I heard of a new non-insulin shot to help control sugar, plus it helps loose weight

Hi Darlene,

The drug you're referring to is called Symilin.  It's a synthetic form of a natural hormone that is released along with insuiln and is missing in type 1 diabetics.  The use of this drug has the side effect of supressing your appetite.

From patient testimonials, this drug seems to work great for some people and cause negative side effects for others.  Definitely ask your doctor if they think it would work well for you.

Good luck!

Hi Darlene -

Thank you for your question. As Lindsey mentioned, Symlin is available. Symlin works by slowing the movement of food through your stomach. Preventing the food from leaving the stomach limits the effect that foods can have on your blood sugar. Symlin may be associated with weight loss because the food staying longer in your stomach causes you to have less of an appetite. Symlin can be used in both Type I and Type II diabetics.

There is also a medication called Byetta that is an injectable. It works by stimulating your body to release more insulin. Byetta does have a tendency to cause mild weight loss. You can read more about Byetta here. Byetta can be helpful for some patients, but it does not have very significant effects on lowering Hemoglobin A1c, a marker commonly used to test how well a diabetic's sugars are controlled. Because Type I diabetics don't produce any insulin, Byetta should not be used in these patients.

I hope this helps!

Best of luck,

Casey