KeithSimpson001
Member
- Messages
- 17
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Insulin
Hi
I'm not taking Metformin - have been managing mainly through diet, with a bit of exercise. However my doctor has mentioned Metformin a few times and I would like to understand more.
Putting the side effects to one side, I've read a number of times on here that Metformin has a minimal impact on blood sugar levels. If that's the case, what are its benefits and why is it prescribed so often?
Thanks.
Metformin is prescribed so often as it is an old & therefore cheap medication. I was diagnosed type 2 with an Hba1c initially of 119. My experience of trying Metformin is that it did not help my fasting glucose levels which averaged 7.6 in the morning but it did help curtail glucose levels after breakfast. I can only think that before breakfast I was not producing enough insulin for the Metformin to be able to do anything. The improvement after eating when some insulin was produced, for me was similar to the effect of exercise & so in my opinion, of limited value & in fact I now use insulin. As regards side effects, the day after taking Metformin for the first time I developed Raynaud's syndrome, painfully cold hands & feet. This is something I never had before & it was 6 months after I stopped taking Metformin before things went back to normal. I took Metformin for 6 months in the end but for me insulin gives better control & without all the side effects. The problem is to find somone prepared to prescribe insulin & test strips too. Type 1 means insulin is a given plus testing strips but Type 2 means trying various medications that all have side effects & no test strips prescribed, so you aren't able to judge what is working & what isn't unless you buy your own.