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What do you mean by BG 5? Is this your pre-meal level or your post meal level before you fall asleep? If it is a pre-meal level, what are you after your meal and before you fall asleep?
 
3.4 is too low, you should aim never to go below 4.0..............your tiredness could be a delayed reaction to a hypo.

staying under 5 even after a meal is unbelievable.............are you really diabetic?
 
@davidtobi - For Type 2's the Blood Glucose Ranges:
Before Meals. - 4 to 7.
2 hours after Meals - 4 to 9. (But some aim for 8.5)
Do you take your Metformin when you eat?
 
Metformin is a drug that accumulates in your system slowly over a period of weeks until it is at therapeutic levels. It is not something that you just take one every now and then for a quick fix if your glucose is too high. There are other drugs that work more or less this way but metformin is not one of them.
 
Jasperville said:
3.4 is too low, you should aim never to go below 4.0..............your tiredness could be a delayed reaction to a hypo.

staying under 5 even after a meal is unbelievable.............are you really diabetic?
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To be below 4 is perfectly normal. As is below 5 postprandial. I have similar readings on LCHF.
 
Totto said:
To be below 4 is perfectly normal. As is below 5 postprandial. I have similar readings on LCHF.
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I would agree with you if our bgl meters were accurate so we could rely on them, But you have to allow for +/- 0.8 mmol/L error on any reading below 4mmol/L, so the quoted reading of 3.4 could actually be 2.6 and the meter would be considered correct. It is worse if the meter is an SD Codefree or an Accuchek since these are calibrated to measure 12 % higher than other meters, (3.4 then could be 2.3)

I find i start to go into hypo at 3.4, although this is not a major evemt since I an fat adapted due to running my LCHF into ketosis However, it is possible to run LCHF without ketosis, and in that case the level of 3..4 could represent a significant event requiring assistance..
 
Thanks all,am using accu check meter and to check out oldvtr comment,i thank u all,and i still need more comment on how to use metformin.
 
davidtobi said:
Thanks all,am using accu check meter and to check out oldvtr comment,i thank u all,and i still need more comment on how to use metformin.
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Your doctor will have prescribed how much to take per day. If it is more than one tablet split them up between breakfast and dinner. Take metformin with food to reduce the chance of digestive upset. This drug is to be taken EVERY DAY in the amount your doctor has prescribed.
 
@chalup,seems am not using metfomin properly,i do have stomach upset on taking it,i do take it,if my bg is high only.i thank u all for d great comments,@Oldvatr i use accu check,pls i still need more says on how to use metformin.thanks all.

Edited to correct username in tag.
 
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davidtobi said:
@chalup,seems am not using metfomin properly,i do have stomach upset on taking it,i do take it,if my bg is high only.i thank u all for d great comments,@oldvtr i use accu check,pls i still need more says on how to use metformin.thanks all.
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There is the extended release form of Metformin (XR) which helps some overcome the gastric side effects. I am on standard (SR) Metformin (4x 500 mg) which I split am and pm just before my meals I am lucky in that I can tolerate this dose and have been on it for over 7 years.

It takes several weeks to build up in the body and become effective, As said elsewhere, it is not like the morning after pill. You have to take it regularly for it to have any effect at all. It helps to reduce insulin resistance, and also blocks digestion of sugars in the gut, so needs to be in place before the meal hits, so I found that taking the Metformin 30 mins before eating allows the pills to dissolve in readiness for the meal starting digestion.

It is a known effect that gastric discomfort generally eases after a while so try to keep it going if you can. However, some people find its not for them and give up. This is a shame since this drug has many other benefits in terms of protecting the heart and reducing risk of other complications.
 
davidtobi said:
Feeling sleepy immediately after food. At bg 5
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What exactly are you eating?

I hate being below 5, I would feel absolutely awful all the time if I tried to keep my BG as low as as yours.
But I am fit, active, and a normal BMI, possibly if I had a different lifestyle I could cope with lower BG with a lot less activity, and probably more sleeping. ;)
I also take metformin regularly, after discussion with my HCP, as I keep all my blood readings in the normal level, and have done for years, we still decided it would be beneficial at a low dose.
 
Going back to @davidtobi 's original question about sleepiness, I would suggest you make a note of exactly what you ate prior to getting sleepy. If there is a common food or food group (such as dairy) which makes you sleepy, then I would suspect a food intolerance. This happens to me with whey and soya.

Non diabetics often spend a lot of time in the 3s and 4s without any ill effects. I would suggest that unless you are showing signs of hypoglycaemia, that being in the 3s is not a problem for diet controlled type 2s. Metformin is not associated with causing hypos. Those taking stronger drugs to depress blood glucose will, of course, have a different perspective. Having said that, if you feel in any way uncomfortable with being in the 3s, then a snack of nuts, cheese or 70% choc will bring you up (or prevent you from going low in the first place).
 
At the risk of completely disagreeing, I have never seen any links showing anything below 4 is considered normal, or that anyone has normal BG in the range below that, as the liver will strive to increase it to above 4 normally.
As with every human being, there will be a few exceptions, and I believe there are some on here that can get away with being below 4, but we're a small percentage of the human race in the first place.

The link to this websites recommended ranges is here.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
 
Oldvatr said:
It is a known effect that gastric discomfort generally eases after a while so try to keep it going if you can. However, some people find its not for them and give up. This is a shame since this drug has many other benefits in terms of protecting the heart and reducing risk of other complications.
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These are valid points and I must admit I am starting to have second thoughts about having come off metformin I think I was caught up in the moment and did not give due consideration to the benefits of continuing with the medication. Will have to discuss this with doctor. I also must agree with those who have posted already that metformin is not like many other meds if you are not taking it regularly every day you may as well be not taking it at all.
 
JohnEGreen said:
These are valid points and I must admit I am starting to have second thoughts about having come off metformin I think I was caught up in the moment and did not give due consideration to the benefits of continuing with the medication. Will have to discuss this with doctor. I also must agree with those who have posted already that metformin is not like many other meds if you are not taking it regularly every day you may as well be not taking it at all.
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Totally off topic, but are we finally seeing you in your avatar?
 
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