I just recently been diagnoed with T1 on 12/14/09. I am taking Humalog and Lantus and not on the pump. I have since put on 15lbs since December. I exercise and eat well and the weight is still coming on. I am getting really frustrated with everything. My appetite is out of control and my bg are all over the place. I am always hungry and I know that is where the extra pounds have come from. I want to lose this extra weight and a little more. All I need to lose is 20lbs to 25lbs to be at my ideal weight. My endo just started my on Symlin for dinner time. I am working my way up. It is my 4th day and currently taking 30mcg getting ready to up to 45 this evening. I would like to take Symlin at lunch as well. I have notice my appetite has been a little better and talking to my endo to include symlin at lunch time probably will help. I am still hungry during the day. Any suggestions?
I tried Symlin but I ended up stopping it because I started throwing up when I got up to the full dose (60 mcg). Supposedly the nausea/vomiting only lasts for a few days, but I didn’t get that far. I would recommend sticking with the Symlin if you can handle it. Just give it some time. I started taking it because I was ALWAYS hungry and had gained weight. The way my doctor explained it is that a diabetic not only doesn’t produce insulin, but they don’t produce Amylin, either. The Amylin supposedly controls your hunger. My hunger has gotten better, but I am still not losing weight. I wonder if this is a commonality with all diabetics? I wish you a lot of luck. If you find the answer, let me know! 
My son chews a lot…I mean a lot of sugar free gum. Not enough to mess w/his numbers but it solves he need for sweets and to chew. Maybe try that too.
I would also consider a pump. I find I’m less hungry with better BG control - in fact “hungry” for me means my BG is 140+. A pump and CGM helps that, as does knowing it. The first thing I do when I think I’m hungry, even if it’s lunch time, is take a blood test.
I love symlin, it has made a huge difference for me. But, it is a royal pain to deal with all of the BG and nausea issues. The nausea for me lasted a couple of months. In fact, I’d resigned myself for it never going away. I lost 11 lbs when I went on Symlin. Then the weight loss stopped. But, I’d been gaining for the previous 18 months no matter what I did, so that 11 lb reversal gave me new hope. I’ve lost 19 more lbs with Symlin + low carb diet. I’m a happy camper. I’ve also had more trouble with my BG since starting Symlin ~4 months ago than I’ve had in the last 10 years.
I’ve also started taking Symlin for breakfast and sometimes lunch, and eating salads (not enough carbs for Symlin) for dinner. This makes me feel so much better - the less I eat after 2 pm, the better, even though I run after work and lift weights after dinner, I just don’t need to eat that much that late.
Finally - you might try changing your food. I’ve stopped eating bread (because my mom we hospitalized with Celiac - that’s right, hospitalized!). I’m not celiac, but acting like I am (without all of the label reading and drama she has to go through) has also made me feel a whole lot better. I think a change like that helps - pick something that is not necessarily bad for you, but not good for you and just change it. Eat breakfast instead of dinner and eat a different composition of other things.
So you are down total of 30lbs with Symlin? Congrats on the weight loss. How long did it take for you to start seeing results? I have only been on it for a few days so I do realize that I have to give it more time. I do want to go on the pump and my endo is all for it. I would lose the Lantus (which I will onot miss) but I am so afraid to change and gain more weight.
My son has just gone on a pump and is loving it. W/a pump you can eat more often…smaller meals…then maybe you won’t feel deprived and in the long run eat less? Waiting for the correct time to eat can make you hungrier. The only problem is once on the pump you could also go the other way and eat more since you are free to eat when ever you want to. So…I guess it is just what works best for you. My son hasn’t gained weight since going on the Pump in April.
The pump will make you more healthy, so in the short run you might gain weight. In the long run, you should be able to maintain a reasonable weight better. When I was diagnosed (30+ years ago), I was told that diabetics didn’t feel ‘hungry’ and I’d have to learn to deal with that. I think you newbies don’t seem to be told that - the “hungry” you feel is different, it isn’t real (this is my opinion). so, get on the pump, get your BG as “normal” as possible and everything will steady out.
As far as my weight loss - my mom’s family are all - um - rotund, and my dad’s are all T1. I got both. If I lose another 30 lbs (my goal) I will still be overweight, but weigh less than I did when I was 18! So, your results will likely vary.
I’m trying very hard to lose no more than 2 lbs/week - which is what most experts think is safe and “maintainable”. I’ve done this before, though, and only kept off the weight a few years each time before it creeps back up.
When I was first diagnosed as a Type 1 in November 2009 I wish someone had talked to me more about the lows. It was those episodes of extreme hunger that caused my weight gain. I would eat everything in site in order to get rid of that awful feeling. Looking back I wish I would have simply eaten my glucose tablets and waited for them to work. However I only regained the weight that I had lost while I was in DKA (and didn’t know it). Now that my numbers are consistently more stable I have not gained any weight and have even lost a few pounds. I take Novolog 70/30.
Check out John Walsh’s article on ‘ex carbs’, for good info on reducing your insulin while increasing exercise. I used ex carbs along with Weight Watchers to lose over 30 lbs. I’m on the pump with humalog, and my diet is focused on low-fat protein, veg and fruit, and whole grains, anywhere from 100-300 carbs per day depending on my level of exercise. I’ve managed to reduce my total daily insulin requirements by 50 to 60%.