Is Januvia often prescribed for type 1 diabetes if the patient does not yet require insulin?
I was diagnosed in December 2007, after a yeast infection, based upon GAD testing with Type 1 diabetes. I was on very little insulin for two weeks. It brought my 329bg down to 70. I stopped taking the insulin and went for a second opinion. My AC1 was 7.2 down from 11 in November. The new doctor thinks I will most likely be Type 1, however is treating me with 100mg of Januvia daily. I exercise daily and watch the carbs in my diet. Since September of 2006 I dieted to lose about 40 pounds. Cholesterol 177, HDL76,, LDL93, Triglyceride 45. My fasting blood glucose taken in April was 118 without any medication. I tested my bg randomly and found it to be in the 113-125 range in the morning. Other times seem to be normal. The Januvia brings it down to 95-99 in the morning. I am concerned about taking the Januvia from reports about immunity.
Hi Maryann,
Thank you for your question. Januvia is not approved for treatment in Type 1 diabetics, so I'm unsure why you would even be taking this medication to begin with. In Type 1 diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas are destroyed and therefore cannot produce enough insulin to fulfill the body's needs. Januvia works by stimulating the beta cells and increasing the release of insulin from the pancreas, but it cannot stimulate the beta cells once they have died. You can read more about Januvia here.
If you are in fact a Type 1 diabetic, you need to discuss with your doctor why he or she has prescribed Januvia for you, and whether there is a better alternative available.
Best of luck,
Casey
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