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Type 1 insulin resistance help !

Mollycat40

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Hi
I’m new here so please be kind
Type 1 for 33 years on insulin pump. Around the dreaded menopause age, really struggling with high blood sugars. I’ve been taking metformin with no joy. My question is does anyone else with type 1 have insulin resistance and take tablets that help ? Thanks
 
Hi @Mollycat40, it is a predictament!!
What has your diabetes team suggested/advised in terms of adjusting your basal and bolus doses of insulin?
 
Hi Kitedoc
I’ve done all that over the last 4 months. I’m pretty good at that sort of thing but my insulin was going up and still my numbers were rising ! I’m just wondering what other meds type 1’s with resistance take that work
 
Hi @Mollycat40, I am assuming there is a swirl of hormonal changes occurring, some of which
increase insulin resistance but not at a steady rate!!
In trying to adjust pump ratings did you suffer hypos?
I gather Metformin is the go-to medication for insulin resistance in TiDs where other causes of
resistance have been ruled out such as other medications etc.
Sometimes hormonal therapy (HRT) (pills usually) are, I believe, prescribed to settle hot flushes and
other menopausal symptoms and that may be worth asking your doctors about.
Thinking about other things whether a change in diet may help?
 
If it helps (blokes please don't be grossed out) I've got away with no symptoms of menopause due to mirena coil, but over last few years have noticed increasing insulin resistance. I've mitigated this by going moderately low carb (less than 100g per day, usually less than 80g) and notice that exercise helps a lot (or makes things worse, if you worry about hypos).

I was recently (2 years ago) on a double blind trial to see if metformin would help T1's arteries and eyes, I think I was less insulin resistant then but don't know if that was because I was still pre-menopausal or because I was taking the metformin.( Unfortunately I've lost touch with the trial organisers so I can't find out whether I was taking the placebo or not. )

Good luck
 
Just to add: exercise, exercise, exercise. I am naturally very lazy/sedentary and the best thing I've done for my health is start to go to the gym and generally take more exercise . When I was 50 I started to get back ache after standing for more than 30 minutes but after seeing a specialist (yes I have a badly shaped spine and they could do an op but much better to just improve my core strength through the right exercise), I took up going to the gym and my dog(s) benefitted from longer walks. I'm still naturally lazy/sedentary but the extra exercise has improved my quality of life no end and I'm no longer afraid that I won't be able to go on walking holidays by the time I'm 60. And my insulin goes a lot further when I'm active.
 
Hi
I’m on HRT as well but I don’t think that’s making much difference either I walk a lot and am busy at work but really can’t get time to go to the gym as I have a 13 year old son to sort out. Thanks for your replies ladies.
 
Hi mollycat!
I am also very insulin resistant and struggling with it. I was put on metformin when I was pregnant to help with the sugar spikes and was put on fiasp insulin which is supposed to be faster acting than Novo rapid I was on. My ratio's are all correct as my levels always return to normal range but it takes about 4 hours from eating! The spike is less with low carb foods but I really don't have the will power to be totally low carb. My health care team don't really have an answer. Do you know if a pump rather than injections helps? I think it gets into your system quicker?
Thanks!
 
RoySmaldon said:
What are Basal and Bolus insulins exactly?
Click to expand...
Basal insulin is a long acting insulin which carries people through when they're not eating, eg at night. Lantus and levemir are examples. Bolus insulin is short acting insulin which is typically given just before a meal (or sometimes to correct high blood sugar). Humalog and actrapid are examples.
Typically, basal is taken once or twice a day, bolus before each meal.

But the OP is on an insulin pump so will be taking a continuous dose of insulin. They may well be describing it as basal and bolus in order to determine its rates of application (ie the pump delivers a low basal rate and then the owner pops in higher bolus amounts when they eat.) The calculation of the different rates (which can vary by time of day, exercise, stress and sickness) is a bit of a fine art and definitely beyond my current pay grade, I've never been brave enough to use a pump.
 
RoySmaldon said:
What are Basal and Bolus insulins exactly?
Click to expand...

Short acting Insulin for when we eat, Bolus, and a long acting Insulin, taken once or twice a day, Basal. Mine are NovoRapid, short, and Tresiba, long. Hope that helps.
 
Being on a pump, I still have basal and bolus insulin - the terms are still valid.
The difference between injecting and pumping is there is no slow acting insulin - the fast acting insulin is pumped throughout the day to provide the background (basal) insulin.
 
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