When to take Metformin

dillydog

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Some advice, please. I am taking Metformin 1 x 500mg per day. My GP advised me to take it with my main meal, however, some days I have my main meal at lunch time, e.g. Sunday lunch, and other times I have it in the early evening. I am curious to know whether I should take it at the same time every day, i.e. lunch time, or whether to take it with my main meal, no matter what time of the day. Any advice greatly appreciated.
 

hanadr

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I've been on Metformin for 5 years and find it's bett3er WITH a meal.
 

dillydog

Member
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15
Thanks for the replies. I have been on Metformin since January, still on just one tablet a day. I must have misled you into thinking I skip lunch, I certainly do not, I enjoy my food too much to do something so silly! My GP hasn't seen me since diagnosis, seen the nurse at surgery once, no mention of increasing dose of Metformin. I will ask when I go again (not due for appointment until January next year). Needless to say, I don't have a lot of faith in my GP.

I do stick to a low carb diet, thanks to all the advice on this site, and am controlling my bs well, (I purchase my strips as GP not willing to px them) only learned about which foods affect me by testing bs 2 hours after eating, and have also lost 2 stone in weight since end of January, so feel I am doing something right.

To explain my question better - sometimes I have something light at lunch time and a bigger evening meal, but somedays I have a big lunch if I am socialising with friends (being a group of ladies "what" lunch) then have a light evening meal. I eat 3 times a day, and tend to always take Metformin at lunch time, but wonder whether I should vary the time, according to what time of day I am having my main meal. (Does that make sense?)

Anyway, thanks for replying, it is very much appreciated.
 

Dennis

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Hi Dillydog,
One of the main actions of metformin is to reduce insulin resistance, thereby making your body's insulin more productive, so it makes sense to have your daily tablet along with whichever meal is the main meal. That will be the meal that triggers the highest insulin production and will therefore benefit most from the lowered insulin resistance.
 

Henry W

Member
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14
Interesting about the time of day to take Metformin. I have been taking mine first thing, (only just started, on one day for two weeks then two from then on), and find that my BS levels first thing (pre-breakfast) are high, is this because the Metformin runs out after 6 hours?
 

Graham55

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101
This only proves that we are all differant, I take three a day not allways with a full meal and my numbers are about 5 most of the time.
I also find that if i go out for a meal and have a pint of larger it makes my numbers drop back to normal, Aint Diabetes a strange thing.
 

Dennis

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Henry W said:
Interesting about the time of day to take Metformin. I have been taking mine first thing, (only just started, on one day for two weeks then two from then on), and find that my BS levels first thing (pre-breakfast) are high, is this because the Metformin runs out after 6 hours?
Hi Henry,
The reason your BGs are higher than you would expect in the morning is a very common problem with diabetes and is known as "the dawn effect". This link will explain it better than I ever could.
http://www.diabetic-talk.org/dp.htm