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Metformin dosage question

Inchindown

Inchindown

Well-Known Member
Messages
837
Location
Highlands
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
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Politicians
Having only been diagnosed with type 2 last week, I've only just started talking metformin.

I've been told to take 1 tablet 3 times per day, but to start with just 1 tablet per day and work up to 3 over the next few weeks.

My BG level seems to be dropping quite fast towards normal while taking 1 tablet per day.

So my question is, if my BG falls to the normal range while only taking 1 tablet per day, do I really need to increase my dosage up to the maximum of 3 tablets per day?

Thanks, George.
 
There are many people who have had a diagnosis of T2, but through changing their diet and doing a bit more exercise return their blood sugars to normal levels and give up all diabetic medications. Have you @Inchindown made changes to lifestyle and will you be able to keep to the changes, permanently? If you can, you may not need Metformin, but I am obliged to say, discuss it with your doctor.
Sally
 
Metformin is not known for dramatically lowering blood glucose levels. I am told it has other benefits but I know nothing about those. I think I agree with sally and james that there is probably some other lifestyle change that accounts for it.
 
sally and james said:
There are many people who have had a diagnosis of T2, but through changing their diet and doing a bit more exercise return their blood sugars to normal levels and give up all diabetic medications. Have you @Inchindown made changes to lifestyle and will you be able to keep to the changes, permanently? If you can, you may not need Metformin, but I am obliged to say, discuss it with your doctor.
Sally
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply.

While the future can be hard to predict, I find my diagnosis is acting as a powerful motivator for me to maintain a healthy diet.

I can only hope my resolve will continue.
 
Squire Fulwood said:
Metformin is not known for dramatically lowering blood glucose levels. I am told it has other benefits but I know nothing about those. I think I agree with sally and james that there is probably some other lifestyle change that accounts for it.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the thoughts.

The main changes I've made so far is to reduce my carbs and limit my calories to under 2000. As a result my BG and weight are falling.

I have a physical disability due to a road accident, so I have some difficulty with exercise. I'll need to talk to someone about what exercises I might be able to cope with.
 
Inchindown said:
Thanks for the thoughts.

The main changes I've made so far is to reduce my carbs and limit my calories to under 2000. As a result my BG and weight are falling.

I have a physical disability due to a road accident, so I have some difficulty with exercise. I'll need to talk to someone about what exercises I might be able to cope with.
Click to expand...
I think it is likely that reducing your carbs accounts for most of your improvement. For some people the improvement is such that they don't need the Metformin at all anymore.
 
Yup, I agree with the Squire and sally and james - it is very likely that your diet and exercise changes have had FAR more impact than one tablet of Metformin a day.
- which is excellent news, because it suggests that you may be able get this thing under control, long term, using diet and exercise. If that is what you want.

It is often said (so often that I have no idea whether it is based on people's experience, or on studies), that diet is 80% of control for T2s, with exercise and drugs making up the remaining 20%.
This is certainly confirmed by my personal experience, and it would be wonderful if you found the same.
 
Brunneria said:
Yup, I agree with the Squire and sally and james - it is very likely that your diet and exercise changes have had FAR more impact than one tablet of Metformin a day.
- which is excellent news, because it suggests that you may be able get this thing under control, long term, using diet and exercise. If that is what you want.

It is often said (so often that I have no idea whether it is based on people's experience, or on studies), that diet is 80% of control for T2s, with exercise and drugs making up the remaining 20%.
This is certainly confirmed by my personal experience, and it would be wonderful if you found the same.
Click to expand...
Many thanks for the encouragement.
 
I was diagnosed T2 on the 15th November and am eating low carb (Atkins) I have lost 6lb, and am watching my BG readings go down. I am taking a single tablet of Metformin - 500mg - but not every day as it runs riot in my gut and I can't go out of the house with any confidence. I had the same instructions about increasing to 3 tablets - if tolerated, but I don't tolerate at all well.
 
Resurgam said:
I was diagnosed T2 on the 15th November and am eating low carb (Atkins) I have lost 6lb, and am watching my BG readings go down. I am taking a single tablet of Metformin - 500mg - but not every day as it runs riot in my gut and I can't go out of the house with any confidence. I had the same instructions about increasing to 3 tablets - if tolerated, but I don't tolerate at all well.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about your gut problems with metformin.

I'm not following any particular diet. I'm just modifying my existing diet. I'm not looking to go very low on carbs. I'm looking to find the maximum amount of carbs I can take while keeping my BG in the normal zone keeping my calories below 2000.

The biggest change I've made to my diet is not bingeing on the **** I used to eat before I was diagnosed. There were days when I was eating in excess 5000 calories.

My diagnosis has been a major motivator for me to sort out my destructive eating.
 
Resurgam said:
I was diagnosed T2 on the 15th November and am eating low carb (Atkins) I have lost 6lb, and am watching my BG readings go down. I am taking a single tablet of Metformin - 500mg - but not every day as it runs riot in my gut and I can't go out of the house with any confidence. I had the same instructions about increasing to 3 tablets - if tolerated, but I don't tolerate at all well.
Click to expand...
Do ask for the Slow Release (SR) version if the gut problems don't improve as it's much kinder
 
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