Hey there all! I’m just curious to find out how much others are taking in each dosage of Symlin at the meals… I am using the pen and injecting 60 mcg.
So how much are you taking and what is your method of delivery?
Hi Kaayle,
I use 45 mcg at some meals, depending on my pre-meal blood sugar, amount of carbs and type of carbs. I use the pen. I do find that it really helps me from spiking for the most part.
Kelly
That is interesting… I am going to discuss that option with my endo… Symlin seems to prolong the spike after a meal to 2 or 3 hours rather than having it within 30 min to an hour… Thanks!
I’m taking 120 mcg with the pen. (I actually think they discontinued the vials). I believe the spike from Symlin can be as late as 3 1/2 or 4 hours as it slows digestion. I test my blood sugar and bolus my insulin at the one hour mark but test at the 4 hour mark now, rather than the 2 hour when I spiked before. My numbers are in target range about the same percentage as they were before Symlin, but I am only taking 1/2 the insulin for breakfast and lunch and 60% at dinner.
I take my symlin right before eating, and sometimes up to 15 minutes or so before eating (if I am higher when testing.) I usually bolus right after eating and square wave my bolus for 2 hours. This usually keeps me in a good target range…usually.
I take 120 mcg at breakfast, 60 at lunch and 60 at dinner, unless my bg is less than a 100, then I don’t take that dose. I also use the pen for over a year.
You’ve been taking it quite awhile, BBach; do you take it to level your numbers or to lose weight? If weight, how much have you lost in the year?
long time user. i have to use pen now. i take 120 mcg before each meal but i usually only eat 2 meals. im not on a pump. i have to find a better dr so i can consider the pump. anyway, i take 2 shots of levemir, 2+ of symlin and 4 or 5 of novolog. i use to mix the symlin w/ either of the others cuz i was told i could mix if both were clear. so its no wonder i have hard pockets under my skin - too many shots!! if you have been on symlin for a while and not felt nausea, i think you can increase to 120mcg
Cheery, I highly suggest getting the pump… It makes life so much easier and managable. I’m thinking I’m probably going to need to up my dosage, judging from what I’m reading on here… Seems like most are at 120 mcg each meal.
Kelly, I do the same thing… But what do you mean by square wave your bolus? Is that like on the animas pump a combo bolus where it is dispersed over “x” amount of time? I think that would work.
Kelly, do you know what level they are going to move you to? I am not sure if my doctor will be moving mine up to 120 mcg or keep me at 60 mcg. But I also have been on this for a few months now and am just now able to get my schedule lined up with my endo to follow up on the Symlin. Do you have a follow up after a few weeks at 60 mcg?
I have the minimed pump, and always have, so I don’t know the exact capabilities or terminology for the animas pump, but a square wave bolus is a bolus that is spread out over a user-set amount of time to be dispersed so that is not given all at once. I used to square wave my bolus starting an hour after eating, but it seems to work this way now, starting the bolus just after eating and spreading it out for two hours. If I end up not taking my symlin for whatever reason, I do a normal bolus. And sometimes with pizza, I square wave my bolus for three hours. I cannot comment the exact results for that because I have not had pizza often enough to see a pattern, but I usually do not spike after eating pizza!
Kaayle,
I have been on 45 mcg for about 2 months now. My endo didn’t want me to go up to 60 yet till I was able to give her more detailed reports. I am going to see my cde on Monday; I am sure that he will be able to answer my questions and give me much more guidance regarding the symlin and dosing, timing, food types, and all that! I will let you know what he has to say!
Yes, please do! I had my follow up with my endo and diabetes educator…I’m now trying to combo bolus after eating so I don’t spike 2 hours later. HOWEVER, that didn’t seem to work today… I really wish there was a way to program a bolus for 30 minutes after I eat on my pump… I just don’t trust myself to remember. LOL
Wow! That’s very cool… I had Mexican today for lunch and did a combo bolus (same as your square wave), for three hours and still spiked… Are you bolusing for half the carbs doing it that way too? My diabetes educator said that she waits 30 minutes after she eats then bolus’ and gives herself about 20 carbs as a freebee while she is on the Symlin. I tried 120 mcg for the first time today… I felt a bit naseated but it subsided quickly. My endo told me not to push it and to stick with 60 if 120 was too difficult on me.
Can you set an alarm on your pump? I used to do that when I was waiting an hour before starting my square wave bolus, because I would forget at times too. It’s just not easy, is it?
Kelly, you will be pleased to know I have discovered the method that works for me… I didn’t spike at all yesterday! Basically, I waited 30 to 60 minutes after eating and then bolused for 20 carbs less and BINGO! It worked! No spike! Now I am truly hooked… Just need to remember to shoot up now… LOL
That’s great, Kaayle! I am doing pretty good without spiking. It seems lately I go too low, and when I spike, is when I over-correct. Sometimes my correction works, and sometimes I spike. I am so looking forward to my CDE appointment on Monday. I am meeting with Gary Scheiner, the author of Think Like A Pancreas. I am hoping to learn lots more and to work out the kinks. Another thing that is helping me with my sugars is Weight Watchers. For some odd reason I have not lost weight, but my blood sugars are so much better.
I had to shut the alrams off on my pump…they kept me up all night. However I have the the alarm on which reminds me to check my BS every two hours
Yes, those alarms don’t let me get a good night sleep either. I can’t stand when the cgms alarms me every 20 minutes saying that I am low, when in “actuality” I am @110 or so. When I was bolusing an hour after eating/testing and giving symlin, I would set the bg reminder alarm for an hour after eating to actually remind me to bolus.