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Is it possible for type 1 diabetic to take only basal insulin with metformin

R

rabmat

Newbie
Messages
4
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hello,
I was diagnosed 4 months ago and i am now on basal insulin ( once in the morning ) and metformin tablets with food and blood glucose is under control without bolus insulin although my carbs intake is not low
How do you explain that ?

Thanks
 
Its sounds like you could have LADA diabetes, which is just like type 1 but manifests and takes hold much slower...

if it is type one or even LADA I would expect you to need the basal and bolus together at some point...
 
Given you have only recently being diagnosed, it is possible you are in the "honeymoon period" where your body is still making some insulin.
 
Hi @rabmat After diagnosis and once you start taking insulin the once 'highly stressed' pancreas get's a reprieve and can spring back into life again with some insulin production, the phase itself is limited and is called the 'honeymoon phase' as @helensaramay has said, it can last up to a year, mine was around 6 months, but it gave me the chance to get clued up and used to taking insulin and watching my BG levels for patterns. It's good to get 'Think like a pancreas' to help improve your knowledge of managing your type 1. My consultants advice with the honeymoon was to maintain good BG control as it helps the pancreas produce for longer, however it is inevitable at some point your insulin requirements will increase, just keep a close eye to monitor changes
 
A few people with Type1 (including one GP who has had Type1 for many years) claims to get good BG control just with basal insulin and very low carb. They also limit their protein, living mostly on fat. I don't think it is well understood how their body is doing it....
 
I know someone in a Facebook group who eats zero carb (90% raw!), does intermittent fasting (20:4) and avoids dairy. He controls his blood sugar with two basal injections per day. He has been type 1 for 3 years so maybe he has been able to sustain the honeymoon period.
 
That is not the type of food I would expect while on honeymoon....... Therefore it has to be asked if it is worth it for someone with Type1.
 
You'll probably have to switch from metformin to Novolog at some point. In the long run insulin's probably safer than the oral meds for Type 2, especially if one takes several different ones. Metformin's a pretty old drug though.
 
im on lantus morning and evening and small bolusx3 of nova rapid. consultants just put me on metformin. its been 3 weeks now ive seen no difference. im type 1 i think. my antibody test was negative. i was diagnosed with a bg of 24 and ketones at 3.4 with my blood gases just starting to go off. one consultant is determined im type 1 and another that im type 2. i really dont get it. if type 2 should the metformin not have had an impact by now.
 
Probably not as Metformin only ever has a small effect on blood sugar. Have you had a c-peptide test? It's much more useful than GAD as it actually indicates how much insulin you are producing and therefore guides the right treatment regime.
 
Daibell said:
Probably not as Metformin only ever has a small effect on blood sugar. Have you had a c-peptide test? It's much more useful than GAD as it actually indicates how much insulin you are producing and therefore guides the right treatment regime.
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nope. i can ask but i suspect she is not going to be ok with it.
 
One "consultant doctor" says Type 1 the other "consultant doctor" says Type 2. Now that's reassuring. Were these guys wearing Halloween masks? You didn't see anybody flipping a coin did you?
 
TheBigNewt said:
One "consultant doctor" says Type 1 the other "consultant doctor" says Type 2. Now that's reassuring. Were these guys wearing Halloween masks? You didn't see anybody flipping a coin did you?
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dont get me wrong they are both great doctors. the consultant that deals with diabetes thinks its 2. the consult Endocrinologist thinks its type 1. both called me every couple of days to check how i was doing in the first two weeks. i suppose its not drastically important as im on insulin for life anyway. i just expected the metformin to do something.
 
hi @rabmat
with your diagnosis only 4 months ago it is very likely that you are in honeymoon phase.

I would suggest a lot of testing , recording results , reviewing with your DSN at appointments , and keep on the lookout for changes in readings ( post meal and FBG ( first test of the day ) )

this is a lifetime diagnosis so do try to be kinfd to yourself with the fluctuations you could encounter.

all the best !
 

Hi @paulus1
my understanding is that if you are type 2 - that might be reversible and you might not need insulin for life?
 
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