Anybody here ever take Symlin?

[Chickerdoodle13]

Just wondering if anyone else has taken this. I'm a type 1 diabetic and I'll be starting Symlin injections on Friday. I'm hoping it helps with my somewhat erratic bloodsugars and also with weight loss. I've always had a hard time losing weight and the doctor is pretty optimistic about this being my answer!

I am a little nervous about some of the side effects. I really want to be able to stay on the Symlin, but there is a chance I will experience nausea. I really hope I'm not one of the small percentage that has that side effect! I'd be interested to see if anyone else has taken this. From what I've been told, it seems like some kind of miracle drug. This has me somewhat nervous because most things in my life are too good to be true!

 

[debilorrah]

Never heard of it, tell us more!

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:

How you doing Chicker?
I really hope you lucky and don't have any side-effects, make sure you know when to go back to the doctor if anything strange happens. Do you have to inject every day? Are you doing it yourself?
Good Luck - and good to see you around.

 

[English Chick]

My brother is a type 1 diabetic and injects himself and takes his blood sugars daily...do you have to do that?...I will ask him what insulin he takes and let you know....... but

to you its not easy being diabetic.......xxx

 

[Mahonri]

I thought I was up on drugs... off to my PDR.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Thanks everyone! I have yet to meet anyone else on Symlin. Guess I'll just have to try it and find out! Supposedly it has worked wonders for others out of my doctor's office. There is quite a bit of weight I'd like to lose, but being a diabetic makes it extremely difficult. Symlin basically replaces a hormone that helps control hunger. Typically this hormone is absent from diabetics.

Wildsky,

It's good to see you too! I haven't been on as much lately because I have been busy with work. just seems there are not enough hours in the day! Right now I do catheter changes myself with the minimed insulin pump I am on (Have to do this every three days or so) and I will have to inject the symlin three times daily. It's actually very easy, so I do it all myself. I use to inject my insulin also and it was a pain in the neck because sometimes I'd be taking 5 or 6 shots a day! The pump completely eliminates that. I'm not so concerned about having to inject symlin though because it sounds like the benefits are too good to worry over little injections!

Englishchick,

Has your brother ever thought about going on the pump? I started my insulin pump in June after doing the injections for 15 years. It was the best thing I've decided to do! Life is sooo much easier with an insulin pump. They are expensive, but most insurance companies will cover the cost. It isn't easy living with diabetes, but it's not the worst thing you could have either. I'm just happy to see all these new advances in medicine, especially for diabetics!

Mahonri,

Symlin is fairly new, but I believe the same company also has a product called Byetta which has been on the market for much longer. Symlin is a newer form of Byetta, and supposedly the side effects are less.

Drug companies are in the process of trying to market Symlin as a weight loss drug for non-diabetics, but I don't see this happening any time soon. It's very expensive (About $250 for a month's supply, I think) and I believe non-diabetics already make the hormone Amilyn (sp?) so adding more of that hormone would not have as big of an effect. Plus the injections themselves turn most people off. For many, three daily injections are just not worth the weight loss.