Hi Bronte1660. An HBA1C of 11.6 is very high. After the shock we all feel at diagnosis, it will settle. Meanwhile I'm afraid Metformin does help but won't reduce your sugars by that much. Have you started a serious low-carb diet? Diet is the first stop in treating diabetes. Once your body weight is near 'average' your HBa1C should come down. If it doesn't then further meds can be added such as the common ones Gliclazide and Sitagliptin. If you are young and not overweight then it's always possible you are a late onset T1 not T2. So, if diet and meds don't bring you below an HBa1C of 7'ish then discuss other diagnosis possibilities with the doc. Sadly diabetes can't be cured but if you are an insulin resistant, overweight T2 then low-carbing should have quite a dramatic effect and even make it possible to come off Metformin in the longer-term. BTW if you are not on Slow Release Metformin (SR) then do insist that your doc changes your prescription to this kinder version.