Doctor says I have to stay on metformin

[Ian2477]

Since being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes I've changed my lifestyle and started going to the gym.My blood glucose was 21.4 two weeks ago,but when I got it tested yesterday it was 5.4.I've been taking a slow release metformin tablet for about a week.Due to the progress ive made in just 2 weeks i asked the doctor if i could come off the medication.She said that although the blood glucose results are great,they aren't an accurate reading on what my blood sugar is over a 3 month period.She said I need to up my dose of metformin to two tablets a day and if my 3 monthly tests are good after about a year then she may consider taking me off medication.I was a bit disappointed as I wanted to try to do it myself right away.Is she right?

 

[bulkbiker]

Forum rules don't allow us to answer your question directly.
However I'd suggest you get your own blood glucose meter.. I use this one
https://shop.spirit-health.co.uk/collections/tee2 as the strips are relatively well priced
and keep taking your own blood sugar readings when you get up in the morning (Fasting Blood Glucose) immediately before and then 2 hours after first bite of your low carb meals.
After a month you'll have some more reliable data on how you respond to food and your blood sugar levels then you'll be in a better position to make your own mind up about medication.

 

[Ian2477]

My doctor says she advises against type 2 diabetics purchasing blood glucose monitors,as they aren't an accurate reading of blood sugar over a 3 monthly period.

 

[bulkbiker]

My doctor says she advises against type 2 diabetics purchasing blood glucose monitors,as they aren't an accurate reading of blood sugar over a 3 monthly period.

Your doctor sounds like an idiot.. do you drive without looking at the speedo?

By monitoring your blood regularly you can see how you are reacting to foods, which to continue to eat and which to avoid.
I'm afraid the real reason your doc said that is because the NHS will not pay for a blood glucose meter for you. that's why so many of us buy our own and keep quite detailed records of readings alongside a food diary.
That was how I felt able to make my own informed decision to stop taking metformin ( I knew that my blood sugars were reducing by diet alone) and I got tired of spending hours on the toilet every day. That of course is my own personal experience and should in no way be construed as being advice as to what you should do..
However forewarned is forearmed and there's no way I'd want to be in the dark for 3 months at a time as to how my remission of T2 was doing.
As with everything here though it's completely your choice.

 

[Rachox]

Hi Ian your nurse is just towing the party line with regard to self monitoring. The NHS cant afford to fund meters and strips for all type 2s. If she recommends it then she’ll have to prescribe them. I self test and enter the data into the MySugr app. Whist not completely accurate the estimated HbA1c it produces is a guide to trends up or down. That’s good when your starting off to see you are heading in the right direction and I still do it 2 years from diagnosis to keep me on the straight and narrow.

 

[Bluetit1802]

My doctor says she advises against type 2 diabetics purchasing blood glucose monitors,as they aren't an accurate reading of blood sugar over a 3 monthly period.

Your doctor has also told you to increase the Metformin. Do you agree with this? Doctors are not gods. They do not know it all.
At the end of the day, all doctors are supposed to do is advise, with reasons. They cannot tell you to do anything. The choice is yours, and yours alone.

In my opinion, and I am not alone in this, the finger prick readings from blood glucose meters are far more an accurate indication of how your blood sugars are than the HbA1c. They tell you instantly what each meal has done to your levels if you test before you eat and 2 hours after first bite. If the rise is too high you can change that meal to something less carby, right there and then, without waiting months for your next HbA1c test. Most GPs tell us not to test, and give a variety of excuses, but this is for financial reasons. If they told us to test they would be obliged to provide the mean to do it - and they can't do this because of the costs involved. Bite the bullet, ignore the GP, and buy your own meter. That is the only sensible thing to do.

 

[Ian2477]

Your doctor sounds like an idiot.. do you drive without looking at the speedo?

By monitoring your blood regularly you can see how you are reacting to foods, which to continue to eat and which to avoid.
I'm afraid the real reason your doc said that is because the NHS will not pay for a blood glucose meter for you. that's why so many of us buy our own and keep quite detailed records of readings alongside a food diary.
That was how I felt able to make my own informed decision to stop taking metformin ( I knew that my blood sugars were reducing by diet alone) and I got tired of spending hours on the toilet every day. That of course is my own personal experience and should in no way be construed as being advice as to what you should do..
However forewarned is forearmed and there's no way I'd want to be in the dark for 3 months at a time as to how my remission of T2 was doing.
As with everything here though it's completely your choice.

Your doctor sounds like an idiot.. do you drive without looking at the speedo?

By monitoring your blood regularly you can see how you are reacting to foods, which to continue to eat and which to avoid.
I'm afraid the real reason your doc said that is because the NHS will not pay for a blood glucose meter for you. that's why so many of us buy our own and keep quite detailed records of readings alongside a food diary.
That was how I felt able to make my own informed decision to stop taking metformin ( I knew that my blood sugars were reducing by diet alone) and I got tired of spending hours on the toilet every day. That of course is my own personal experience and should in no way be construed as being advice as to what you should do..
However forewarned is forearmed and there's no way I'd want to be in the dark for 3 months at a time as to how my remission of T2 was doing.
As with everything here though it's completely your choice.

I seem to be tolerating the medication quite well without any side effects.Im aware of the NHS not funding monitors,but she even advised me not to purchase one myself.That seems strange

 

[bulkbiker]

I seem to be tolerating the medication quite well without any side effects.Im aware of the NHS not funding monitors,but she even advised me not to purchase one myself.That seems strange

Doctors I'm afraid often don't appreciate informed patients..
However I decided that my health was far more important to me than to my doctor...
Most people learn a huge amount about the benefits of dietary changes by buying and using a meter.

 

[Bluetit1802]

I seem to be tolerating the medication quite well without any side effects.Im aware of the NHS not funding monitors,but she even advised me not to purchase one myself.That seems strange

Not only strange, but also unhelpful.

 

[HSSS]

A doctor advises you what they think you should do and they should also be explaining why. A patient makes the decision what they should do. No one should be “telling” anyone what to do. The choice is yours having weighed all the options.

If she recommends you to buy one she’s supporting the decision, so therefore should be prescribing it. Some also believe the rubbish that it’ll give you painful fingers or make you anxious or it doesn’t tell you anything constructive.

 

[Ian2477]

Your doctor has also told you to increase the Metformin. Do you agree with this? Doctors are not gods. They do not know it all.
At the end of the day, all doctors are supposed to do is advise, with reasons. They cannot tell you to do anything. The choice is yours, and yours alone.

In my opinion, and I am not alone in this, the finger prick readings from blood glucose meters are far more an accurate indication of how your blood sugars are than the HbA1c. They tell you instantly what each meal has done to your levels if you test before you eat and 2 hours after first bite. If the rise is too high you can change that meal to something less carby, right there and then, without waiting months for your next HbA1c test. Most GPs tell us not to test, and give a variety of excuses, but this is for financial reasons. If they told us to test they would be obliged to provide the mean to do it - and they can't do this because of the costs involved. Bite the bullet, ignore the GP, and buy your own meter. That is the only sensible thing to do.

On the medication instructions it says take 1 tablet then increase to two after 10 days.She did say she would consider taking me off medication after a year.

 

[Bluetit1802]

On the medication instructions it says take 1 tablet then increase to two after 10 days.She did say she would consider taking me off medication after a year.

What do you want to do, forgetting what the GP says and ignoring what is said on here? If you want to come off them, then that is decision made. If you don't, then that is also decision made. If you get a meter you will have a much better idea of what your levels are really like at different times of the day, and will have more data with which to make this decision.

 

[Ian2477]

What do you want to do, forgetting what the GP says and ignoring what is said on here? If you want to come off them, then that is decision made. If you don't, then that is also decision made. If you get a meter you will have a much better idea of what your levels are really like at different times of the day, and will have more data with which to make this decision.

Is there any point testing my ow blood glucose while I'm on medication though?As it could just be the meds that are keeping it down.

 

[HSSS]

Of course. You’ll still see which foods raise it by more than others and so know which to avoid. The overall numbers may be slightly lower than without medication but the rises will still occur and this learning what not to eat is the most important thing you can do with or without meds.

Metformin isn’t a particularly strong medication in the scheme of things and likely won’t make huge differences on its own. You need to make changes too in order to get on top of this properly.

 

[bulkbiker]

Is there any point testing my ow blood glucose while I'm on medication though?As it could just be the meds that are keeping it down.

I can assure you that its your dietary changes that are having the biggest impact.
I only took metformin for 3 weeks yet have had non diabetic HbA1c levels for over three years.

 

[ert]

Ask to come off the Metformin after you have stabilized your blood sugars and achieved an Hba1c (3-month average) below 5.7%. Your GP will have experienced very few diabetics who can achieve this unless they are prepared to switch to a very low carbohydrate (keto) diet with fasting and exercise every day.

 

[Resurgam]

I have a Hba1c at the top end of normal - 42 or 6percent, but I eat about 40 gm of carbs a day, with a meal every 12 hours and take no formal exercise - it is not all sack cloth and ashes required to get down to normal.
I don't take Metformin as I was so ill on just one tablet taken with a statin.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Is there any point testing my ow blood glucose while I'm on medication though?As it could just be the meds that are keeping it down.

Every point in the world! You need to test before you eat and 2 hours after first bite. This will tell you straight away what that food has done to your levels. The aim of this is to teach you which foods affect your levels unacceptably. You will see patterns emerging, especially if you also keep a food diary, and will soon learn which foods your body can or cannot cope with. It is essential if you are to control your blood sugars.

Metformin is a mild drug. It does very little to lower blood sugars, and will not stop post meal spikes. It works on the liver, and its main job is to help reduce the amount of glucose your liver secretes from its stores. It therefore helps most with your morning fasting levels, but does not help after eating. This is why you need a meter.

 

[Antje77]

Is there any point testing my ow blood glucose while I'm on medication though?As it could just be the meds that are keeping it down.

It doesn't really matter what keeps it down, the whole point of avoiding complications is keeping it down by whatever way is needed. Without testing you could be going high all the time until your next 3-monthly test shows something's not right.
The testing is not to see if you have diabetes or not, it's the way to find out where you can change things, be it change diet more or take less medication.
In the mean time, if you tolerate metformin well, it won't hurt to take it for some time.

 

[bulkbiker]

Please remember that everyone is different and everyone's body behaves differently. What food you eat and how you eat it may be completely to how someone else eats similar food, those having a completely different reaction on your body.

Which is precisely the reason why testing is recommended then you can have hard evidence rather than guessing.

without getting silly comments like "Doctors are not Gods"

Do you believe they are godlike? Some doctors give that impression whereas others seem quite willing to work with their patient. I know for sure which I prefer.