I have been taking Symlin for 7 months now. My blood sugars are better… I have only lost 5 lbs and I am very overweight. Weight loss was one of the main reasons why I went on it. We are paying cash for all of my meds… that equals nearly $1500 a month… we do need to cut back on expenses and this is one of the few ways I can think of.
Anyone have any thoughts?
Symlin is really not a weight-loss drug … it is a replacement for a hormone completely absent in all people with type 1 and some (but not all) with type 2 – its meant to be used as an adjunct to insulin therapy and is intended to reduce “glycemic variability” which really means smooth out your blood sugar levels. However, the median weight loss in clinical trials was less than 6 lbs, so you are doing about average on that particular measure. For people with type 2, the situation can be a bit more complex; some people with type 2 have excessive amounts of Symlin therefore they see little benefit of adding it to their treatment plan (both in terms of glycemic variability, weight loss or any other measure), others have a shortage, but I would assume you are unlikely to see much more with regards to weight loss. The question is whether Symlin is really the best choice, and that is something you might benefit by asking another endocrinologist about … you may get a very different opinion!
Thank you for your reply. I am not taking it as a weight loss product but we tried it because I was slowly gaining weight… I am a type 2 and it has “smoothed” out my blood sugar levels. I didn’t take it today because I ran out and thought it would be a good time to try to go without. My bs was high for me today… which I knew would happen… I just keep thinking I could control it by food intake but… I feel a lot of pressure from my husband to lower my med intake… I feel that I am at the bare minimum now… the only thing (I know it is the best thing) is to get control over my bs by diet & exercise… but that miracle won’t happen overnight!
I do not see an endocrinologist… just my family doctor. I report my bs every week and we make adjustments as needed. He feels that I am doing a good job at understanding what my body needs but… I have not discussed the Symlin issue with him… Probably should do that!
Thanks again for your input…
Yes, individual health insurance would be a LOT LESS expensive per month even with the covered prescriptions!
Hi Mary -
Have you ever tried Metformin? My NP had me try metformin and it does help level out the blood sugars. I am a type one and metformin requires a lot less maintenance.
I also had put on a lot of weight due to my insulin regimen and having to chase lows with food. The metformin really has helped with my appetite and I’ve been able to reduce my insulin needs. It is a lot less expensive than Symlin and does not create lows. I’ve lost weight too. My NP said that her patients lose about 12 pounds on average being on metformin.
I’m also using Symlin for my problematic meal - which is breakfast - so I’ve been able to use it for one meal only and the metformin with insulin helps with the others.
You might consider metformin and use Symlin for your most problematic meals.
Thank you Eileen… I was on Metformin… the side effects were too much for me to handle so I changed. After reading how well people were doing on Metformin, I asked my doctor if we could try it again. It helps but now some of the side effects are coming back…
I never thought about taking the Symlin for problematic meals only… that is a really great idea. I did not discuss going off of Symlin with my “team”…
Thanks again for the input!
Hi Mary-
I had digestive issues with metformin initially - but only started with one 500mg tab to see how it would go. I was diligent about taking it with food too, even if it was a small snack like SF yogurt. Taking it with yogurt really helped the best. After I was ok on the initial dose of metformin, I then added another 500mg with a meal. Then several weeks later I added another 500mg at bedtime with skim milk or sf yogurt. Now I am on 1500 mg plus Symlin as needed. Sometimes I add Symlin to dinner if the meal is one where I might spike to almost 300. Depends alot on the type of carbs I eat.
If I don’t take metformin with food or a dairy product, I end up with gastric distress.
I am shocked at how expensive Symlin is. For a 90 day supply, the insurance company was billed about $1500 from Medco. That is for the pens - which area great convenience!
I haven’t taken the metformin with food–I will try that. I get leg cramps at night and diarrhea… my biggest side effects.
I was on the max dose of symlin and it cost me $415 a 30 day supply for the pens … so it is close…
Mary,
I also had problems with Metformin and my doctor switched me to the Extended Release Metformin. Ask your doctor about the Extended Release and the side effects aren’t so bad. Hope this info. helps you 