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russ61

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hi everyone,
I have been reading the forum with interest since I was diagnosed in may this year with type 2 . I have so far refused to take the metformin I was prescribed because firstly I didn't want to take tablets and secondly I thought I could control my diabetes with a new diet.
I have totally changed what I eat and lost over a stone in weight. I also have been monitoring my sugar levels twice a day and my normal reading is around 4.4 in the morning before breakfast and 5.5 in the afternoon before a meal..i really thought I was doing well until I went back to my g.p on Thursday for my blood test results. she said I had to start metformin straight away and take medication for high cholesterol.. however on my previous visit the dn said my cholesterol results were fine.!

I really do not want to take metformin unless I have to but I started with one 500mg tablet on Thursday evening and on Friday morning my blood sugar was 6.6 before breakfast . i took my morning 500mg metformin and in the afternoon my blood sugar was 8.6 before my tea!!. I also felt rubbish all day. so now I am wondering what I should do. should I continue with the metformin or tell the doctor I don't want it and continue with my diet the way I was before. I am a little confused and when I told the receptionist at the surgery of my concern she said stop the medication and come in to see the doctor next week...my big question is this, what are the consequences and long term effects of my refusing to take the metformin prescribed?? does anyone agree that i should stick to diet control?? and was it normal for my blood sugars to go up when taking metformin or should they have immediately gone down??I would be most grateful for your answers.i know there are some very knowledgeable people on this forum so please get in touch.

thanks in anticipation :D I hope I haven't asked questions which have been posted before although im sure they probably have.and I would appreciate some replies this weekend because I want to have some of your thoughts before I go back to my doctor on Tuesday so please get writing... :D
 
Did the GP give you any numbers for blood sugar and cholesterol?
 
hi welcome :) metformin cant make bloods go up as far as i know, id say the stress of doing what you dont want to would though, its a good drug (in my opinion) but we need to know your numbers and could you test 2 hours after a meal? because your before numbers are perfect, statins on the other hand for cholesterol isnt so good (again just my opinion and i do take them)
 
Hi Russ and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask all the questions you like and someone will come along and help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.
 
thanks for the replies.. the doctor didn't mention what my numbers were. just that I needed metformin and simvastatin to be started straight away. I don't want to start with the metformin until I absolutely have to..i have been feeling great with diet control and losing weight and just want to continue in the same way.. :D
 
Hi. Your GP should have told you your HBa1C results assuming that was the blood test you had; they are supposed to share the information and you are supposed to mutually agree the treatment plan. Metformin is not a problem drug so no big deal either way but I would take it. Your surgery reception can tell you your blood test result which you are entitled to know and avoids bothering the GP again in the short-term. The arguments continue about statins. They have nothing to do with diabetes and some would say reducing blood cholesterol is not the right thing to do but it's your decision; again your GP should have told you the numbers. You may want to try the statins but don't continue if you have any muscle or joint aches etc and discuss with the GP.
 
Hi. Metformin is a good drug and can't make ur BG levels go up, however, it can take upto two weeks to get it circulating in ur system properly for u to see its effects. The slow release version eliminates the majority of regular side effects and it has been linked to many other health benefits too that are not related to diabetes.... I think speaking to ur GP and getting them to give u your blood results and discuss them with u would give u much more information to make a decision :-)


Diagnosed with GD in 2010, Completely disappeared postpartum. Re-diagnosed December 2012 with type 1.5 diabetes, age 26, BMI 22 currently controlled by only Metformin, 500mg twice a day.
 
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