Metformin not working!

Paulcunny

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Hi all

I've been on 500mg Metformin 4x daily and 1 sitagliptin per day for a year, my recent HBa1C has gone up, my diet is pretty good, and i don't have sugar on anything, my diabetic nurse has referred me to the doctor (next week is my appointment) but i'm a bit anxious about what is going to happen next?

has anyone had a similar experience? what is the next drug?
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
You have cut out sugar - but what about carbs in general?
 
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Paulcunny

Active Member
Messages
26
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
no bread, potatoes, pasta, odd times i'll have rice

generally eat veg, chicken, beef, fish

odd take away, but only once every couple of months!
 

Freema

Expert
Messages
7,346
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
no bread, potatoes, pasta, odd times i'll have rice

generally eat veg, chicken, beef, fish

odd take away, but only once every couple of months!

how many grams of carbs do you eat on a daily basis ?
 

chalup

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,745
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
What do you expect metformin to do? It's main effect is to reduce liver dumps. It really does not do much about counteracting your diet. If you are eating less than 50 grams of carb per day and your A1c is going up then it is time to talk to your doctor about having a c-peptide test done. This will tell you how much insulin your body is producing. If you are not producing much any more you may be headed for injected insulin, if you are producing too much like most type 2 diabetics then you need to address diet. Either way this test will give you the information you need to make informed decisions with your doctor instead of blindly throwing meds at the problem. If your doctor won't order it you can have it done privately.
 

NoCrbs4Me

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,700
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Vegetables
Do you have a blood glucose meter? If so, what kind of readings do you get? i.e. what are your fasting numbers and post meal numbers?
 

Mep

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,461
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi all

I've been on 500mg Metformin 4x daily and 1 sitagliptin per day for a year, my recent HBa1C has gone up, my diet is pretty good, and i don't have sugar on anything, my diabetic nurse has referred me to the doctor (next week is my appointment) but i'm a bit anxious about what is going to happen next?

has anyone had a similar experience? what is the next drug?

How long have you been living with diabetes? If it's been a while, it may be time to request the diagnostic tests to be redone. If you've not had it for long then yes, there would be other drugs the doc can trial you on. But if you've been on oral meds a while and they've stopped working it could be that you're not producing sufficient insulin anymore. That was what happened to me. I was placed on insulin therapy beginning of 2010 for that reason and told oral meds will no longer work on me. But metformin in general doesn't lower BGL's dramatically from my experience, although I note you're one 2 meds and not just the one so there could be something going on for you. The tests to ask for are the GAD test to check for anti-bodies and c-peptide test to check if you still produce sufficient insulin or not. I wish you the best. :)
 

Pramod85

Member
Messages
10
Type of diabetes
Doctor
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Add another drug eg. Glipizide
If the 3 drug combo does not work. Then 2 drugs+ imsulin is the last choice.
 

Mep

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,461
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Add another drug eg. Glipizide
If the 3 drug combo does not work. Then 2 drugs+ imsulin is the last choice.

I don't use oral meds, just insulin... so your comment about 2 drugs + insulin is the last choice isn't correct. The last choice is obviously insulin. Hopefully the OP will be seeing their doc for advice on what to do.
 
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