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Permalink Reply by LaGuitariste on April 30, 2011 at 8:21pm

Sorry, I don't know of any T1's who've had gastric bypass, but I have heard of folks having success with a low-carb diet (less carbs requires less insulin while still maintaining excellent control). Getting the thyroid figured out might help -- so would getting your D levels up as being low-D makes people exhausted and causes muscle cramps -- this interferes with getting good-quality exercise every day, which also impacts weight.

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Permalink Reply by latvianchick on April 30, 2011 at 11:09pm

Phew! You do have some problems. You poor thing. I have no experience of gastric bypass but it is true that insulin can cause weight gain. I would talk to your endo about reducing the amount of insulin that you take, I would never advise anyone to take less or more, unless they were hypo all the time or their sugars were high.

I find that if I reduce my insulin for several days I can lose quite a bit, but there is the double whammy of higher sugars, which can cause complications, so I do it cautiously.

Can you not try to increase your exercise a bit - walking to the shops or walking round anywhere, like a park or somewhere? That would certainly help. I know that the hypothyroidism makes you tired, as does high blood sugars, but hopefully you are on thyroid medication to help that.

I wish you well. I am sorry I cannot be more helpful, but my heart goes out to you! I can empathise with the difficulties in losing weight.

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Permalink Reply by Faby on May 1, 2011 at 5:51am

Thanks for the advice. My carbs were cut from 45 per meal to 25 per meal I do exercise one hour per day as well. I have always been insulin resistant and my a1c is always between 6 and 7. I typically swell in the summer months which causes fluid gain. .

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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on May 15, 2011 at 3:26am

If I were you, I would try EVERYTHING else before considering gastric bypass. Because GB is for life, and if you find you don't like it, you can't easily get it reversed.

I've lost about 30 lb. on low-carb -- the fewer carbs you eat, the less insulin you need. Exercise, and making sure you eat enough protein protect against muscle loss -- what you want to lose is fat, not muscle.

Getting your thyroid regulated, and making sure you are getting the nutrients you need is also important. I was low on vitamin D, and am taking a supplement, and I had a thyroidectomy due to a goiter that was so large it was interfering with swallowing, so I take thyroid pills as well, and I think that has helped.

I DO know people who have had success with gastric bypass, but they were all Type 2's, although one of them was later rediagnosed as a Type 1. So it's not out of the question, but I think it should be a last resort!

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Permalink Reply by Leo2 on May 15, 2011 at 9:01am

Faby, I don't know anyone who has had success with gastric bypass over the LONG HAUL and I've been in with patients for a long time. Patients seem to do well for the first 9 months, then suddenly they have their weight back.
It's important to be euthyroid BEFORE considing bypass. Once you're euthyroid perhaps you can work on the minimal needs of the body during the night for insulin. Perhaps there's a bit more insulin going in than there needs to be? It isn't just insulin that causes weight gain; yes it can, but it's excess insulin, not the insulin that's working. And I'd say you have a real problem you're confronting with hypothyroidism.
Then do try low carb eating after you have pared the insulin in the night-early am hours and with your BG staying around 100-110 all day.
I lost 25 lbs using low carb. With 6 grams of CHO in a meal + plenty of fish protein and cheese for fat, no buns for hamburgers or weiners, no potatoes/pasta/pizza, weight dropped and my insulin requirements dropped big time.
I think with the lower carb I was able to figure the I:C ratio closer, reducing insulin requirements. I wanted to be skinny and I got it.
Best wishes and think about the long haul. We'd support you no matter what your decision.

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Permalink Reply by Rachel Joy on April 20, 2013 at 11:17pm

What did you decide? Did you find any further info supporting the surgery? Did you end up having the bypass?

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