Type 2 Does anyone have any experience on metformin?

[jul34]

Hiya,
I’m new here. I was diagnosed pre diabetic a couple of years ago but I’ve been in total denial. Today I had my blood work results back from the doctors and he is insisting I start on 500mg of slow release metformin immediately. It felt a bit like he was a drug pusher, warning me of being on dialysis and all sorts. I am terrified of the side effects and the thought of being on medication for the rest of my life.
Can anyone please give me some advice, as I really don’t want to take it. my symptoms are pretty mild, just dry calloused feet and a big belly. I’ve been exercising everyday since the lock down, have not lost an iota of weight, or the belly
Should I try a low carb/ Keto diet for 3 months and see if it will do the trick before I start chugging metformin? My brother who is also type 2 was put on them and he had such bad side effects he stopped. Please help, thanks

 

[LaoDan]

Cutting carbs worked wonderfully for me . I told my doc I wanted to try changing my diet before starting any medication. Diet worked.,,

If I may ask? What were your numbers?

 

[Andydragon]

Some have had quite bad side effects on metformin, some, like me, don’t have any side effects and am on a much larger dose than you (2000mg) plus other drugs

I am now on trying a reduced carb diet And losing weight to try and reduce my levels. It’s starting to work for me and I know others on here have managed to move to totally drug free from it

I understand you not wanting to take drugs and moving to alternative approaches are hopefully going to work for you. However, side effects of not reducing your levels are also serious. You have to do something. Your doctor may have gone overboard on their warnings but this is a serious and lifelong condition but can be controlled

I had over 10 years on drugs, am now trying to reverse that. We shall see but you have time on your side, good luck!

 

[JenniferM55]

It took just 3 tablets to say 'no more'! I've now gone full on keto and have never felt so well for a long time, nor have I enjoyed my food so much. I bought a blood glucose meter and I analyse each food 1-2 hours after eating to get a good idea what food spikes an insulin reaction. Some on this forum do take metformin with seemingly good effect. Obviously this forum can't give medical advice, we can only share experiences.

You've found a great forum for support from many who've been/are in your situation. Take a look at dietdoctor.com as another place for help and delicious recipes.

 

[jul34]

Cutting carbs worked wonderfully for me . I told my doc I wanted to try changing my diet before starting any medication. Diet worked.,,

If I may ask? What were your numbers?

I was in such shock I don’t even remember what numbers he said. Thank you so much for your reply, I feel really hopeful and I’m definitely going to try the low carb first

 

[jul34]

Some have had quite bad side effects on metformin, some, like me, don’t have any side effects and am on a much larger dose than you (2000mg) plus other drugs

I am now on trying a reduced carb diet And losing weight to try and reduce my levels. It’s starting to work for me and I know others on here have managed to move to totally drug free from it

I understand you not wanting to take drugs and moving to alternative approaches are hopefully going to work for you. However, side effects of not reducing your levels are also serious. You have to do something. Your doctor may have gone overboard on their warnings but this is a serious and lifelong condition but can be controlled

I had over 10 years on drugs, am now trying to reverse that. We shall see but you have time on your side, good luck!

Thanks very much for this, it makes me feel so much better. I have been in denial and it’s just starting to sink in that if I don’t take care of this properly the consequences can be severe.

 

[jul34]

Thanks very much for this, I think my denial has not helped and this chat with the doctor is the wake up call I needed to give me a kick up the backside!

Some have had quite bad side effects on metformin, some, like me, don’t have any side effects and am on a much larger dose than you (2000mg) plus other drugs

I am now on trying a reduced carb diet And losing weight to try and reduce my levels. It’s starting to work for me and I know others on here have managed to move to totally drug free from it

I understand you not wanting to take drugs and moving to alternative approaches are hopefully going to work for you. However, side effects of not reducing your levels are also serious. You have to do something. Your doctor may have gone overboard on their warnings but this is a serious and lifelong condition but can be controlled

I had over 10 years on drugs, am now trying to reverse that. We shall see but you have time on your side, good luck!

 

[jul34]

Thanks Andydragon, being in denial hasn’t helped! This is probably the kick up the backside I needed to accept this diagnosis and tackle it properly. It’s assuring to know that the drug can work for people without the hideous side effects but I’m going to try the diet first and see

 

[jul34]

It took just 3 tablets to say 'no more'! I've now gone full on keto and have never felt so well for a long time, nor have I enjoyed my food so much. I bought a blood glucose meter and I analyse each food 1-2 hours after eating to get a good idea what food spikes an insulin reaction. Some on this forum do take metformin with seemingly good effect. Obviously this forum can't give medical advice, we can only share experiences.

You've found a great forum for support from many who've been/are in your situation. Take a look at dietdoctor.com as another place for help and delicious recipes.

 

[jul34]

Thanks jenniferM55 I’ll definitely check out the website for the recipes. I’ll let you all know how I get on with the dietary changes.

 

[JenniferM55]

Please do let us know how you're getting on. It also encourages others on the same journey as you.

 

[KK123]

I was in such shock I don’t even remember what numbers he said. Thank you so much for your reply, I feel really hopeful and I’m definitely going to try the low carb first

Hi there, make sure you DO get the numbers from your Dr as that way you know exactly what is going on and what your starting point is. x

 

[Andydragon]

Hi there, make sure you DO get the numbers from your Dr as that way you know exactly what is going on and what your starting point is. x

Good place to look is online medical records. I have history of my hba1c going back many years through that

 

[masonap]

Definitely low carb. I’ve lost 3.5 stones and my blood tests are fantastic. It isn’t easy, we all love bread and potatoes, but the fewer carbs you eat the better it will be for you. Look for hidden sugar (sugar is carb) in everything you eat or drink. No fruit juice or smoothies. No cakes, biscuits, pastries, etc.

 

[jul34]

Hi there, make sure you DO get the numbers from your Dr as that way you know exactly what is going on and what your starting point is. x

Okay thanks. Will do

 

[jul34]

Please do let us know how you're getting on. It also encourages others on the same journey as you.

Will do

 

[Spirit01]

Hiya,
I’m new here. I was diagnosed pre diabetic a couple of years ago but I’ve been in total denial. Today I had my blood work results back from the doctors and he is insisting I start on 500mg of slow release metformin immediately. It felt a bit like he was a drug pusher, warning me of being on dialysis and all sorts. I am terrified of the side effects and the thought of being on medication for the rest of my life.
Can anyone please give me some advice, as I really don’t want to take it. my symptoms are pretty mild, just dry calloused feet and a big belly. I’ve been exercising everyday since the lock down, have not lost an iota of weight, or the belly
Should I try a low carb/ Keto diet for 3 months and see if it will do the trick before I start chugging metformin? My brother who is also type 2 was put on them and he had such bad side effects he stopped. Please help, thanks

I take 1 x 500 a day and have had no problems at all. My Dr tried pushing me onto Statins but I refused these

 

[Spirit01]

Hiya,
I’m new here. I was diagnosed pre diabetic a couple of years ago but I’ve been in total denial. Today I had my blood work results back from the doctors and he is insisting I start on 500mg of slow release metformin immediately. It felt a bit like he was a drug pusher, warning me of being on dialysis and all sorts. I am terrified of the side effects and the thought of being on medication for the rest of my life.
Can anyone please give me some advice, as I really don’t want to take it. my symptoms are pretty mild, just dry calloused feet and a big belly. I’ve been exercising everyday since the lock down, have not lost an iota of weight, or the belly
Should I try a low carb/ Keto diet for 3 months and see if it will do the trick before I start chugging metformin? My brother who is also type 2 was put on them and he had such bad side effects he stopped. Please help, thanks

I take one 500g tablet a day and have had no side effects. My Dr has tried to get me to take Statins but I have been warned off of them so I've always refused them.

 

[TeddyTottie]

So, when I was diagnosed I was so keen to get my bloods down as soon as possible that I took the metformin. I also immediately went very low carb, keto actually although that was not my intention at the start.

I took 4 tablets a day for 3 months, until my next blood test (which was normal - yay!) and I felt low-grade ill for most of that time, constantly nauseous, no appetite at all, with the world occasionally falling out of my bum! After 3 months I halved the dose and felt so much better, I had no side effects at all at that dose. And now I have halved it again to one a day and will stop taking it when I run out. 3 months after I stop I will have another HBA1C test to make sure everything is fine.

If I had known then what I know now about just how quickly a very low carb diet can reduce BG, I would not have started the pills. However, perhaps perversely, I have not stopped them cold since there are some small advantages to taking them, and once I first halved the first dose I felt fine. Having made such good progress think that I may be a little superstitious about stopping them even though I know it’s mainly down to diet!

 

[Nicole T]

Hiya,
I’m new here. I was diagnosed pre diabetic a couple of years ago but I’ve been in total denial. Today I had my blood work results back from the doctors and he is insisting I start on 500mg of slow release metformin immediately. It felt a bit like he was a drug pusher, warning me of being on dialysis and all sorts. I am terrified of the side effects and the thought of being on medication for the rest of my life.
Can anyone please give me some advice, as I really don’t want to take it. my symptoms are pretty mild, just dry calloused feet and a big belly. I’ve been exercising everyday since the lock down, have not lost an iota of weight, or the belly
Should I try a low carb/ Keto diet for 3 months and see if it will do the trick before I start chugging metformin? My brother who is also type 2 was put on them and he had such bad side effects he stopped. Please help, thanks

I'm in a similar boat. Diagnosed pre-diabetic 10 years ago (though they either didn't make a big deal of it, or I ignored and forgot about it) and properly diabetic so in the last few weeks. I have the prescription for Metformin sitting here, unfilled. I looked at the side effects, and decided it was a last resort for me, so I tried going low carb. With the 1Ac level as a guideline, my average blood sugar over the last 3 months has been around 12. I've halved that by simply going low carb, and if it halves my 1Ac, I'll be well into the non-diabetic figures through diet alone, the next time they test me.

If I could do one thing differently, I'd have stuck on my lousy diet for a few more days to get a bit more data on it, but over the two days of carby stuff with the meter, I was pulling figures of up to 12.5 after eating bread (still way down from an overall average of 12. I had cut out chocolate.) Since going low carb, I haven't read over 7.5 (except for one 7.6, which was taken too soon after eating.)

Buy a test meter, go low carb, and see if you can keep most of your readings down to (or at least close to) pre-diabetic levels. Morning fasting levels can be high, but if you're showing pre-diabetic or lower readings 2 hours after food, then you've got this. Without drugs and their nasty side-effects.