far more from their patients tha is realistic. They knoew It's hard to lose weight on insulin. However it isn't impossible. Since byetta and Victoza make people sick, so they get much less food. It's worth trying to make do with miniscule portions. Make your meal size suitable for a 4 year old. :lol:
 
Hana.

Byetta and Victoza do not make people sick ? :shock:

It is just one possible side effect. I and many others have never had that effect on Byetta.
 
I am on insulin and metformin and have lost two stone in four months by cutting my carbs down to 40g / day so that I could reduce the insulin now just taking around 10u lantus/ day no novorapid down from 30 u lantus and 6 u novorapid with meals. I know not everyone wants to do that but the weight gain factor was a major issue for me so this is the only way I have found to be able to control my diabetes and my weight simultaneously. Hope that helps :D
 
HI Anticarb
Might be a stupid question, but why are you on metformin?
Jus
 
Hi Jus - same reason as everyone else who's on it - to help lower my blood glucose levels! Sorry maybe I misunderstand why you're asking this - please explain!

AC
 
HI, I'm a type-1 and never heard of anyone but type-2s being on metformin,as it's a drug for treating insulin resistance. Can I presume you're a type-2 who's subsequently been put on analogue insulin?
Sorry if it sounded like a daft question.
Jus
 
Hi Janabelle. Basically they can't diagnose what type I am, I have this weird genetic MODY type of diabetes which they don't seem able to identify so I'm strictly speaking not really a type one or a type two. I was diagnosed at 15 on tablets for years, then on to basal bolus insulin but I always found I was very reactive particularly to the short acting which made control difficult. A combination of lantus and metformin works really well for me as I just need a bit of background insulin to keep things low and then the metformin at meals to help out. I don't know why they don't consider this with type 2s who need more than just metformin but not the full basal-bolus , I am sure there is some reason, but this regime works for me!
 
Some T1s or t1 types( ie not making insulin) are insulin resistant and they can be helped with Metformin.
Theoretically, they can improve insulin sensitivity with resistance exercise, eg weights.
 
My very elderly T2 father takes insulin and metformin. The fact that his control is absolute sh*t is nothing to do with the drugs.

wiflib
 
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