Insulin pump and PCOS

DeltaGirl1976 · 08-01-2008, 11:32 PM

Hiya Ladies!!! I need some opnions and advance. I've been diabetic since about 2000 first got started on pills ( been pretty put on everyone at some point or another) then in 2005 I got put on an insulin pump. Now in 2000 is when I was diagnosed with PCOS altho I'm pretty such I had it LONGGG LONGG before than because even as a teenager my periods NEVER evened out always been very irregular and when I do bleed its heavy. Anyways I was wondering since people with PCOS already seem to have ALOT of insulin in their bodies could using an insulin pump of instensive threapy be doing me more harm than good? It seems like when I as taking the pills I would retain ALOT of water and now that I'm just on insulin i seem to retain ALOT of water too and the weight just wont go away even with waterpills , diet and physical activity. No doctor can really seem to answer my question. UGGGG i'm so fustrated I could cry.

Julieben · 08-02-2008, 05:50 AM

It could be that you need all that insulin to be made because your insulin worked so long to make more insulin because your body wasn't using it right (and making it think it needed more because the cells were not getting insulin for energy) and so now not only do you need something to sensitize your cells to the insulin but need insulin too which would explain why they might put you on a pump..
I'm on a pump and haven't had insulin resistance for a long time but insulin alone will cause increase in total amt of weight gain and weight gain causes insulin resistance- its a vicious cycle. I'm type 1 so they tried me on a non insulin injection called symlin to help w/ resistance, unfortunately the side effects are not worth it for me. There is a similar drug for Type 2 diabetics called byetta. Maybe you can ask for that or go back on metformin along with the insulin. I'm actually going to ask to do the met again too since I gained a lot of weight after getting my blood sugars under control. When they were out of control I dropped weight like an anorexic movie star!! But its not worth sacrificing health. Its funny that the medical community is just now acknowledging that insulin can cause weight gain (espeically in those whose pancreases stopped working all together because the pancreas creates hormones that slow food through the digestive tract therefore making you feel fuller and less likely to over eat) , thats why symlin and byetta were developed...

I wish I could tell you more than that, but you need to see your doc to discuss insulin resistance or else you'll just keep having to bump your basal and bolus ratios higher and higher.... thats how we figured out I was developing resistance...

I love this site but the support for me as a diabetic isn't great as there is only a type 2 forum and I rarely run into other pumpers here...
try diabetesdaily
or insulingpumping.com
:-)