New metformin meds

MrsP1409

Newbie
Messages
2
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi
I was diagnosed type 2 and been managing by diet control but last July I had a knee replacement & since then my sugar levels have gone through the roof.....my last hba1c was 111! I've been put on sakkarta metformin, does anyone else have nausea/ tum probs on it and does it get better?? I felt fine before it, no symptoms at all, not done anything differerent apart from xmas blowout......any advice much appreciated, thankyou
 

statler

Active Member
Messages
33
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
salad
i would be asking your gp to switch you onto slow release metformin and definitely not the sukkarto version
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
If your Metformin is Slow Release then you may eventually get used to them or you may be one of the few that can't tolerate it at all. It never has that much effect so don't panic if you have to give up with metformin
 

ringi

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,365
Type of diabetes
Type 2
You say, you have "managing by diet control". Has anything in your diet changed? Please can you list everything you have eaten or drunk in the last few days, so we can understand what your diet is like.
 

JoKalsbeek

Expert
Messages
5,937
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi
I was diagnosed type 2 and been managing by diet control but last July I had a knee replacement & since then my sugar levels have gone through the roof.....my last hba1c was 111! I've been put on sakkarta metformin, does anyone else have nausea/ tum probs on it and does it get better?? I felt fine before it, no symptoms at all, not done anything differerent apart from xmas blowout......any advice much appreciated, thankyou
Hi @MrsP1409 ,

@ringi posed a good question.... How were you, with diet controlled? And exactly what diet would that be, because there are many, but when it comes to T2, it's always coming down to carb reduction. Newcastle, Mediterranian, Nordic, LCHF, Keto, etc etc.... Basically all of them cut back on carbs, and those work for T2's. "Normal" non diabetics usually diet with fatreduction and upping the carbs... Which is exactly the opposite of what a T2 needs to do. Bloodsugars can spike post-op, but this is a rather long while, and a very big spike.

As for metformin, I don't know how long you've been on it, but if the runs have been with you for a few weeks, I doubt they'll be going anywhere. But most it does is reduce liver dumps... It doesn't do anything about what you've ingested. So it's really important that we know what you've been eating, because that's the quickest way to get your bloodsugars down: cutting carbs. I was so incredibly ill on metformin, so that's when I started looking for alternatives (And I mean, I had the runs so bad I was bleeding all day long). Too bad I didn't stumble into this place back then, I would've been medication-free a lot quicker than my stumbling around for 3 months. And have been off any drugs for T2 and cholesterol for 2 years now, HbA1c solidly in the non-diabetic range. So it can be done.

If you share what your usual meals look like, we can help you tweak them to not spike your sugars?

One more question: is there an infection brewing in your knee? Could also explain the upped sugars, just thought I'd check.

Welcome, and hope you'll be feeling better soon!
Jo
PS: Tagging @daisy1 for her amazing info sheet
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
@MrsP1409
Hello and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information for new members and I hope you will find it interesting and helpful.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.