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Coming off Metformin

mags22

Member
Messages
6
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi. I was diagnosed Type 2 in September 2014. I have been on 4 x 500mg metformin daily since. All of my subsequent blood sugars have been very good and as such Practice .Nurse has said I no longer have diabetes and to wean myself off the metformin by reducing tablets from four a day for a week, then three a day for a week etc. I'm into my last week so am just taking one tablet a day. My question is that I am having headaches and today I'm very dizzy and I am wondering if this is related to coming off the metformin? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you
 
mags22 said:
Nurse has said I no longer have diabetes ....
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You might not have diabetic glucose or A1c levels anymore, but you probably still have diabetes. If you went back to living like a typical non-diabetic, you'd probably end up right back where you were at diagnosis.

mags22 said:
My question is that I am having headaches and today I'm very dizzy and I am wondering if this is related to coming off the metformin?
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Are you able to test your blood sugar to make sure nothing funky is happening?
 

Thank you for your reply. I'm still watching what I eat etc. I'm not going back to how I was before diagnosis, and if anything I'm being more careful since nurse told me I'm no longer diabetic lol. I can't test my blood. Nurse said I didn't need to, so I don't have the equipment. I'll see how I go. GP appointment if I still feel like this at the end of the week.
 
It's fantastic you managed to get back to non-diabetic levels! Good job on taking control!

I don't know if coming off the Metformin would cause headaches, its symptoms are usually more related to the digestive tract. I do know that diabetes is a progressive condition, and that type 2 reversal is more considered remission than being cured. (In other words, your symptoms may have gone away, but the underlying diabetes is a lifetime condition.) This means your symptoms can come back and further treatment is needed even if you maintain your diet and exercise regime.

Stress and other factors can cause headaches of course, have you done anything in the past week that might cause that? I also recommend that you get a glucometer, or at least have your values tested at the GP's office, to ensure it's not your bloodsugar being high.
 
Thank you for your reply. Headaches could be stress related - other health problems - think I was just wondering if it was due to coming off the medication. Think I'll get a GP appt for blood sugars just in case. Thank you again
 
Hi. I strongly recommend you get a glucose testing meter. There is good advice on this website about which one to buy and costs etc. The medicos always say not to test.. I say that you absolutely need to test if you are going to control this on diet alone. You also need to control your food closely. How do I know - I came off medication 2 months ago and I am now controlling by diet only. I would be lost and quite scared if I wasn't able to see how my body was reacting.
Don't delay, get a meter!
 
Hi @mags22

I definitely agree with above suggestions.

You really do need to test your blood sugar levels, otherwise you just don't know what is happening. Being told 'you don't need to test' either by Practice nurse or GP, is likely due to the practice not wanting to prescribe you a meter and test strips, in order to save money. They will use all sorts of excuses to back this up.

However, would you drive a car with no speedo, for instance, or no fuel tank? No, only if prepared to risk it

Also, the NHS advice re the Eatwell Plate healthy diet includes too many carbs and it's carbs that diabetics need to be extremely careful to watch intake of, or even try to exclude, in order to control levels or to minimise use of meds. So, please don't take the advice from NHS professionals without being very careful to check if it's good advice or otherwise. I agree it's sad but this is the reality.
 
After discussing with the diabetes nurse recently I have dropped from taking Metformin twice a day to once a day. I am going to see if my fasting blood glucose levels don't go up. If they do, will revert to twice daily.
 
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