Question

Treatment Oral Medications and non-insulin injectables
1

I feel like I haven't seen good results with my symlin. I usually get a spike about 2 to 3 hours after eating. Anyone have any good suggestions besides increasing basal rates? It's my goal to use less insulin not more. Also, can you use symlin occasionally or should I commit to using it all the time. I feel like a get frustrated with my numbers and don't want to use it.

Thanks for your help, Toni

2

I have a few q's regarding your usage...are you using it and then getting the spike? what dose are your using and are you using a combo bolus (initial dose and then an extended period dose as well)? I used to get spikes around an hour or two after, when I would go low, be fine and then go super high because I hadn't give myself any extended insulin. I use a dexcom and sometimes use symlin a second time to curb the second wave of high blood sugar.

3

I have a dexcom as well. I also use an extended bolus. Tell me more about how you use symlin a second time? Also, have you lost any weight using symlin?

Thanks for your reply :)

4

I love it and I have lost 10 lbs. and have kept it off if I keep using Symlin.

They say you should use it at meals with >30g of carb, but I have used it for 25g meals too with no problems. So sometimes I use it 3x/day, sometimes only once. I wait to inject until I am ready to eat that first bite (in other words, the food is ON the table, and NOT a minute earlier). It works so fast that you can get in trouble if you take it even shortly before eating. Within 3-4 minutes you will feel yourself getting uncomfortably full so I stop eating. After eating I dial in my carbs (let's say 40g), the suggested amount of insulin comes up (let's say 4.0 U), I adjust it down 20% to 3.3 U, do a Dual Wave with 50% now and 50% over 3 hours. Of course, this varies for everyone so you will need to play with it a bit. Try experimenting by eating a McD's hamburger or something where you definitely know the carbs so that you can track it and see what happens. If you go low 2 hours after and then spike, try spreading out the Dual Wave to 4 hours or more.