I have had type 1 diabetes for almost 29 years, and I have no complications of any kind. I currently have gained a lot of weight and have discussed this with my doctor, but she did not do any thyroid tests. I have had several issues with my blood sugars being very high after switching from NPH and Regular to Lantus and Humalog about seven months ago. However I just got put back on the NPH and Regular again. Could that insulin be a possible cause of my weight gain? Is there also any way that I can do a thyroid test at home?

Any time blood sugar control is improved, weight gain is a possible result. This is because the high sugars that result in glucose in the urine go away. Instead of urinating out all the glucose, your body uses the glucose, sometimes in fat. Looking at a variety of intensive control clinical studies has demonstrated that weight gain is a side effect of the intervention. This does not mean you should not improve blood sugar control. However, it does mean that you should probably speak with your physician or dietitian regarding ways to minimize weight gain.

There are no home thyroid tests for use in a fashion similar to a home glucose test.

JTL