Metformin

[andyolly]

I am tyle2 diagnosed several years ago. I had being controlling my bag with diet and exercise. Over the last year it has become harder to maintain both.
My last reading after blood test was 7.2 so told by nurse I needed to take 2 metformin a day. When I asked what difference it would make I was told .4, point 4 is that all?Is this right. Please advise. Thankyou

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Metformin doesn't do a whole lot, mainly just slows down your liver when it comes to glucose-dumps. Doesn't significantly tackle what you ingest though. Maybe your diet can be tweaked? What do your meals look like?

 

[JohnEGreen]

Metformin is not directly a blood sugar reducing medication and has little effect on blood sugars so that estimate is about right.

But can have more indirect benefits as it lowers the amount of sugar produced in the liver, and also helps to increase the sensitivity of muscle cells to insulin.

Some benefits atributed to it are:

Anti-ageing.
Reduces Insulin levels in Type 2 Diabetes.
Increases peripheral glucose uptake.
Increases sensitivity and number of insulin receptors.
Cardio protective.
Decreases glucose absorption from GI Tract.
Facilitates WEIGHT LOSS.

 

[andyolly]

Metformin doesn't do a whole lot, mainly just slows down your liver when it comes to glucose-dumps. Doesn't significantly tackle what you ingest though. Maybe your diet can be tweaked? What do your meals look like?

Always cook from scratch. Try to not overload carbs. No potatoes, pasta. Mostly chicken ,fish veg,salad oh and cheeses. Is 7.2 that bad as I know someone on pills 4 a day with a bsl of 10+.
Should I take them I am so confused at present

 

[Bluetit1802]

Is 7.2 that bad

Was this your HbA1c test? If so, it isn't good.

 

[Guzzler]

Was the reading of 7.2 the result of HbA1c? This equates to 55, what was your previous result?

 

[andyolly]

In March this year it was 7.6 previously it has been 6.2 after a HbA1c test.
I take it I need the metformin then.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Always cook from scratch. Try to not overload carbs. No potatoes, pasta. Mostly chicken ,fish veg,salad oh and cheeses. Is 7.2 that bad as I know someone on pills 4 a day with a bsl of 10+.
Should I take them I am so confused at present

It does sound like your diet is alright, but trying not to overload on carbs isn't the same as cutting them out, mostly. So I'm going to ask what might seem entirely logical to you, but better safe than sorry. Do you eat bread, beans and such, fruit, carrots, rice, oats, wheetabix or other cereal, corn, things like that? Your HbA1c is definitely still high, and I'm not sure if loading up on metformin is going to be enough *if* you've already cut the carbs out. It's the default-medication docs revert to, but as said, it doesn't do all that much for processing ingested carbs...

If you haven't, do get yourself a meter. Check before a meal and two hours after first bite. If you go up more than 2.0 mmol/l , that meal was too carby for your body to handle. That way you can pinpoint exactly where things are going awry. I am curious what you eat, and really deconstruct every meal... Because somethig's going wrong somewhere, and if carb-intake can be ruled out, it's time to look at other options.

 

[Rachox]

I recently reduced my Metformin from 3/day to 2. After 3 months, whist maintaining the same low carb diet my HbA1c had risen from 34 to 35, so nothing too significant. I am happy to carry on on my current dose for the other benefits. Here’s some info:
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2001/9/report_metformin/Page-01

 

[Bluetit1802]

Metformin helps mostly with the early morning fasting levels because that is when your liver kicks in to increase blood glucose levels. Some people have real problems with morning fasting levels that take an age to come down, but if you don't have a meter to test yourself, you can't possibly know if this is a problem for you. The liver also kicks in at other times of the day. It isn't restricted to mornings. I can say, in all honesty, that I personally have never had problems with my morning fasting levels, so it is unlikely Metformin would have benefited me.. But that is me, and I know this because I self test and also have periods where I wear a Libre sensor monitor.

The decision to take the tablets is entirely yours - not your nurse's and not ours.

Clearly something is going wrong. If it isn't your food choices then other reasons need to be investigated. We can help you better if you list a typical days food and drink, or list all the foods you normally eat.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I personally believe there is no harm in taking metformin if you can tolerate it and it has benefits too, it is after all just another means of gaining control over your diabetes and should not be dismissed out of hand.