Type 1's on metformin?

Hi. It's value for those on insulin is marginal unless you are a T2 taking insulin and with excess weight and hence insulin resistant. I read research paper a few years back on the web which showed that T1s on insulin has marginally better blood sugar when Metormin was added. My DN wanted me to stay on it as it has protective properties for heart; again a marginal reason.

There's a few type 1's on the forum who also take Metformin to help with insulin resistance, I believe in America it is prescribed more to type 1's than it is in the UK.

noblehead said:

There's a few type 1's on the forum who also take Metformin to help with insulin resistance, I believe in America it is prescribed more to type 1's than it is in the UK.

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Absolutely.

Quite a few of us would really like it though. It's always played down in the UK, but cutting insulin resistance and keeping insulin doses low seems to me obviously incredibly important. It's just UK medical culture.

I keep trying to go for it.

I've been on metformin for many years. Firstly to help lower insulin doses and my DSN also told me that it provides protection for the heart.

novowolf said:

Hey guys i was at my clinic this morning and my doc has decided that it would be a good idea to go on metformin.. ive heard of it and i thought it was for type 2's? Any other type 1's on it that can give me a bit of info ?
Thanks as usual guys
Novowolf

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Hi, Novowolf. this is something that interests me - i had always thought it was for heavier Type 1's who were insulin resistant and who used the metformin to reduce the insulin they need, but then i came across this article , below, i imagine several people on here have read it, the writer has little insulin resistance in the usa i think,yet she is trying it. She has got her quite low TDD down further, and i find this interesting, as i am like her, insulin sensitive, on 130-160 CHO and have a variable TDD, averaging around 18 or 18.5, but within that, variable, sometime as low as 16.0, sometime up to 23, randomly. Last test, 35 years ago, i had negligible C-Peptide.. Would be interested in anything else your consultant has said. Are other Type ones who are not insulin resistant using metformin, like this writer is? http://asweetlife.org/catherine/blo...-type-1-diabetes-an-experiment/36143/.....Ann

@ann34+, I don't think you have posted the right article/link.

jack412 said:

http://asweetlife.org/catherine/blo...rmin-and-type-1-diabetes-an-experiment/36143/

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Thanks, Jack412, that's the one....Ann

Hi, I'm type 1 and have been on insulin 40 yrs and 1000mg of metformin for last 12 basically I was put on Met for resistance, after I went on a pump 15 yrs ago my daily dose dropped 50 % and then also on met it dropped another 10-15% for the last 12. I was also told it might help reduce weight but I'm not a firm believer of that, I have well built arms legs and shoulders but my stomach just looks as though I'm pregnant, ( so ashamed). But the Met has definitely reduced my rates and made me more sensitive to insulin.

See this: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-04-metformin-inexpensive-effective-underused-diabetics.html