Sitagliptin

dallas

Newbie
Messages
4
Hi everyone,

Have posted a couple of times recently about rising blood sugars, and went to see the nurse at the doctors surgery. She suggested upping the current dosage of Metformin have been on 1000mg sr for three years since diagnosis, but I seemed to start getting high morning reading and feeling like I had a hangover :( so upped it to 1500mg daily and still would get a headache every time I ate something, I think its blood sugar spikes ??? anyway have now been advised to add Sitagliptin to take with the Metformin. Can anyone who's taking it or has taken it give me some idea of what its like as I'd never heard of it before. Many thanks for any advice.


Dallas
 

Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,551
Several members including myself ake sitagliptin a;so known as Januvia. I have been taking it for more han 18 monhs and am very happy wih it. I suffered from spikes when I ate small evening meals and this s ahy it was prescribed for me.
iT is what it is good at. It prevents the liver dumpng iglucose into your system. I used o have low readings the rest of he ime but would spike to 18 sometimes when I decided i was no very hungry in the evening.

Sitagliptin does not cause weigh gain unlike some other meds.

For he fisrst week or so after beginning it I would have sligh headaches in he evenings and have o go o bed immediately I ook it because it made nme very sleepy.

It doesn't need o be aken with food or drink and is only supposed o work when needed.

I have no had any problems since the first week and have found it o be very succesful in improving my HBA1C by stoppim the spikes.
 

dallas

Newbie
Messages
4
Hi Unbeliever

Thanks for your reply, have taken the first one this morning. Im feel a bit more reassured as you say you have got on okay with this. Im normally a bit wary of taking something new but I feel like I need to combine something else with the Metformin to control my sugars and im also hoping to lose some weight on this too :))) thanks again unbeliever.


Dallas
 

Unbeliever

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,551
It doesn't make you lose wweight just doesn't put any on as a lot of medication will. Were you told to take it in the morning?

I imagine ou take your metformin then too?I naturally wouldn't advise you to go against medical ad vice unil you have at least ried it but I have always found wih medicaion that the HCPs don't always have a goood reason for telling you o take medication at a particular ime. It is very much an individual thing and sometimes you just have o find by rial and error, what is right for you.

Sometimes there are valid reasons why you should take meds at particular imes but wih fairly new drugs like Januvia there is not always a valid reason.

The diabetes consultant at the hospital , for example , has a theory that all diabetes drugs should be taken first thing in the morning. His real rationale as he admitted, is cusomer convenience! He pointed out that SR metformin should last las all day and as Januvia is supposed only o kick in when you need it that should be ok taken that way too.

As I once had a very helpful Gp who used to tell me to find he best way for myself I have no compunction in always doing hat.

The reason I menion his is that you may not get the best from Januvia by assuming it has to be taken in the morning.
In you rcase his may be the righ thing but I think people sometimes assume a drug isn working for theeme because they are oo rigid with it.

I began by taking it at night for two reasons. Firstly because my spikes occurred after an evening meal- the smaller he meal the bigger he spike. Secondly because new meds always have an enormous effect upon me and I feel it dsafer o ry them at night.

This is mostly what I do still but because I have a routine of balancing meals wih either meds or exercise I will take the Januvia with my main meal even if this should happen to be the middle of the day.

By doing this I discovered that Januvia is obviously effective in stopping the dawn phenomenon too. My levelas are always lesss in he morning when I take it at night than if I take it at lunchime. I think it maybe is only effective for about 12 hours.

I hope that this is not oo confusing for you. Basically I am saying that if it doesn't seem to do much for you then try taking it at a different time to fit in with YOUR lifesylle. It works best to prevemnt spikes so take it when spikes are likely o occur. There is no harm in ding this as you wont hpo on Januvia.

Hope it works well for you.

B
 

Daibell

Master
Messages
12,642
Type of diabetes
LADA
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi. I've been on Sitaglitpin for over a year with no problems and some reduction in spikes. Sitagliptin is only a few years old and still a bit expensive. It has few side effects but has been known to cause serious pancreaitis in a few users. It gave me a headache for the first week of use but no problems since. Sitagliptin is a 'DPP-4' inhibitor i.e. it suppresses an enzyme that in turn suppresses insulin production after a period of time after eating. By extending insulin production after eating it does help with spikes. It has no effect on weight or hypos. There is only one dose of 100gm which can be taken at any time of day. So, most users seem to report good results with few problems so I hope it helps you.
 

Meg2009Arm

Well-Known Member
Messages
60
Hi
I noticed there's some mention of Sitigliptin and weight loss or at least 'no weight gain' whilst on this drug. I was on it for two years and have recently been taken off it (with little affect to my BS levels I might add) after being told only people with a BMI of over 30 should be on it. Has anyone else heard that? My BMI is 18! Now I'm going to start on Insulin in a week as they think I am type 1.5 but still awaiting GAD results.
 
S

skyking

Guest
Hi everyone,

Have posted a couple of times recently about rising blood sugars, and went to see the nurse at the doctors surgery. She suggested upping the current dosage of Metformin have been on 1000mg sr for three years since diagnosis, but I seemed to start getting high morning reading and feeling like I had a hangover :( so upped it to 1500mg daily and still would get a headache every time I ate something, I think its blood sugar spikes ??? anyway have now been advised to add Sitagliptin to take with the Metformin. Can anyone who's taking it or has taken it give me some idea of what its like as I'd never heard of it before. Many thanks for any advice.


Dallas
I've used Janumet 50/1000 which is a mix of sitaglyptin and metformin. Good results.