Insulin resistance

[Snowwhite21]

Any Hashimoto members had problems with Insulin resistance. Can this be a result of a thyroid not functioning how it should ?

[Gambit62]

Insulin resistance is basically the way that type 2 diabetes works.

Insulin is a hormone that is secreted by the pancreas in response to high levels of sugar in the blood enabling those sugars to be stored. Insulin resistance occurs when this process responds to higher levels of sugars in the blood in a way that makes the process less efficient. This then puts a strain on the pancreas to the point where it eventually shuts down and stops producing insulin (which is the mechanism of type 1 diabetes).

There are ways in which lack of thyroid hormones (and lack of B12) can affect what goes on in cells in the processes that 'burn' sugars to produce energy which result but this is different from the mechanisms involved in diabetes which affect the efficiency with which sugars get into your cells.

As such it seems unlikely that 'insulin resistance' would be directly related to hashimotos.

[Snowwhite21 in reply to Gambit62]

Thank you for replying- you seem knowledgeable- if you don’t mind another question. I am having problems with low blood sugar - my sugar never goes high like diabetes patients. I need to constantly eat to stay at a good level. Dr did long term glucose test and said insulin output is to high hence insulin resistance. Prescribed Metformin which I started taking 2 days ago but this seem to make values even lower. My sugar drops are especially bad in the morning about 2 hours after L Thyroxine. On the morning of test I never took L Thyroxine and values seemed to be higher, thats why I wonder if any connection. Have you ever heard of problems with low blood sugar that is not ever going up - is this classified as pre diabetic? Thank you

[Gambit62 in reply to Snowwhite21]

diabetic patients have problems regulating blood sugar levels - so can have both hypos and hypers.

I have an interest in diabetes because there is a genetic variant of MODY (dominant gene so if you have inherited it you develop diabetes and fortunately I don't have the gene). There are a number of forums on HU specifically related to diabetes.

This is an article on the various tests used for diabetes - generally speaking you can't go from a single test as blood sugar levels can vary but a reading that is off would prompt the need for follow up testing

diabetes.co.uk/Diabetes-scr...

sounds like the test you were given was c peptide.

The article mentions stopping medications that lower blood glucose before the test - and metformin seems to fall into that category.

I would ask if there is a diabetes specialist at the surgery you attend and see if you can speak to them about what is going on.

Links to a couple of the forums on diabetes

healthunlocked.com/diabetes...

healthunlocked.com/drwfdiab...

[Snowwhite21 in reply to Gambit62]

Thank you for info