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Amylin (AM-ih-lin) Mimetic (mih-MET-ik)

What does this medicine do?

Symlin helps keep your blood glucose from going too high after you eat, a common problem in people with diabetes. It works by helping food move more slowly through your stomach. Symlin helps keep your liver from putting stored glucose into your blood. It also may prevent hunger, helping you eat less and maybe lose weight.

Symlin is for people who already take insulin. However, you should always use a separate syringe to inject Symlin. Symlin is not used in place of insulin. But taking Symlin may change the amount of insulin you take.

Who should not take Symlin?

Talk with your doctor about whether you should take this type of medicine if

• you can’t tell when you are having low blood glucose, a condition called hypoglycemia unawareness
• you have recently had severe low blood glucose
• you have stomach problems caused by diabetes-related nerve damage
• you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding

Symlin has not been studied for use in children.

There may be times when you should not take your usual dose of Symlin. If you’re having surgery or you’re sick and can’t eat, you should not take your Symlin. Ask your doctor about other times to not take it.

What are the possible side effects?

Symlin can cause

• nausea and vomiting—most often when you first start taking Symlin
• swelling, redness, or itching of the skin where Symlin is injected
• headache
• decreased appetite
• stomach pain and indigestion
• tiredness
• dizziness

This type of medicine doesn’t cause low blood glucose by itself. But your risk of having low blood glucose is higher because Symlin is always taken along with insulin.

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