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does this only make sense to me?

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bmurray74

Active Member
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Hi, i was wondering if any diabetes veterans could let me know if im being incredibly stupid here, im on metformin 2x500mg tabs twicw a day and gliclazide twice a day, the tablets are making me feel sick and tired all the time and when i take them i also have to eat something, now heres my current thoughts, my bg is down to 8.8 from 18 but if i want to take my tablets i need to eat something, so if i dont eat anything (because im not hungry) and dont take my tablets (because they make me feel sick) then my bg will stay at 8.8? and then it means if i only eat when im hungry i can just take the tablets then.
does this make sense or am i missing something?
 
I don't think it's quite that simple! Well, it isn't for me, anyway. One's liver converts glycogen back into glucose if it thinks you're a bit on the low side, and this can make your levels go up. Both the Metformin, and to a lesser extent the Gliclizide, help block this action.

Metformin can take a while to build up in your system to reach an effective level. Gliclizide also stimulates you pancreras to produce more insulin, and this takes a few hours to reach it's peak.

It took me a long time to work out the best times to take my pills (I'm on 2 x 500mg slow release Metformin and 80mg Glic), and for me, it works best if I take the Metformin with my breakfast, and the Glic just as I go to bed (I don't take any food with it).

I still get some bad side effects from the Metformin from time to time, but this regime seems to minimise them.

Are you on standard Met or slow release? The SR seems to be tolerated more easily by most people.

Well done on the fall btw!
 
im on the standard form of metformin, iv not to go back to the nurse for 3 months, i just hate forcing myself to eat when im not hungry, i just think i feel better without the tablets so as long as i dont eat anything and keep a eye on my bg level i should be fine.
 
Dude, no-one is going to tell you not to take your tablets.

You need to take the tablets as directed, with some food, if you're having problems, you need to visit the Doctor.

You say in your signature that you are on a low-carb diet. How many carbs do you eat a day?
 
borofergie said:
Dude, no-one is going to tell you not to take your tablets.

You need to take the tablets as directed, with some food, if you're having problems, you need to visit the Doctor.

You say in your signature that you are on a low-carb diet. How many carbs do you eat a day?
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that's not right, i dont follow a low carb diet, i honestly have a clue what to eat, im stil waiting on a dietician referral so i have switched to brown everything and cut out sugary/sweet things but according to this site thats not the way to do it, so im in nutritional limbo at the moment.
 
bmurray74 said:
that's not right, i dont follow a low carb diet, i honestly have a clue what to eat, im stil waiting on a dietician referral so i have switched to brown everything and cut out sugary/sweet things but according to this site thats not the way to do it, so im in nutritional limbo at the moment.
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Sugary sweet things are fairly obvious, and you're doing right to avoid them, but I'd also try and limit anything with flour or grains in it too, and maybe cut down on potatoes. You don't have to cut out all carbohydrates, but you might feel a little better (and see lower BG readings) if you slowly reduced them.
 
this is what confuses me though, my gp has advised to eat as much starchy carbohydrates as i can, so does that mean my metformin is prescribed on the understanding ill be eating carbohydrates? in which case if i cut them out will i then be on too much metformin.?
 
bmurray74 said:
this is what confuses me though, my gp has advised to eat as much starchy carbohydrates as i can, so does that mean my metformin is prescribed on the understanding ill be eating carbohydrates? in which case if i cut them out will i then be on too much metformin.?
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You can never be on too much metformin. It's fairly benign (and has lots of side benefits).

Starchy carbs are generally better than refined carbs, but ultimately all carbohydrates will turn to sugar in your blood. Your high BG levels suggest that you are eating more carbohydrates than your drug assisted endocrine system can cope with. Although it is a wonderful drug, metformin has a relatively small influence on BG levels, and it certainly won't rescue you from "eating as much starchy carbohydrate as you can".

In fact, I used to find that eating carbohydrates while on metformin just gave me a stomach upset.

If you are going to cut carbs, you'll need to do it slowly because of the Glic.
 
Hi. Personally I would not follow your GP's standard NHS advice to eat plenty of starchy carbs; this is simply the sort of advice many of us would run a mile from based on our own experience and meter testing. Just keep your carb intake sensibly low and low-GI. Forget the word starchy and find out the GI level of any specific carb and use the meter. The web has many sites giving GI ratings. It's the carb absorption rate that matters and the GI rating is a guide to this. Do ask your GP for Metformin SR; it's specifically for those who have stomach problems with the standard version.
 
Here's a new one, my wife arrived home from work and directed me to the nearest Asda as they are apparently selling a cure for diabetes. Has anyone had experience of this miracle? It's called Measure Up and it's a powdery milkshake
 
The whole idea of eating when you take your tablets means to take something with them so you aren't having the medication on an empty stomach. Medicines on an empty stomach are absorbed more quickly, so they get into your system before they have a chance to move into the lower gut where they will be absorbed more slowly, thus helping to stabilize the absorption rate. It doesn't help you to get a slight overload of medicine right after you take it... your body uses it up and responds to the overload... then the medication is out of your system before your next dose is scheduled. Your body doesn't have a chance to get used to a more level rate of absorption.

Drinking milk or having even a few bites of food (an apple, a cracker, doesn't have to be a meal) will also help reduce any stomach problems or side effects.

You should have a meal plan outlining the amount of food, number of meals / snacks, per day. (If you don't, see if your surgery will set you up with a dietitian.) Assuming you have such a diet - incorporate your pill routine so that you are taking them when you eat something.

Regardless of your appetite, you should be eating a minimum of food at regular times throughout the day, so your body can begin adjusting to a routine of intake. Together with your prescriptions, that should help you attain some consistency to your blood glucose - or at least not have the extreme highs and lows that diabetes brings.

Good luck, and keep us posted!
 
im really struggling here, basically im fighting with my wife just now and my stubborness is taking over, she's decided she cant be bothered listening to me "go on" about having diabetes so ive said f-you and stopped my tablets. i havent eaten a bite in 3 days and not had tablets for 2 days, bg is 10.4 which is still low for me. shes pi**ed me off so much i just can bring myself to start taking them again.
 
Boro is right-you really do need to start taking your tablets as the long term(and short term even) consequences of consistent high blood glucose is a road you don't want to go down,we're just concerned for you.
 
Hi bmurray74!

Firstly, take a deep breath. Go for a walk. Try to relax.

Now, you are clearly not coping very well with your diabetes at the moment and it is overwhelming you. We all go through the 'it's not fair, why me?' phase. You will get the hang of this and you will cope. It is a life-long condition and you need to come to terms with it gradually. It won't happen overnight. I expect your wife is at her wit's end with you right now. A diabetes diagnosis affects not only the person with the condition but those close to them as well. It is a lot to cope with. Give yourself and your wife a break.

Right, your medication. You must take your medication. Metformin helps your cells to use the insulin you produce. As has been said, there is a slow-release form and you might find that kinder to your stomach. Gliclazide makes your pancreas produce more insulin - because of this, you must eat if you are taking Gliclazide or it can make your blood glucose too low. Give the mediaction a chance. If it does not work for you and your situation does not improve, go back to your doctor. There are other drugs they can try. Don't give up!

Food. You must eat. Starving is not a long-term strategy and will make you ill. Try to avoid refined sugar and drastically reduce starchy carbs (cereal, bread, rice, pasta, potato). These are the foods that increase your blood glucose the most. Brown is usually better than white for Type 2s, but they are all pretty bad. Be aware that with Gliclazide lowering your blood glucose, reducing the starchy carb might make your blood glucose go too low, so test frequently. Have a portion of protein (e.g. chicken, fish, red meat) and fill your plate with salad or vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans are all good). Some vegetables are best kept to smaller quantities (e.g. peas, carrots and many of the root vegetables), but they are still preferable to potatoes! Treat yourself to a breakfast of bacon and eggs - it will do very little to your blood glucose. In time, you will learn more foods you can eat and your current panic over food will subside.

Take care and keep in touch

Smidge
 
Not eating and not taking prescribed medication isn't hurting your wife one iota, but it's probably doing you quite a bit of harm, we all need food and you obviously need medication. No one here is going to support the regime you have adopted, as it seems to me you have done it to guilt trip your wife. Sorry, that's just how I read it.
 
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