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T1 and metfomin

lma89

lma89

Active Member
Messages
33
Location
Beverley
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Last year for a reason I can only put down to having undiagnosed underactive thyroid I was in immense pain around my shoulders torso and hips to the point my fingers started to tingle and go numb with some sort of what felt like pressure. I'd tried every pain killer up to tramadol and nothing worked. The doctor gave me steroids they were wonderful but by hell it make my insulin shoot up! Total daily basal of 120-140 units. Christ. Finally got diagnosed and taken off steroids and within a few days of taking thyroxine I was feeling relief and my energy came back. My insulin needs never went back to normal. This was back in September. By Xmas I was really getting annoyed with it all and questioned if I had gotten t2 as a result of steroid use. I gained about 1.5 stone during taking the steroids and lost half a stone after coming off the steroids so still have the extra stone hanging on with all its might. I was laughed at and told I was just eating too much. Thanks. As a result of that I starved myself to try and shift some weight but It didn't work. I went back 4 more times and asked for metformin. No. Last month it had gotten to the point where I was taking that much insulin even splitting my 2 basal doses into 2 chunks - about 64 units am and same for pm so injecting 32 and 32- was leaving lumps and it just wasn't getting through as a result I wasnt able to control my sugar any more. My hba1c is terrible. The doctor finally agreed! 2nd day on metformin today my am basal was 34 units and I will try the same 34 units for pm basal and see how I go through the night. What a dramatic drop! Playing hell with my guts but just keeping food plain and bland and keeping imodium to hand. It has seriously curbed my appetite and along with decreased insulin needs I might actually start to loose some weight. My starting dose is 500mg for the first week and to see how well my body has adjusted then when I feel ready to up to 500mg twice a day. Feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders finally!!
 
Hey @lma89 I remember your posts regarding your thyroid, so i'm glad you're getting this under control, it does play havoc with your insulin requirements though..

Are you on the slow release version, this is supposed to be easier on the tummy, also take them with food, I tried them once when I was struggling with my insulin but I couldn't cope longer than 5 days on them, every one is different and your body may adjust, take care and glad to hear it's working, let us know how you get on ;)
 
Hi thanks, no just on regular metformin have been told and have researched it takes a week or so for your body to get used to it so will give it time, if not I'll go back to the doctor and see other options. Current bg is 9 but I'm OK with that while I adjust I'd rather be on the high side than the low side and out of it :dead::dead: will definitely keep you updated hopefully next week I can move up to 1000mg but will see how my guts are first :)
 
lma89 said:
Hi thanks, no just on regular metformin have been told and have researched it takes a week or so for your body to get used to it so will give it time, if not I'll go back to the doctor and see other options. Current bg is 9 but I'm OK with that while I adjust I'd rather be on the high side than the low side and out of it :dead::dead: will definitely keep you updated hopefully next week I can move up to 1000mg but will see how my guts are first :)
Click to expand...

It shouldn't be a problem to switch to SR metformin, see how your body copes first though, I would be interested to hear how your BG levels react so please keep in touch ;)
 
Hi Ima89. That is a good result for the first few days on metformin. I take 2g a day (2x500mg am and 2x500mg pm). I alaways take mine with the last few bites of breakfast or dinner and find this aleviates most of the side effect. I took me a week or two to settle and I slowly built up the dose. It really helps to lower my insulin doses too. If you are going to take metforming long term it might be worth taking a multi-vitamin, long term metformin use can effect vitamin absorption. As Juicyj suggest, if you still have problems ask for the SR version. Good luck
 
That's clearly much better and it is a shame you were ever put on steroids in the first place. I have T1 and hypothyroidism too. T1 for 49 years. Hypothyroidism for 41 years.
I suggest, respectfully, that the Metformin is good for now. Clearly you need to keep your blood sugars in the right place. But it is a treatment for T2, and not a cure. And having 'double diabetes' is the worst thing for a T1 in the long term. So I suggest that as your blood sugars come down, you do regular weight bearing exercise which will build your muscles (and lose the fat the steroids put on ) as that is the ONLY thing that gets rid of insulin resistance.
If you do that, you should eventually get back to normal and you shouldn't need the Metformin any more.


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RuthW said:
Yes, if you read carefully, the first four or so can be achieved by exercise. Then they are recommending a low-fat diet, then a few drug treatments.


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Click to expand...

Exactly. So exercise is not the ONLY way to reduce insulin resistance.

Personally, I also use low carbing and fasting, both of which are very effective, but I didn't mention them earlier because this is a T1 thread, and I don't want to derail it. So I will now wander off back to my usual T2 pastures. :)
 
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