Lantus and weight loss???

[uriahsmusic]

..can you lose weight on Lantus?

[Ben]

I've read if you take half your Lantus in the morning and the other half in the evening you will be able to cut back on your daily dose. You will not have to eat as much to keep from the lows (hypoglycemia, therefore lose weight.

[Nova]

Wrong on both account. Any insulin (no matter what the claim is) will cause weight gain. Some more than others i.e. premixed insulins. Insulin is a hormone that we already have in our body and one of its key funtions is to store energy which can be either stored glucose or stored fats. Lantus does cause less weight gain than most because it is not a peaking insulin so you don't have to eat after you take it. It's fairly flat for approximately 24hrs.
Splitting the dose will provide no benefits other than pyschological. Good luck

[Bren]

I have been on Lantus since July and ramping up over the past weeks to 48 units in the evening. No other insulin during this time. I started to lose weight and the weight gain I had experienced over the past 2 years has been falling off! I was a different category of diabetes Type 2. PCOS has been with me since age 12 and I'm 59 now...insulin resistance must have driven my body crazy--and nothing I did would give me weight control until now. A few weeks ago, my Endo added Byetta, which is beginning to bring glucose down more--and more weight loss is taking place! Gee, people, I have a waist now...I can wear my clothes. So, Nova...just to know, I was the only patient in the room with hands up on weight loss. It does happen to some of us but no one knows why or how yet.

[Lore]

I've been on Lantus for the past five years, and am begining to wonder if it might be adding to my weight gain. I know a large part of it has been not keeping as good of an eye on my diet and not exercising...but in the past (or, before Lantus) those issues would typically only cause a 10lb increase. Now I'm about 30lbs heavier then I had been. I've also been increasing my Lantus dosage slowly over the past few years and now up to 27u a day.

[Mair]

Well I started on Lantus 6 weeks ago. Starting dosage was 15 units and the past 2 weeks that's been increased to 30 units a day (at night). Anyway, weight gain??? are you kidding I put on 14lbs in the past two weeks. What do you do? I mean the doctors say lose weight and then give you meds that cause weight gain. I've been exercising and somewhat watching what I eat but really.... OMG if it keeps up I won't have to worry about Diabetes because I will be exploding shortly!

[Nova]

Bren wrote:

I have been on Lantus since July and ramping up over the past weeks to 48 units in the evening. No other insulin during this time. I started to lose weight and the weight gain I had experienced over the past 2 years has been falling off! I was a different category of diabetes Type 2. PCOS has been with me since age 12 and I'm 59 now...insulin resistance must have driven my body crazy--and nothing I did would give me weight control until now. A few weeks ago, my Endo added Byetta, which is beginning to bring glucose down more--and more weight loss is taking place! Gee, people, I have a waist now...I can wear my clothes. So, Nova...just to know, I was the only patient in the room with hands up on weight loss. It does happen to some of us but no one knows why or how yet.

Bren, that is fantastic news. Many time patients will lose some weight becuase prior to starting Lantus, they had vey high blood glucose levels (BG) and people don't feel very well and lack motivation. Once the bg comes down to a more reasonale level patients start to feel better and have more energy and move around more, sleep less, and possibly even exercise.
Byetta is a good fit w/ many patients, it can definitly lower your post meal bg and that works well w/ Lantus lowing bg over 24 hrs. Hopefully the weight loss will be significant and sustained. I have read several clinical studies that the weight loss only occurs in around half the patients and even fewer of those patients are able to maintain the loss. Apperatently the appetite suppressing effect becomes less effective. For type 2s, the absolute best thing you can do for your heath is diet and exercise. You will also save a lot of money on medication. I have heard countly stories from patients tell me that they were on 14 medication and starting working out 4 or 5 days a week, and they drop required meds by over half. In these hard economic times diet and exercise is the lowest cost way to assist in keeping your diabetes in control. Keep up the good work.

[Nancy Auburndale]

I was fine at losing weight until I had 1/2 my thyroid removed. I have been on Lantus for at least 2 years, starting out at 10 units; now I am up to 80 units and still w/o control, maintaining sugars of over 200 no matter what I eat. I recently lost my job in October of 2008, losing my insurance as well. I am going to try signing up at the low cost clinic asap. In the meantime I am about to try adding Novolin to my regimen. I have rheumatoid arthritis so I cannot exercise the way I used to and cannot walk very far w/o my walker, but still cannot walk much even with it. I also have heart disease, which I take meds for along with meds for high bp, which works fantastic; I also take 2000 units of metformin, and lasix for CHF. I am not giving up though, there has to be an answer to this dilema

[JLO]

I too have gained 30 pounds in two years despite trying to exercise and weight was healthy and stable for years prior to switching.

Mair wrote:

Well I started on Lantus 6 weeks ago. Starting dosage was 15 units and the past 2 weeks that's been increased to 30 units a day (at night). Anyway, weight gain??? are you kidding I put on 14lbs in the past two weeks. What do you do? I mean the doctors say lose weight and then give you meds that cause weight gain. I've been exercising and somewhat watching what I eat but really.... OMG if it keeps up I won't have to worry about Diabetes because I will be exploding shortly!

[JLO]

Hello,

I too have put on 30 lbs on Lantus in the past 3 years and prior to that my weight had been stable for many years.

Today, my endocrinologists agreed to put me back on Humulin N since the Lantus was not helping my blood sugars.

Hopefully I will lose some weight.

Lore wrote:

I've been on Lantus for the past five years, and am begining to wonder if it might be adding to my weight gain. I know a large part of it has been not keeping as good of an eye on my diet and not exercising...but in the past (or, before Lantus) those issues would typically only cause a 10lb increase. Now I'm about 30lbs heavier then I had been. I've also been increasing my Lantus dosage slowly over the past few years and now up to 27u a day.

[mary]

iv been on humalog as to how much carbs i have to eat. and lantus 10 u at night. and i have gained about 40 lbs in 6 months. i dont know if it is the humalog or the lantus. and what to do to lose the weight. i am also taking prednisone because of my kidney transplant. so help please with some advise.

[Marco]

Levemir from NN is the only Basal Insulin that have been prooved that helps you to loose wheight