SYMLIN helps replace a hormone your body may be missing
You may be working hard to eat well, be active, and take the insulin you need. But you may find that your blood sugar is too high, especially after meals, and you still feel hungry after you eat, or your weight keeps going up. Your A1C may not be where you want it to be and you are wondering what else you can do. You may even ask, "Could something be missing?"
The answer is yes, something may be missing. It's a hormone called amylin. Only recently have scientists understood that people with diabetes not only make too little insulin but also make too little amylin.
You can think of that as good news. Knowing about amylin and what it means when people do not have enough of it has led to the development of SYMLIN. SYMLIN is the man-made form of amylin. When your body is missing amylin or does not have enough of it, SYMLIN is a medicine that can help.
What happens in your body when there is too little amylin?
In your brain
Without enough amylin, your brain may think you are still hungry, causing you to eat more than your body needs. This can lead to weight gain. More food also means more sugar in your blood.
In your liver
In between meals, your liver sends sugar into the blood. When you eat, it should send less sugar. But without enough amylin, your liver keeps sending more sugar into your blood during and after a meal. That raises your blood sugar levels even more.
In your stomach
Without enough amylin, food moves through your stomach faster during and after meals than it did in the past. This sends sugar into your blood faster, raising your blood sugar level.
What happens when SYMLIN helps replace amylin?
SYMLIN is a medicine used to help replace the amylin in your body. SYMLIN is taken right before a meal. SYMLIN works in the same 3 places in your body as amylin.
With SYMLIN:
- Food moves through your stomach more slowly after meals, sending sugar into your blood more slowly
- Your brain may think you are full sooner at meals. This can cause you to eat less, which may help you lose weight. Eating less food also means that less sugar is going into your blood
- Your liver sends out less sugar
All of these can help keep your blood sugar from going too high after meals. SYMLIN does not take the place of insulin. Instead, it works as a partner with mealtime insulin to help keep your blood sugar levels balanced.
SYMLIN is an injectable medicine for adults with type 2 and type 1 diabetes to control blood sugar. It is always used with insulin to help lower blood sugar during the 3 hours after meals. SYMLIN is used with insulin to lower blood sugar but your blood sugar may drop too low (severe hypoglycemia), especially if you have type 1 diabetes. You must use SYMLIN exactly as prescribed. Nausea is the most common side effect with SYMLIN. When you start taking SYMLIN, it is important to follow your healthcare provider's directions. Only your healthcare provider can decide what changes you need to make to your diabetes treatment plan to reduce your chance of very low blood sugar, which is also called severe hypoglycemia. Never mix SYMLIN and insulin.
Please see the SYMLIN Medication Guide and Important Patient Safety Information, including information about the risk of severe low blood sugar.