I been a type 1 for 22 years. My consultant has recently prescribed me to start on Metformin.
Anyone got any advice?
Anyone got any advice?
- Messages
- 9,288
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- forum bugs
I think @Antje77 is in your position and has just started to take some, so she may well be able to comment.
I was on a double blind trial to see if it helped T1s for a couple of years, but as I both don't know whether I was taking it and I started using the libre during that time, I'm not sure how much it helped. I've considered taking it a few times, as I have some insulin resistance and dawn phenomena, but haven't got around to it yet, so will be interested to hear about your experiences. (My GP has offered to prescribe it if I want it.)
Good luck. I assume you know you have to start it slowly and work up to the end dose?
I was on a double blind trial to see if it helped T1s for a couple of years, but as I both don't know whether I was taking it and I started using the libre during that time, I'm not sure how much it helped. I've considered taking it a few times, as I have some insulin resistance and dawn phenomena, but haven't got around to it yet, so will be interested to hear about your experiences. (My GP has offered to prescribe it if I want it.)
Good luck. I assume you know you have to start it slowly and work up to the end dose?
- Messages
- 19,416
- Type of diabetes
- LADA
- Treatment type
- Insulin
I've been on metformin for about two months now. I started with 500mg to see if any explosive resuts happened bathroom-wise, and upped to 100mg after about a week.
I learn best by being stubborn and finding out for myself, so I now know I DO need to take it with food, as of course I had to try and see what happened if I didn't.
I have a very small amount of gastric side effects, so I'll stick to the 1000 mg for now. It seems to be very different from person to person if, and how much side effects people have, so fingers crossed you'll be fine!
I did reduce my basal a little when I started. My endo told me to just keep taking my usual dose, but I run my BG's rather tight, so not much room for error on the lower side, and not adjusting it made me nervous.
I think I need a little less insulin now, but unfortunately I got either a nasty 2-week cold or covid at the start of december, which messed up my usual numbers, so very hard to gauge the effect of the metformin on my BG with the effect of illness thrown in, I'm still not completely back to normal.
So not much of advice, except try and see what happens, keeping a close eye on your numbers.
Good luck, hope it helps you!
I’d be careful with halving them. Metformin comes in 2 forms, ordinary or slow release. The slow release is prescribed if you have digestive reactions to the metformin, or the GP thinks you might have. If you halve the tablet it will all release at once and you will get the full effect. The ordinary one doesn’t have the slow release coating.
Good luck with it.
Margaret
- Messages
- 19,416
- Type of diabetes
- LADA
- Treatment type
- Insulin
I'd do the 500 at once, unless the tablet clearly looks like it can be broken. The lowest dose prescribed seems to be 500mg.
oh..thanks for this tip. I did halve the tablet. Just looking at my libre pattern overnight till now....I have had a straight stable line. Usually its like a yoyo.
3 days into metformin. Cannot believe how this single tablet has stabilised my BG. Its taken 21 years to get this perfect stable line
- Messages
- 19,416
- Type of diabetes
- LADA
- Treatment type
- Insulin
maria030660
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 227
- Dislikes
- backstabbers, brocoli and dirt toilets...uggghhhh
I was as a type 1 put on Metformin when I developed insulin resistance out of the blue. The amount of insulin I needed tripled and started to affect my weight. Since I take metformin the amount of insulin has gone down again. The consultant said the resistance comes from getting older and being decades on insulin. I am in my sixties. The metformin has one ugly side effect tho. I have the runs every couple of weeks. But I rather take the one day runs then putting on lots of weight.
Well just so you are aware, I was originally put on Glucophage, I was violently sick and when I took the second I again became very ill. It took several days to get rid and get better. Now, it gets better, after several years my diabetic doctor called me in and under observation told me it was a new pill, I had severe stomach pains, my eyes went funny they gave me morphine BUT a second pill. My muscles stopped working and it affected my vision, my brain, my eating etc. It appears that I was lied to and this was yet another metformin. They kept me in for monitoring for 2 days, I could not see to watch TV even at about 2 feet, I had problems with my hands, walking etc. It was 2 weeks before I could drive, and watch TV, 6 weeks before I could ride my motorcycle. The nurse in the hospital after they had stopped the second pill told me the doctor had lied, it was metformin. You are warned. My father was a diabetic and had problems with insulin, and they ended up putting him on Porcin. Here they refused porcin BUT my BP had surges going up to 250 /200 I had chest pains. Eventually after some brainstorming a doctor suggested that I had a form of allergy that was not detected by normal means but tests showed that I WAS having chest pains. He suggested that I use Desloratadine, an anti histamine, and that has worked, but of course as time rolls on both insulin and the Deslor have had to be increased. Whilst I am over weight I have an industrial back injury so walking is often poor, but
after an op the doctor said my "parts" were not heavily fatted which he was expecting to be so. Diet, little or no bread, breakfast small sausage, 1 rasher of bacon, 2 vegetable patties, a piece of black pudding and scrambled egg, tomatoes and mushrooms. During the day a half pizza, and evening a small meal. I try to walk in excess of 600m a day.
I've been type 1 for 41 years and recently started Metformin, it has had an effect as, if I take insulin 20 minutes before eating and a 500mg tablet after eating it keeps my sugars in single figures. It did upset my stomach for a while - which is always fun - but I've worked through it. The only downside I find is the inability to drink alcohol, not the end of the world.
I'd look at the side effects and compare with other drugs- speak LONG with the doctor! "No where in any suggestion of side effects does it say you'll pass balls of jelly like substance 'like clear tripe' BUT I DID!
I stopped taking it immediately and have been in fear of it ever since. Luckily I have been offered 2 different drugs that 'seem' to help me cope- sitapliptin and dapagliflozin.
(I'm not sure we can all cope with the same meds- I'd just like you to know there are lots of different ones and metformin isn't the only one available- merely the most commonly prescribed)
Hi I've just joined this forum. I was diagnosed type 2 about 10 years ago but also had gestational diabetes with both my children.
First of all the site questionnaire asks what type of blood monitoring system you use and can't go further without answering from the drop down menu.
1st failure as my Tee2+ isn't on there! So I just ticked 1to continue.
Regards Metformin . I was originally on 1 x 500 gm tablet but then changed to slow release as it affected my stomach. I'm now on 2 x 500 gm tablets as well as my blood sugars remained high.
However I also still suffer with tummy problems but I also have diverticulitis so never sure what's causing it!
Do others find their blood sugars go up every time they're poorly. Ie bad cold , bronchitis etc?
I won't consider myself to be obese. I'm a size 12/14 but hate being labelled as being overweight as the cause of all type 2 diabetes. Moan over!
First of all the site questionnaire asks what type of blood monitoring system you use and can't go further without answering from the drop down menu.
1st failure as my Tee2+ isn't on there! So I just ticked 1to continue.
Regards Metformin . I was originally on 1 x 500 gm tablet but then changed to slow release as it affected my stomach. I'm now on 2 x 500 gm tablets as well as my blood sugars remained high.
However I also still suffer with tummy problems but I also have diverticulitis so never sure what's causing it!
Do others find their blood sugars go up every time they're poorly. Ie bad cold , bronchitis etc?
I won't consider myself to be obese. I'm a size 12/14 but hate being labelled as being overweight as the cause of all type 2 diabetes. Moan over!
I live in France and have been using it for about 30 years, no side affects ever
markpj31
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 177
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Diabetes.
Well from my point of view, the only thing I have had in the last 10 years is covid, and yes that gave me higher numbers. Being ill makes your body produce stress hormones and raise blood glucose in most cases.
