Medicines That Worsen Insulin Resistance (Do You Take One?) [d38636]

Post Time: 2025-07-29

Managing Type 1 diabetes (T1D) effectively is a delicate balancing act, and one of the areas that often requires careful attention is weight management, blood sugar control, and achieving a healthy A1c level. It’s common for individuals with T1D, as well as their caregivers, to want to achieve these health goals aggressively, but sometimes, that can lead to overcorrection—which can have adverse effects. In this article, we will discuss what overcorrection looks like in the context of T1D, the risks involved, and how to strike a more balanced approach to your health goals.

The Temptation to Overcorrect

People with T1D often experience challenges with blood sugar fluctuations due to the body's inability to produce insulin. When a patient experiences high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), the natural response might be to increase insulin doses significantly. When coupled with concerns about weight and high A1c, this reaction is amplified. Similarly, seeing an individual with T1D lose weight might lead to the belief they need to 'normalize' their weight. However, over-managing, this condition can be very dangerous.

Dangers of Overcorrecting Type 1 Diabetes Management

Aggressive management of T1D, especially when focused on quick results like weight loss or immediate reduction in A1c levels, can be fraught with pitfalls. These include:

1. Increased Risk of Hypoglycemia

One of the primary dangers of overcorrection is the increased risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). When insulin doses are excessively increased, especially in a hurry, there can be a rapid drop in blood sugar levels. Hypoglycemia can lead to a range of symptoms, from mild dizziness and confusion to severe conditions like seizures or loss of consciousness. It’s imperative to consider the delayed action of injected insulin, if any is still working, to avoid a “stacking” of insulin effect.

2. Weight Loss from Aggressive Dieting

The desire for weight loss can sometimes drive people with T1D to extreme measures. Restrictive diets, overly vigorous exercise regimes, or drastic changes in meal patterns without corresponding adjustments to insulin dosages can result in unhealthy weight loss. In some cases, this could lead to serious nutritional deficiencies, or increased ketoacidosis rates.

3. Increased Stress and Anxiety

Focusing excessively on controlling every aspect of diabetes, whether it's aiming for immediate A1c reduction or achieving ideal weight, can actually increase stress and anxiety in people with type 1 diabetes. This psychological burden may ultimately result in suboptimal diabetes management in the long run, especially if they are not being supported adequately.

4. Inconsistent Blood Sugar Levels

Paradoxically, attempts to fiercely control blood sugar can lead to more, not fewer, inconsistencies in readings. Frequent high corrections can trigger rebound hyperglycemia as well as unpredictable sugar level reactions. Over-manipulating insulin levels creates a challenging loop and makes true control even harder.

5. Fear of Exercise

Sometimes when people are worried about being too low during exercise, they might also over-correct in the opposite direction and try to eat too much sugar beforehand. This can also lead to hyperglycemia later or a feeling of lethargy during activity. Exercise-induced hypoglycemia is a significant concern that can push people away from engaging in physical activity which is an essential element of healthy living.

A Balanced Approach to Type 1 Diabetes Management

Rather than trying to chase immediate results with aggressive tactics, it’s more effective to adopt a balanced, consistent, and mindful approach. Here's how you can optimize weight loss, blood sugar control, and A1c reduction safely and effectively:

1. Work Closely with Your Healthcare Team

The foundation of effective diabetes management is a strong, collaborative relationship with your healthcare providers. This includes your endocrinologist, a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES), and a registered dietitian (RD). They can offer tailored advice based on your individual circumstances and help you set realistic goals. This could also include setting up a continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

2. Learn About Carbohydrate Counting and Insulin Adjustments

Understanding how carbohydrates affect blood sugar is crucial. Work with your dietitian to learn accurate carb-counting techniques and how to make appropriate adjustments to your insulin doses. Consider if your ratios need adjusting at different times of the day, and don’t be afraid to make adjustments to basal rates if needed.

3. Gradual and Sustainable Lifestyle Changes

When it comes to diet, avoid drastic changes. Focus on incorporating whole, unprocessed foods that provide sustained energy and nutrition. When setting goals for weight loss, set small incremental changes over time rather than attempting to achieve your goals too rapidly.

Change Goal Timeline
Added Exercise Increase frequency by 20 minutes Weekly
Sugar Intake Reduced Cut 1 daily snack with sugar Monthly
Increased veggie Add 1 veggie with each meal Every two weeks

4. Regular Blood Sugar Monitoring

Consistently monitoring your blood sugar levels is crucial. Whether you are using finger-stick checks or a CGM, it provides the essential data to better understand how various foods, exercise, stress, and sleep impact your glucose levels. Make sure to log all information accurately.

5. Develop a Hypoglycemia Response Plan

It's imperative to have a clear action plan for managing hypoglycemia, which is especially relevant if you're not using a continuous glucose monitor. Your healthcare team can help you create a step-by-step guide on what to do, and when to do it. Keep readily accessible glucose sources such as glucose tabs, juice boxes or a sugar beverage nearby at all times to help raise your blood sugar levels as fast as possible if you notice your blood sugars plummeting.

6. Focus on Gradual Improvements to A1c

A1c results reflect your blood sugar levels over the past three months, so immediate changes are not realistic. Concentrate on achieving small, sustainable improvements in blood sugar management and A1c as needed, with your goals and target range being reviewed by your healthcare provider to confirm they are appropriate for your age and circumstances.

7. Prioritize Mental Well-being

Managing Type 1 diabetes is not just a physical challenge—it can have significant emotional impacts as well. Take steps to reduce stress levels, seek support from a T1D community or mental health professional if necessary, and recognize that some days will be better than others. Stress can significantly impact your blood sugar and should be acknowledged and managed effectively.

In Conclusion

Overcorrecting T1D, whether in the pursuit of rapid weight loss, fast reduction in A1c, or aggressive blood sugar management, often leads to more challenges than solutions. By embracing a collaborative approach with your healthcare team, practicing gradual and sustainable changes, monitoring your progress closely, and focusing on long-term, realistic goals, you will be able to better manage your diabetes without resorting to dangerous overcorrection tactics.

Which medications worsen Insulin Resistance? There is a long list! Make sure you're not taking one of these medicines that worsen insulin resistance. If you are, talk with your doctor about changing/decreasing/stopping them. The Truth about Insulin Resistance: Daily Minerals: (discount) Become a Tribe-member & do fruits raise blood sugar levels get answers: -----Medications that worsen Insulin Resistance----- Thiazides - HCT, HCTZ, indapamide Beta blockers - metoprolol, propranolol, Atenolol Antipsychotics 2nd gen - Abilify, Geodon, Seroquel, Zyprexa fluoroquinolones - Levaquin, Cipro corticosteroids - prednisone, methylprednisolone, prednisolone Niacin - Rx and supplements Diabetes medications Amylin mimetics pramlintide (SymlinPen). Incretin mimetics exenatide immediate-release (Byetta) exenatide extended-release (Bydureon) liraglutide (Victoza) Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 inhibitors saxagliptin (Onglyza) sitagliptin (Januvia) linagliptin (Tradjenta) GLP-1 Agonists Byetta Ozempic Rybelsus Trulicity Victoza Bydureon Tanzeum Sulfonylureas glyburide (Micronase) glipizide (Glucotrol) glimepiride (Amaryl) chlorpropamide (generic only in the United States) blood sugar chip tolazamide (generic only in United States) tolbutamide (generic only in United States) Glinides nateglinide (Starlix) repaglinide (Prandin) ALL Injectable/Inhaled Insulins what to do when your blood sugar is too high Humulin, Novolin, Humulin, Novolog, Fiasp, Apidra, Myxredlin, Lantus, Toujeo, Basaglar, Semglee, Levemir, Tresiba, Soiqua, Xutophy, Afrezza, Humalog, Admelog, Lyumjev LIES MY DOCTOR TOLD ME: Eat REAL SALT: (discount) Our Amazon Store: Our Amazon Favorites: ----- Join me and let's optimize your health! ----- My Website: drberry.com PHD Tshirts/Tanks/Hoodies: Ken D Berry, MD, is a Family Physician and has been practicing Family Medicine in Tennessee for over 20 years, having seen over 25,000 patients in his career so far. Consult your doctor. Don't use this video as medical advice. For Collaborations please email me: [email protected] Any information on diseases and treatments available at this channel is intended for general guidance only and must never be considered a substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care professional with questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Although all measures are taken to ensure that the contents of the YouTube channel are accurate and up-to-date, all information contained on it is provided ‘as is’. To the extent permitted by mandatory law, Dr. Ken D. Berry shall not be liable for any direct, incidental, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages arising out of access to or use of any content available on this channel, including viruses, regardless of the accuracy or completeness of any such content. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Medicines that Worsen Insulin Resistance (Do you take One?)
Medicines That Worsen Insulin Resistance (Do You Take One?) [d38636]