Thanks for your response! I’m so glad that it seems to be working for you in the way that my endo has suggested it will for me. I’m thinking that I have insulin resistance during sleeping hours for some reason and I wonder if metformin could help control it. Have you noticed any other negative side effects, other than the stomach upset?
Thanks to everyone for your responses! I can’t tell you how much it means to have (practically) instant support and feedback. You all are great.
I did Symlin when it was new… Hated it! Made me feel sick/nauseous (no wonder wght loss is involved) even though I have a strong stomach. Good luck, I hope you find what you need!
Yes, sounds like the type of effects that Symlin had ion me. The wght loss may be due to feeling so darn sick. That probably isn’t a good wght loss method.
Holy cow! Only 9u/day? I basal 30u/day. Of course, I would love to have that number come down! I feel the same as you. For 3 months I have been eating around1400 calories of a balance diet (carbs from fruit and whole grain, vegetables, and protein) and working out like a mad dog (hour-hour 1.2 of cardio every day and and hour of weight training every other day) and I have only lost 8 lbs and have hit a wall. I am also curius if I should do Metformin or Symlin but for some reason it makes me really nervous. I would like to think I can do this on my own because an average person doing what I’m doing what lose weight just fine but with the amount of insulin I’m pumping I feel it is near impossible for me. I have been able to come down on my daily totals only because I’m eating better and not bolusing as much. With all this exercise and eating better I’ve only had to lower my morning basal just a little. I guess I’m much more insulin resistant that I though and should talk to my endo!
My daughter was up over 40 units a day combined basal and bolus doses before Metformin. She went back down to around 30 with Metformin. It is a very inexpensive and widely used med, and if you get the ER you shouldn’t have a problem with tummy upset. Lows are the biggest problem, but if you monitor carefully with each dose change and cut down on your insulin, you should be fine. We started at 500 mg and went up to 2000mg. She is still resistant in the mornings, but the rest of the day her ratios are normal.
I don’t think Metformin is the answer to weight loss if you are not insulin resistant (and from what you said was your total basal, I don’t think you are). I struggled with being overweight by about 10 - 15 lb. for years, and never lost a pound until I started doing reduced carb. Not as low as Bernstein, but I aim for 60g a day, and have lost 27 lb. in 6 months. This gets me down to a normal BMI of 24.5, and I haven’t seen this weight since I was in my 30’s (I’m now 63). Exercise alone does not do the trick, because you work off pitifully few calories with a LOT of exercise. Exercise is good for reducing insulin resistance, and building strong muscles and preserving cardiac function, but not for weight loss. I don’t mean to be evangelistic for low-carb, but it IS the only thing that has ever worked for me.
I am on day 2 of the farting pills. My weight loss has been very resistant with LCHF, very ketogenic, and calorie reduced.
Hey, way to go, Nat!!
Nothing to say about metformin, as I've no experience with it, but I'm curious as to what sort of physical activity you're doing to support your attempts at weight loss? A lot of women get stuck in the think that steady-state cardio is the best way to lose weight; it's not. Steady-state cardio will generally train your body to retain fat and use calories more efficiently and in a lot of women it can actually suppress T3 level which further slows the metabolism. You might want to try shaking up your exercise routine as well as your meds.
I know this post is old hoping some new voices or from past posts. I was just put on Metformin HCL not sure what the ER stands for that you have been talking about or if it is the same as the HCL.
I am type 1 and just put on Metformin. I have insulin resistance and have not been exercising as I am having difficulty doing so since being diagnosed with nerve damage all over.
I still am unsure what to expect and when. so far on such a small does I have not had any lows to be concerned off but guessing that when my dose is increased this could be the case.
any new information about type 1 and Metformin?
Thanks in advance
ER = Extended Release. These tablets are generally less upsetting to the stomach.
Thanks for the response Pastelpainter
My endo put me on Invokana to help even out some of my ups and downs. I lost 17 pounds quickly. After starting I had to reduce my basal a good bit but it seems to be working.
I am type 1 for 69 years and have used Metformin. I was diagnosed with insulin resistance in 1998 and used Avandia for many years. I had gained more than 50 pounds after stopping animal insulin, and starting synthetic insulins. I lost 20+ pounds while using Avandia. I asked my endo to let me try Metformin. I had been reading that many T1D’s were diagnosed with IR, and they were using Metformin. I used Metformin about 18 months, got plenty of exercise each day, and reduced my carb intake to 130 grams per day. I lost 30+ pounds and was no longer overweight. My dosage of Metformin ER was 2000 mg per day. Metformin was much more effective than Avandia. After the weight loss, I increased my carb intake to 160 per day, and my weight remained stable until early this year. I gained about 9 pounds and started the Metformin again, 1000 mg per day. I have stopped gaining weight for about two months, and am continuing the Metformin.
I am Type 1.5 and use basal/bolus insulin plus Metformin and I have experienced weight loss attributable to the Metformin. Since it’s weight I can’t afford to lose (I lost plenty by the time I was diagnosed!!), I talked to my doctor about cutting back on the Metformin and I started doing that today so now I only will take 500 mg in the morning instead of 1000 mg (but will still do 1000 mg at dinner). I will see how that goes over the next few weeks–I’m sure I’ll need adjustments to my basal insulin, at least–and let you know how it goes.