Well today is my 2nd day…still on the 15 mcg and haven’t experienced any nausea. hopefully i’m lucky or will i get it when i go up on my dosage? My sugars were messed up yesterday and still was taking my apidra. I go into see my dr again on the 21st and will most likely go up on my dosage.
Hi Yvonne,
Symlin is not an insulin. It is a synthetic version of amylin which is found in the human body wherever insulin is found. Check out www.symlin.com. It will be able to explain it better than I ever could.
I started on Symlin the end of 2007. I was so thrilled at the way it worked since weight loss for me was almost impossible. I lost 30 pounds in about 7 months but it did not come without complications. I was hospitalized in March 2008 and diagnosed with Gastroparesis. I had never heard of this but the doctors say that the Symlin may have brought it on. It is a disorder with the nerve in the stomach that lets the food go into the intestine. Mine had to be stretched and will have to be periodically since they cannot stent it on a permanent basis. The opening must be able to close also.
Gastroparesis in diabetics is usually caused by neuropathic damage to the vagus nerve in the stomach.
out of curiosity, what are the doses people are taking? I take 15 units and have been there for about two years. I sense maybe i am displeased with the results, because i am not taking enough?
rick phillips
Rick… try looking at this site. I believe that it will help you tremendously!
https://www.symlin.com/131-your-symlin-dose.aspx
I got a scare! I woke up took my sugar it was 165 then decided to try and do 45 units of symlin. I have been doing 30. I ate a bowl of noodles and took 6 units of apidra. and then was sitting here and all of a sudden felt like my sugar was low. I took it and it was 45 only about a half hour or so after i took the symlin. I’m still feeling low but i am now eating some sugared cereal. This hasn’t happened before and my insulin usually doesn’t work that quickly. It is cuz i went up on my symlin dosage?
The last couple of days have been up and down. 60 to 180. I am on 120 once to twice a day and keep the apidra very low. Still having some lows. I only do the Symlin if I am having more that 30 grams of carbs. Usually lunch and/or dinner. I do test a lot more since being on Symlin.
My doctor’s appointment is next month, and I wanted to bring up the topic of Symlin. My dosages for Humalog have been getting to 1:5 ratio when it used to be 1:15. This is typical as I’ve experienced some forms of insulin resistance with all short acting insulins for the past 11 years.
Are there side effects of Symlin for T1D?
Marps-
Consider switching to Apidra. I had the same problem with Humalog and using Apidra has made a difference. Apidra’s protein encapsulation also makes it far less likely to cause an immune reaction leading to resistance, as Humalog can. If you go to my blog here I have a three part guide to using Symlin as a Type 1.
I just started Symlin this past Thursday and have some ups and downs with it.
I just started on Symlin yesterday and am starting at the 15 mcg dose. I cut my insulin in half and have been bolusing about 45 minutes after my meals. The first time I bolused right after my meal and BG levels were really high a few hours later. Taking it an hour after seemed too long as sugars had already started to creep up, and 45 minutes usually works, but I am still getting really high a couple hours later…like 280’s. Any suggestions? I am taking Lantus, Humalog and now Symlin. It is kind of confusing at first! I feel like I am having to relearn my diabetes after 12 years, and it is really hard.
HELP! I’m kind of feeling crazy here, my doctor just added Symlin to my regimine and told me little about it. He told me that my first script of it would come with a “Welcome Pack”. Which it didn’t, so I’m trying to figure it out before I start taking it.
My extremely tiny little bottle (they’re soooo cute, rolls eyes) - says 30mcg before main meal. I’m on a strict diet and just barely eating anything at meals and now I’m terrified of a low, which I don’t do well and to be honest, my family actually freaks more than I do. I’m digressing though. Does this mean I’m going to have to start counting carbs? I have no clue how to do that and I’m just feeling completely lost here about everything.
DX T2 1995 - down 130 from 373#
Please call your pharmacist and ask every question that the Doctor never did answer. I’ve been on it for over a year now with only 2 bad episodes, and that was when I was in the Hospital for something different. I take 120mml at each meal and I’m at the point of asking why I’m still on it, since I dont see any use for it at this time. So please make that call when you get a chance. and please let me know what they say.
I called the pharm. he knew nothing 
other than this direct quote “it’s sure a tiny bottle, isn’t it?” Yeah… that was great.
I’ve got a call in to the Dr. today to find out more. I’ll probably hear from him next month.
I’m also really afraid of the stomach problems. I have major diverticulitis and am recovering bulemic so it takes nothing to make me sick. My doctor knows this too, so I’m just really worried about what’s going to happen tome.
Hi Carrie - I just put a message on your page. Pharmacists know very little about Symlin.
Considering what you just disclosed, I would be very reluctant to use Symlin as well. My question would be, why did your doc want you to use it?
Carrie- You do NOT sound like a good candidate at all for Symlin. You MUST count carbs, and very carefully, you MUST eat meals, and with your GI history I would be very weary. Also, you need to know how Symlin works. Your doctor or diabetes educator should sit down and do an entire start up session with you and follow you very closely for the first few weeks. I am really scared that you will have a terrible reaction if you start Symlin right now. Please don’t take it until you have WAY more education!
I don’t have a diabetes educator, never have, I found out I was diabetic, they handed me a bottle of pills, a piece of paper of good foods and free foods and sent me on my way. When I was put on insulin, I had to go to my bosses wife to find out how to do the shots, because her dog was diabetic and she had to give it shots.
My only problem is that I’m in an extremely rural area of Illinois and while my doctor is young and smart - they are just overwhelmed with patients.
I’m not here asking for pity or whining, but I’m very hesitant to use this new stuff with the GI stuff and the fact that not one soul has mentioned counting carbs to me ever.
Carrie - use the resources I sent you to educate yourself. You can educate yourself no matter where you live. Whether anyone has mentioned it to you or not you need to learn about it! You have to take the initiative. I agree with Erin - you do not seem like a good candidate for Symlin.
Carrie…If you have any questions please feel free to ask! Are you type 1 or type 2 diabetic? How old are you? Would you be able to make it to a fairly larger city for a day if they could arrange diabetes education for you for the day? I know there are all kinds of classes offered for Diabetics and even a 2 hour session with an educator and a session with a nutritionist would be amazingly helpful to you! If there is a universiy nearby, it is likely that they would have a student health service that could probably provide you all kinds of information. It is just SO important to understand this disease…it’s complicated! I have had diabetes for 13 years now, type 1, I got diagnosed at 18. I am now a nurse and have thought about becoming a diabetes educator. Where are you located in illiinois? I would be willing to do some research to help you find someone close. Just let me know!