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Type 1 and metformin?

Flakey Bake

Well-Known Member
Does any type 1 have experience of insulin plus metformin. After several months of increasing BG levels, more than doubling my insulin requirements, and weight gain (sigh!) my consultant has suggested trying metformin. I have taken metformin before (when I was mis-diagnosed as type 2) and cope with the gastric side-effects ok. What I want to know is how much of an effect will it have on my insulin requirement? When I start taking the pills, should I cut back on my rapid-acting? I'm a bit worried about sudden and severe hypos. If anyone has experience of this and can help, it would be very much appreciated.
 
I have taken insulin and Metformin for over 8 years and I am type1 for over 50 years.I found that it considerably helped with my my insulin absorbsion and my insulin requirements reduced quite significantly,of course you will have to monitor your BS a little more to you stabilise.I have had no adverse effects from the Metformin and managed to loose some weight.Good luck I hope it benefits you as it has done me.
 
I wonder why this is not the normal regime for type 1's - for those that can tolerate metformin that is. Anyone know?
 
logindetails said:
I wonder why this is not the normal regime for type 1's - for those that can tolerate metformin that is. Anyone know?
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Well I suppose it would only be offered if you are experiencing difficulties with your control, I believe in the USA it's more routinely prescribed to type 1's than here in the UK.
 
logindetails said:
I'm not experiencing difficulties but less insulin = less weight gain - I might ask my consultant about it next time I see him.
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You should do that, if experienced long-term diabetics like Yingtong have found it beneficial then there's no harm in trying it.
 
Well, keep in mind hat Metformin doesn't just turbocharge insulin but affects the body in certain ways to achieve that effect - specifically, it inhibits glucose production in the liver (which is 2-3x in typical t2 diabetics, or up to 250g/day ) which may not be a good idea if you're "not experiencing difficulties" I.e. if your glucose production is normal.
 
I know nothing about insulin. As far as Metformin goes, its job is to reduce production of glucose by the liver, helps with insulin resistance, and is an appetite suppressant should you need to lose weight, but all to a limited extent.
 
have you seen this T1 thread?
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/lchf-success-stories-from-type-1s.64155/

IMO if you cut your carbs, you reduce your insulin, you reduce weight and stabilise your BG
if you have insulin resistance, which is probable. then I would take metformin as well for a while

http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf it’s a long page and a video
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbliving/a/Food-Cravings.htm For me, the more carbs we eat the more carbs we want. they don’t give up easy.
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarb101/a/firstweek.htm

 
Professor Craig Currie, from Cardiff University's School of Medicine, reveals:

"the findings indicate that this cheap and widely prescribed diabetic drug (Metformin) may have beneficial effects not only on patients with diabetes but also for people without, and interestingly, people with type 1 diabetes. Metformin has been shown to have anti-cancer and anti-cardiovascular disease benefits. It can also reduce pre-diabetics' chances of developing the disease by a third."
 
Thanks Yingtong. That is very helpful. I will settle for just to stop the weight gain in its tracks to begin with. Cheers.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
I know nothing about insulin. As far as Metformin goes, its job is to reduce production of glucose by the liver, helps with insulin resistance, and is an appetite suppressant should you need to lose weight, but all to a limited extent.
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I think I read somewhere that it also has a small effect on glucose absorption in the gut, again help reduce BG.
 
Thanks Jack I will check out the links. I agree, carbs are like a drug and it takes me about 2 days to break the carb/crave cycle.
 
I was researching this a couple of months ago because I didn't want to give up Metformin, and I found a source (which I can't remember or find again, sorry) saying that the two together - Metformin plus insulin - caused nausea. But I've seen no other mention of this, either in the literature or in what people say. Metformin is a good, safe drug and with it I had better control.
 
When you exercise, it brings more insulin receptors to the surface of the cell (in a simplistic way) so that you can use glucose more efficiently. Metformin does the exact same thing, it brings extra receptors to the cell'a surface, so you need a smaller dose of insulin.

It will certainly help with improving your control. With smaller doses of insulin you are much less likely to make big dosing mistakes, so you will likely see fewer highs and lows.
 
I might ask to go back on Metformin. I take low dose of basal twice a day. The standard line here in Denmark tho seems to be that Met + insulin => danger of a nasty metabolic crisis. So they'll probably say No. Dr Bernstein might recommend it. I might even go on his monthly webcast and ask him ...
 
I have taken metformin for the last two years... with no adverse side effects.. It does improve insulin absorption some what and decreased my basal requirement by around 30%.. bolus has remained pretty constant over that time period... however a far better way of achieving a much better result is regular exercise.. two sessions of 20-30 minute exercise a day reduces my basal requirement considerably (I tend to sit on the exercise bike!).. At the weekend when I am not doing the exercise I hike my basal by around 70%
 
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