Has anyone solved the issue of weight gain with Lantus? I heard that splitting your dose in two instead of just one shot at night could help.
Has anyone switched from Lantus to Levemir with better weight loss results?
That’s a really good question. When I started on Lantus four years ago I experienced some weight gain. Shorty there after, though, I changed my diet and was more active. Over the past year and a half I went back off of that regime ands gained all the initial Lantus weight back. So with that in mind…I dunno. Maybe the Lantus does cause you to gain a bit more weight then you would without it? I’m hoping someone found a way around it. 
It’s important to realize that the weight gain isn’t directly caused by Lantus, it’s actually a side effect of better glucose control. When you are in bad control of your Diabetes, you aren’t able to adequately utilize the glucose in your body for energy, so your body actually breaks down muscle tissue and fat for energy (causing weight loss or preventing weight gain). That basically masks the weight gain (caused by eating more calories than you burn) you would have seen if you hadn’t been a Diabetic at all.
What you really want is good blood sugar control and stable weight management. That will probably require reducing the calories you consume or increasing your level of activity. A split dose of Lantus (or changing to Levemir) may give you better control, but that’s not a weight management tool.
I’m still on Lantus and am not sure… was still trying to lose the baby weight from 2 pregnancies for a while now and as we all know dieting and diabetes can be tough. Maybe Lantus added to it?? Long story short, I’ve done Nutrisystem and have lost 22 lbs and am back to my previous weight. But if you do NS don’t do the Diabetic Plan- its designed for T2. I’m T1 and did a regular plan and customized my order to take the snack/sugars out. AND my BS is under good control so it’s helped with the weight loss!
Lantus, or any other insulin can cause weight gain. It’s insulin that delivers energy to our bodies, and excess energy = weight gain.
I gained about 25lbs after I started using insulin (NPH back then). I was a walking skeleton before I started insulin. While I’m still within a healthy weight range, I have found that I can lose weight if I want to by:
- cutting back my caloric intake and reducing my insulin to match a lower carb intake
- eating my usual diet, but taking less insulin, and increasing my physical activity
- doing a combination of the above - cutting back my caloric intake, really cutting back my insulin, and doing very physical workouts (with lots of testing).
I’ve done the above from time to time if I’ve found my weight creeping up, then taken a good look at my serving sizes etc. to get back on track.
It’s all about calories in the end, with the added complication insulin. John Walsh has great info on this topic at http://www.diabetesnet.com/diabetes_control_tips/excarbs.php
Yes - when i was put on Lantus I gained 7 pounds in a matter of weeks.
I split the lantus doses between morning and evening and the weight gain subsided. Now I am pumping and back to my semi-original weight.
I feel a lot better about myself and have a lot more self respect
I am not sure all the technical stuff as to why, but yeah I gained weight after starting Lantus. Frankly, I really dislike the results of the Lantus but right now it is the option for me.
I solved my problem with Lantus, which included a rise in blood pressure over a few weeks of use (which occured several times and disappeared when I stopped the Lantus each time) by switching to Levemir.
I now use 2 shots of Levemir a day. I find that Levemir is more powerful than Lantus, which is why the first time I switched to Levermir I had problems. I based the dose on my Lantus dose and that turned out to be too much!
I have been in the 80s most of the time for 3 weeks now–eating about 40-50 grams of carbs a day. I’ve never been able to get that low before because with the longer acting basal, I’d have a low in the early morning which would push the bgs up.
I can make my morning dose larger with Levemir because it only lasts about 12 hours at the very small doses I use.
I’m really, really thrilled! And my BP is so good that I actually ended up with my BP too LOW a few days ago!
Jenny…congrats on your great #'s!
Hi! I put on several kilos when i started Insulin, in general my doctor told me insulin=weight. My doctor told me that any kind of insulin anyway would have helped me putting on weight. So i started a diet and, even with my normal dose of Lantus I lost 10 kg! I cut the calories and I reduced the rapid insulin.
Good luck, take care.
Ale
Hey Dino… Anything working for you? I cut back on carbs a while back, and as I lost weight, I needed less lantus. When I had back to back vacations and house guests and ate more carbs, I gained my weight back, and am back up on the lantus dose. I’m not sure of the lantus/insulin/carbs/fat equation, but pretty surely there is one.
Yup I’m pretty sure there is one too. I cut my lantus back 50% after restricting my carbs and daily exercise. I’ve lost about 8lbs. since in just about a month. I don’ plan on upping my dose again…too happy with the results
Dino…good for you! It seems as though it’s give up the carbs until an easier trick comes along.
oh, yes! of course, not until almost 6 years of taking was it realized that I was resistent to Lantus (I was taking it twice with a total of 70 units) and that was one cause of my weight gain…good to know now! Anyway, I just started the omnipod this week and already I am taking half the insulin that what i was taking with shots!!! So in my experience Lantus doescause some weight gain…
Posted by obviousadvice on 18 August 2008
The posts are useful - we need to recognize that posts are anecdotal, not a closely supervised STUDY.
Recently (after 3 doctors have warned me) 5 months ago >I decided to get serious and joined weight watchers (which I hate)… Good news is that I am down 31 lbs, and lost 4 inches around waist. Am exercising (heaviy hiking, thru hilly terrain) about 2 hrs/day_ 5 days/week. GREAT NEWS is: Lantus dose down from a high of 80-100 (once day) to about 15-25 units (about 5 days per week. Can skip some days & sugar control still ok). Got scared once (only time ever) that my blood sugar level dropped below 50. Was after being asleep about 3 hours… and had taken an intense 3 hour hike that day. Took 40 units of lantus. I am MUCH more sensitive to my body now, and really watch it before deciding on amount of daily dose. AM sugars averaging 90-to-110. ALSO, last blood tests and physical showed all measurements well into the GOOD ZONE, except Glycolated Hemo, which was 2 points lower that last test of 5 months ago.
BOTTOM LINE> Correct food choices (Balance, balance, balance) Low GI carbs, 5 veggies per day, lots of water…VERY FEW sweets (which I love, but not as much as I love my life), and daily exercise have really proven beneficial…
Diabetes control is a long-term game, with a lot of short-term steps.
I am working on what is within my control (diet, exercise, attitude) to avoid blindness, amputation, retinopathy, and the myriad other complications of diabetes.
Best wishes to all of you in your own battle…
ps: I don’t really hate Weight Watchers - They are the ones that have helped me lose that 31 lbs, but it is a “b*****” trying to change overly indulgent habits…
I am going to start splitting the dose. I am sick of the weight gain. I will let you know how this works after two weeks.
How long were you on NS?
strange i lost weight when i went on lantus, perhaps because i increased my exercise regime; on days of sitting around it would it do nothing for my blood sugars and weight
Dear Dino.
No solution to the make fat problem, looks like it will be solved by early death.
Splitting dose may be a good idea because the action period is anywhere from as short as 18 hours and as long as 30 hours according to my Endo… If you read the fine print that is included with the bottle you notice that the action of the insulin does not stop at 24 hours in the data that they present, the assholes just stopped measuring what science! it would have been precious to know how long the action last. Over insulining may be partially cause of extreme hunger. You wonder if 3 shots or more a day would be best and if this would take care of the unknown period of action as long as it stays constant for a given person not sure of that.
Not sure if Levemir available in Canada. Good idea to try different insulins.
Great Elaine. I found that on the Lantus weight loss was unsustainable.