Ozempic as a type 1 diabetic

eimearfox1

Hi, I've newly downloaded the app as I'm a type 1 and have been put on ozempic. On week 2 now. All the maths is doing my head in with the changes to my insulin doses relating to calories in being so reduced! Anyone else out there on this particular journey. I'd love to connect and see how we are all doing.

neanderthin

One of the mechanisms is Ozempic lowers blood sugar by stimulating insulin secretion, but since type 1 diabetics don’t produce insulin naturally, so how does that work. Also you say your consumed calories are reduced, so did your PCP tell you to eat less as well, considering another mechanism for Ozempic is to naturally through reduced digestive emptying reduce calories naturally. Sorry I'm just curious by nature, thanks.

samgettingfit25

@neanderthin I don't know much about how glp-1 like Ozempic work for Type 1 diabetes, but in other forums I've heard of people with Type 1 getting it prescribed to help with insulin sensitivity. I've heard it might be because of how the glp-1 slows digestion and maybe because it also decreases glucose production. They and their doctors believe it is beneficial, and medical researchers are studying it (though as far as I know, it is still an off-label use and not FDA-approved for Type 1 yet). This university PR update is about one of the studies/small trial that was published in Nature: https://muhc.ca/news-and-patient-stories/news/semaglutide-known-ozempic-can-be-beneficial-people-type-1-diabetes

OP, what does your doctor recommend? Hopefully you find someone on a similar journey, I imagine you may be in a pretty small group since it is an off-label use of the medication.

neanderthin

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48641022#Comment_48641022

Thank you for the link. A close friend of mind is type 1 and we've talked about this subject for years and he is your typical type 1 diabetic where he's as skinny as a rail and finds it difficult to gain weight and he is also lower carb or at least keeps his consumption of processed foods to a minimum and anything sugar he stays away from unless he's adjusting for a hypoglycemic event where he will consume some for that adjustement.

This study is extremely limiting, also under powered with not only a small sample size but also a very short duration and the participants were under strict medical supervision and of course it's not FDA approved, that is my first concern.

This is by no means a critique or reflection of McMaster University, it is a highly respected University that specializes in medical research and happens to be in the province of Ontario, where I live as well, and I'm quite familiar with them.

Second concern I have is the unexpected drop in blood sugars for type 1's considering they rely on a completely external insulin supply via a pump which can make them more vulnerable, so basically hypoglycemia isn't something to take lightly, it can be life threatening.

Third concern is ketoacidosis which for the most part is only a danger for type 1 diabetics and not type 2 or people in general, which of course they're quite aware of which if not attended to for whatever reason is extremely dangerous and can lead to organ failure and death.

I would think that for this to trickle down to actually be FDA approved it is going to take a path that is a long road quite well travelled.

The obesity rate for type 1's is almost the same as the rest which was basically unheard of not too far in the distant past and I would suspect they've fallen to the same desires as the rest of the population and of course my opinion about body and health is more of a holistic one as opposed to addressing symptoms. I would personally prefer to have a healthcare provider assist in dietary interventions that address this problem as opposed to taking the first and most convenient action in western medicine which is medication, but that's just my opinion.

imo.