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Meglitinide?

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Mark T

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Is anyone on here taking Meglitinides such as repaglinide (Prandin) or nateglinide (Starlix)?

If so, just wondering what your experiences of it were. I understand it to have a fairly short half-life.
 
Have you been prescribed either of these? They’ve been around for a decade, and theoretically they stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin in response to a meal, thus reducing the post meal spike. As such, they have the potential to cause hypoglycaemia and in some cases weight gain. I don’t think they are so stunningly different from sulphonylureas as to be classed as a game changer, though.
 
Have you been prescribed either of these? They’ve been around for a decade, and theoretically they stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin in response to a meal, thus reducing the post meal spike. As such, they have the potential to cause hypoglycaemia and in some cases weight gain. I don’t think they are so stunningly different from sulphonylureas as to be classed as a game changer, though.
Nope not prescribed.

I'm just researching some options ahead of when I have my medicine review. I understand most sulphonylureas to have a fairly long half-life - which is one of the reasons why they tend to cause weight gain.
 
I was on Gliclazide for a while but it did not make me put weight on.
 
Nope not prescribed.

I'm just researching some options ahead of when I have my medicine review. I understand most sulphonylureas to have a fairly long half-life - which is one of the reasons why they tend to cause weight gain.
What has half life got to do with weight gain?
 
What has half life got to do with weight gain?
Well, I'm quite happy to be corrected.

But my understanding was that because that class of drugs cause your body to produce insulin you need to somewhat match what you eat to how long they work for to prevent hypos.

Some of the sulphonylurea's can work for up to 6 hours. So you either have to keep on eating or eat something that sends you high enough that it takes that time to come down.

I don't want to be going really high. There is research that states that the peak BG level does do damage if it's goes really high.

Yes, you are correct. The half life doesn't make you fat. It's how well you can match your diet to the drug that does that. I believe that it would be easier for me with something that has a short duration then a long one.

Think of it another way, why do people use rapid insulins instead of always mixed or just long acting?
 
Well, I'm quite happy to be corrected.

Think of it another way, why do people use rapid insulins instead of always mixed or just long acting?

The “rapid” insulins are a bit misnamed. I have Apidra which is one of the fastest, and it still lasts over 4 hours. Also I think one major difference is that with type 2 there is some assistance from the person’s pancreas so the drugs don’t have to cover the whole of the carbs eaten.
 
Thanks for that. For some reason I had the idea that insulins where only an hour or so.
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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