Confused

[DnB]

Hi, as the title says, I'm a little confused. I have just had my 1st year anniversary as type 2. I take 500mg metformin at breakfast and evening meal.
As I understand it, metformin stops your sugar levels rising? Or does it actually lower your levels, or both?
Over the year I have stabilised my levels, with the aid of metformin but more so with a complete change of diet. My hba1c's have come down from 70's to 30's.
I also test when I eat something different and I'm getting a list of foods that I know will rocket my levels.
My level is normally 5 something and 2 hours after most meals it returns, sometimes it's low 6's but another half an hour it's back.
Last night I didn't test beforehand, I had a chicken and lentil homemade curry with wholemeal rice(very small portion) and two roti's.
I know the rice and bread raises my levels but after two hours it's normally ok. After 1.5 hours I tested and it was 9.8 which really surprised me, so I thought give it another half an hour and retest. It went down to 9 . I tested again 2 hours later and it was 5.3.
So I'm wondering what is lowering my levels, the metformin? Even after 4hours? Or my system is taking longer to disperse the sugars?
Also I don't understand why my levels went high as I have had the same meal several times and never had this problem.
I hope someone can make this clearer from me.
Thanks

 

[Phlogiston]

Well done for getting the HbA1C down - and your BGs.
According to wikipedia, metformin limits glucose release by your liver.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metformin
This is a different story to the one told by the dieticians at Desmond (surprise, surprise). They gave a load of material formerly in a bovine alimentary canal about it lubricating insulin uptake.
Insulin (which as a T2 you are still making) aids uptake of sugar by the liver and muscles. after a meal you will burn off glucose -but possibly more slowly than someone with a "standard" metabolism. Your blood sugars will always drop after the spike as you are using energy.
Some times other factors affect the process of metabolism. As long as you're not spiking every day, I wouldn't worry too much, but would be testing next time you have the curry.
Best wishes
Adam

 

[DeejayR]

Hello. A diabetic's life is full of anomalies (I had to look up how to spell that) and you've just had one. The big picture is more important and it shows you as stable and coping well, with a good awareness of your needs.
If I had rice and rotis (I looked that up too) with curry that included lentils I would expect a similarly high reading, and similar recovery time -- maybe longer if the curry had much fat, which I prefer. The anomaly in my view is that normally you are ok with it. Was your BS before the meal around 5 as usual?
I don't take medication and from what I read on here metformin reduces blood sugar by a only small amount and shouldn't be prescribed as a fix-it.
Carry on testing and vary your curries to see exactly what's making the difference.
I assume you're washing your hands properly, and drying, before every test!

Sorry to read about your foot problems (in your other post) and I see you're on other drugs too, so other people here may pick up on possible side effects.

 

[AndyMc]

So I'm wondering what is lowering my levels, the metformin? Even after 4hours? Or my system is taking longer to disperse the sugars?

If I eat more carbs than I should, I typically get high readings for around 3 hours, then suddenly back to normal by 4 hours. I don't take metformin, or any other medication, so I assume this is the 'second phase' insulin response kicking in.

 

[Daphne917]

If I eat more carbs than I should, I typically get high readings for around 3 hours, then suddenly back to normal by 4 hours. I don't take metformin, or any other medication, so I assume this is the 'second phase' insulin response kicking in.

I'm the same but for me it's usually after 3 hours my BS has come down to normal - although if it's wayyyyyyyy too many carbs it may take 4 hours.