New to metformin

[Littlepenguin]

Hi,

so I started on metformin a week or two ago and have already noticed my blood sugar coming down!! It was reading between the 20s and HI when I started but last night I had an 18 (after a crumble and Indian takeaway) then this morning down to 14!!!! I was wondering if anyone knows how long it took everyone else to come down to normal levels after starting?
Thanks

 

[McHelen]

Hi,

so I started on metformin a week or two ago and have already noticed my blood sugar coming down!! It was reading between the 20s and HI when I started but last night I had an 18 (after a crumble and Indian takeaway) then this morning down to 14!!!! I was wondering if anyone knows how long it took everyone else to come down to normal levels after starting?
Thanks

Hi and welcome to the Metformin club!!!
I started Metformin 6 weeks ago and my levels have come down from 20+ to 7/8’s. I am only testing first thing in the morning to provide consistency. Diet and exercise also play an important role in lowering levels. I have just spent a couple of nights in hospital following a car accident and my levels have gone back up to 16+ but I am confident that with low carb, daily exercise and metformin I will get back to 7/8 this week with my goal of 6 for the following week.

 

[MrsA2]

after a crumble and Indian takeaway

They'd come down even quicker without these foods!
Adopting a low carb way of eating has more effect ob bg than metformin does

 

[KateS14]

I've been on Metformin for a couple of months now. A bit of a rocky ride with it. 2 tablets a day to start off with fine, upping the dose to 3 tablets gave some side effects but they were wearing off. Going up to 4 tablets a day was like biological warfare so I quickly went back to 2 a day with the agreement of the DSN.

For me personally, I do question how much the MF alone is doing for my blood sugars though. At the same time I have adopted a low carb diet, exercise more when I can and have lost a significant amount of weight, and from what I can judge these are having a FAR more significant impact.

However, this is just me and I know everyone will be different!

 

[Littlepenguin]

They'd come down even quicker without these foods!
Adopting a low carb way of eating has more effect ob bg than metformin does

I’ve been eating low carb normally but treated myself, my doctor has said I need to treat myself occasionally to make sure I don’t loose weight from the low carb.

If you have any tips for lower carb treats that can help keep weight on that would be really appreciated!

 

[Littlepenguin]

I've been on Metformin for a couple of months now. A bit of a rocky ride with it. 2 tablets a day to start off with fine, upping the dose to 3 tablets gave some side effects but they were wearing off. Going up to 4 tablets a day was like biological warfare so I quickly went back to 2 a day with the agreement of the DSN.

For me personally, I do question how much the MF alone is doing for my blood sugars though. At the same time I have adopted a low carb diet, exercise more when I can and have lost a significant amount of weight, and from what I can judge these are having a FAR more significant impact.

However, this is just me and I know everyone will be different!

thank you that’s really interesting to know it seems like the diet and excerise is having more of an impact. Might have to start excerising more. Well done btw.

 

[Littlepenguin]

Hi and welcome to the Metformin club!!!
I started Metformin 6 weeks ago and my levels have come down from 20+ to 7/8’s. I am only testing first thing in the morning to provide consistency. Diet and exercise also play an important role in lowering levels. I have just spent a couple of nights in hospital following a car accident and my levels have gone back up to 16+ but I am confident that with low carb, daily exercise and metformin I will get back to 7/8 this week with my goal of 6 for the following week.

Wow that’s just amazing! I really needed to hear a positive story like this I’ve been so worried about needing insulin because of how high my levels started off. Sorry to hear about your car accident wishing you a speedy recovery and hopefully your levels will go back to normal too.

 

[McHelen]

Wow that’s just amazing! I really needed to hear a positive story like this I’ve been so worried about needing insulin because of how high my levels started off. Sorry to hear about your car accident wishing you a speedy recovery and hopefully your levels will go back to normal too.

So this morning’s fasting levels was 9.0 but not surprising with all my bruising etc. I am definitely on the mend and I do wonder how much my T2 contributed to my accident (fatigue, loss of concentration etc) as my food intake was not good on that day due to restricted access to low carb on the move. My lesson is to take more supplies with me when I am away from home.

 

[MrsA2]

@Littlepenguin I've just read your other threads. Please don't change anything much food wise until you have had a formal diagnosis. There's a strong possibility you are Type 1 and most of the low carb advice given here is for Type 2s which is a very different thing altogether.
Also sickle cell means you need different tests, but its not my area and I don't know what they are.
Read the replies to your other thread and note the advice should anything change suddenly. T1 can develop very quickly and can be dangerous

Do come back and let us know what the hospital says

 

[Littlepenguin]

@Littlepenguin I've just read your other threads. Please don't change anything much food wise until you have had a formal diagnosis. There's a strong possibility you are Type 1 and most of the low carb advice given here is for Type 2s which is a very different thing altogether.
Also sickle cell means you need different tests, but its not my area and I don't know what they are.
Read the replies to your other thread and note the advice should anything change suddenly. T1 can develop very quickly and can be dangerous

Do come back and let us know what the hospital says

Thank you, the nurse said it’s type 2 and to treat it as type 2 for now as type 1 is normally a much faster progression than mine but the hospital team will obviously look further into it because I’m quite young and quite a healthy size. I’m hoping the diagnosis stays as type 2 and I don’t progress to type 1 anytime soon.

 

[ShelleyMcD]

Ive been on metformin 4 weeks lots of side effects like nausea and diarrhoea my appetite is non existent my Bg is 4.7 today it used to be between 8 and 12 should I be worried?

 

[catinahat]

Ive been on metformin 4 weeks lots of side effects like nausea and diarrhoea my appetite is non existent my Bg is 4.7 today it used to be between 8 and 12 should I be worried?

The nausea, diarrhoea and loss of appetite would concern me. The Bg however is fantastic but I suspect that has more to do with your loss of appetite than the metformin. It can take a while for your body to get comfortable with metformin but personally I think that at 4 weeks you have suffered enough. Maybe go back to your Dr, there could be an alternative med to try

 

[ShelleyMcD]

Thanks for the advice i think i will speak to my GP in the new year its getting me down now im continuously nausea and hardly eating anything im having diarrhoea every evening.

 

[TeddyTottie]

Yeah, I too suffered with continuous nausea, occasional ‘digestive distress’, and no appetite for 3 months, just thought it was part of getting to grips with low carb. Then I had another HbA1c, saw my BG was down to 35 so I cut my metformin from 2000mg to 1000mg and felt normal again, I hadn’t realised how much it had been affecting me til it stopped. Don’t tolerate feeling like **** any more! We have enough to get out heads around without that too! I no longer need to take any meds, thankfully.