New Here and Insulin Resistant--Will WLS help?

Is anyone else here IR? I need help/info/support! Is WLS the best option, or should diet/exercise and meds be better? Sounds like diet/exercise is a given regardless of what you choose, but is WLS necessary?

I dont know much about IR, but I've suspected that I have that as well. I think any support you can find is great and the people here will be helpful, hopefully some of them know more about this than I do... what kinds of tests did you have done to get your diagnosis? my doctor only did a fasting blood sugar for me and said it was negative, but I've just got too many symptoms for me to believe her. HUGS, Jennifer

Hi Jennifer! I had a test specifically for IR. :grad: It's a Glucose Tolerance Test (like during pregnancy). You fast for 12 hours, they draw your blood fasting, then have you drink the orange sugary stuff (75 grams, not the normal dose for pregnancy), then they wait, and draw your blood again in 2 hours. They test BOTH your glucose and insulin levels at both blood draws. Most people with IR have a NORMAL glucose level...it is the INSULIN level that will show if there is a problem. Not all doctors know how to run the test properly. If the insulin level rises but the glucose stays the same (65-115), than most likely you are IR. I've heard that HgbA1C can also help with the diagnosis, but that usually measures the glucose over a 3 month time period. I'm not sure how that one works since the sugar level is usally in a normal range anyway. IR sucks...I have been steadily gaining weight for a few years now, and can't lose it. I've tried what seems like everything, but I'm still hopeful!! You should ask your doctor to run more tests. My GYN is the one who discovered IR in me. I am just now going to see and endocrinologist in a few weeks. I am hearing good things about an injectible called Byetta in addition to the Glucophage. Sorry so long...it's quite a process. What are your symptoms? If I may ask... :wave: Carol

Well, I guess now that I think about it, I have a combination of symptoms from PCOS which is a symptom of IR. Weight gain around middle, difficulty losing it. This year I started out on Jan first at 274lbs. I have been more careful about what I eat and walked 2 miles a day, 5 days a week with my neighbor for three months... she lost 18lbs. I lost nothing :( How depressing is THAT? When I weighed yesterday I was at 301, and I have been working out on the cardio machines and swimming at the YMCA 4-5 days a week for three weeks now and have lost nothing. If I eat a high carb...or almost any carb meal, I am all but comatose afterward. I love bread, potatoes, pasta and crave them, but if I eat them (which I still do) I cant function as I am so muddleheaded and tired. I am forgetful and scatterbrained. My face breaks out like a 15 yr old girl :( and Im 36...I thought I was suppose to outgrow that ;-) My mom was recently diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic and our body shapes are near identical, although I have more than 100lbs on her. oh and high triglycerides too (220 in May) ....and skin tags and facial hair *more than'normal' * I dont know whether it counts as depression...I dont consider myself depressed, but I am very unmotivated to get up and do things and I would really just prefer to be home, in my house, not going out and doing things. I have fun once I get out there, but dragging myself out the door is next to impossible and I will come up with any excuse to NOT go do things. Thats not such a good thing when you have 8 children with a very busy life :-l I have a doctors appt today at 2:30. I plan to ask her to test more things for this, or else I will switch doctors, because she really does NOT seem to be taking me seriously at all. At my last appt when I went to discuss weight, she said "go home, join a gym or weigh****chers or something and give it three months, then come back and see me" :-@ Thanks for the info, at least I can go in armed with more information. Hugs, Jennifer

Hi Carol I don't know much about IR either but I do know that no matter which route you take, exercise and healthy eating are essential. I know a few people that are 4+ yrs out and you would never know that had surgery. They are as big as they were before. It's because some, not all, are looking for quick results and never deal with what caused them to gain weight. I wish you well and don't be a stranger on this board. Be blessed Cam

Hi Carol, My daughter (age 23) has IR or Syndrome X and has been on every diet you can think of and special pills that were just for IR and nothing helped. She has been a member of a Gym since the 8th grade and has steadily gain weight every year until she reached #310 last year and we decided for her health that she needed something more drastic unfortunatly. She had the Vertical Sleeve a year ago and has lost #150 and is now looking into Plastic Surgery. I hope you find something that will work for you but the IR causes most everything you eat to be stored as fat. The VSG was the only WLS that we would agree on because we didn't want Anne ( our daughter) to have her intestines touched or have the malabsorption. Wishing you the best. Priscilla

Hmmm....Thanks for the input. Congratulations on your daughter's success! That is amazing! I was originally only interested in the Lap Band, but I don't think it will help the IR. IR is a hormonal problem, so appetite control is only one piece of the puzzle. I am not too keen on the RNY because of the complication rate. The malabsorption is minimal now-a-days (mostly just calcium), but I'm with you...the re-routing of the intestines scares me. I am not prepared to permanently alter my anatomy that way. I am not familiar with the Vertical Sleeve. I'll have to look into that one. I understand that the RNY resolves diabetes because a hormone(I think Gherlin? sp?) is no longer released. Evidently this hormone is responsible for much of the insulin problems. My surgeon suggested this one for me because of the IR, but I told him I wanted to do more research. I wish I were preparing for plastics right now instead of all this! I understand that healthy eating and exercise is key regardless of which surgery if any I have. I am prepared, but like most people with IR, no matter what I eat, or how much I exercise, I cannot lose a pound! I've spent small fortunes on personal trainers, gym memberships, weigh****chers, etc, only to be worse off than befored. UGH...I'm so frustrated! Thanks everyone, for letting me talk (type!!) Carol

Hi Carol. I know what you are feeling with the frustration with the working so hard and no weightloss. We have spent so much time and money trying to help Anne and eventhough she is so worth it, the lack of any success was really getting us down. I would even cry at night because she was getting so big and the IR does so much damage to so much internally. We research for over 2 years and didn't want the RNY or DS and then we heard about the VSG and we were so happy because for Anne this was the answer. It resets the metobolism and removes the part of the stomach the produces ghherlin. The stomach is a fully functioning stomach and the intestins are not touched. She was self-pay so it was good the hear that there are little to no complications and life after surgery is very normal, just eating less. We had to fly to CA though because no docs. around here were doing the VSG as a stand alone surgery only as first stage DS and did not make the stomach small enough to be stand alone. OH has a very good Vertical Sleeve site that you can visit and read post and profiles. Anne is having her TT on Tues. next week and hopefully her breast done in March. I hope you find something that works for you because this is a big decision, but for us this was the only one to save Anne's life. Priscilla

Hi Priscilla, Thank you for sharing your personal story. Anne is so lucky to have you! I am not sure that permanently removing some of my stomach is good either, but it sounds better than re-routing the intestines. I will look at that link and see if I can learn more about it! I do think that the gherlin is the culprit for people with IR. I just wish there were another way, but I am concerned that if I don't have surgery, I will continue to get heavier, and start having serious health issues. I really don't want to battle this out without the hope of conquering it. I hear that the surgery would permanently remove the risk of diabetes. True? Carol

There is a gastrointestinal (?) doc that had the VSG that is on the site and will answer your medical ?'s so put a shout out to Marie C and she will be a great help. She chose the VSG after doing research and is a blessing to that site. This surgery was done on cancer of the stomach people for years and on the very high BMI people because of the lack of complication and also the low BMI. I do know that Anne was pre diabetic and that it was just a matter of time before her pancreas gave out because of the high fasting insulin. We were just so scared for her because my brother is Type one and has to take the shots everyday and that was where Anne was headed. I wish that they could find a cure for the IR so people would not have to take such drastic measures to cure the IR!!!!! He doc had her on a special diet for the IR and pills and she still gained and her insulin level before surgery was l56 and the day after surgery it was 85!!! I praise the Lord every day for this surgery. Still wish that there was another way but Anne has had no problems and is so much happier. Priscilla