I only took the tablets - Metformin and Atorvastatin for a few weeks, but they made me so unwell - so I binned them.Hi, I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes last August. My blood sugar was very out of control. A1C was 12.3 and fast glucose was 296. After 6 month of a low carb diet my A1C is 5.6 and I am seeing my doctor on Monday. I am currently taking Metformin 500 mg twice per day. I know that I’m technically ready to reduce or completely get off the metformin but it freaks me out. Those of you who have reduced and eventually gotten off metformin, what were your experiences? I found only a few when searching in the forum. Thanks in advance.
I haven't been on metformin myself but I understand the effect is fairly minimal, but reading your other posts it seems like it might be a crutch you still need for a while, mentally if not physically?Hi, I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes last August. My blood sugar was very out of control. A1C was 12.3 and fast glucose was 296. After 6 month of a low carb diet my A1C is 5.6 and I am seeing my doctor on Monday. I am currently taking Metformin 500 mg twice per day. I know that I’m technically ready to reduce or completely get off the metformin but it freaks me out. Those of you who have reduced and eventually gotten off metformin, what were your experiences? I found only a few when searching in the forum. Thanks in advance.
I haven't been on metformin myself but I understand the effect is fairly minimal, but reading your other posts it seems like it might be a crutch you still need for a while, mentally if not physically?
You've changed and improved a lot in your life recently and I think, if it were me, I'd be reluctant to let a little help go just yet.
Good luck, whatever you decide.
I stopped taking it by halving the dose, then taking the remaining dose every other day, then phasing it out completely. All effects were positive in that the awful gut issues resolved, and the blood glucose readings continued to come down without it.
Hi @rhaardoerfer I was on 2000mg at diagnosis but remain on 1000mg and my consultant (and I) are happy to keep taking, as Metformin has a lot of protective qualities, especially for the heart. I literally had one day of negative side-affects when I started taking it, so I know I am lucky with that, so I have no reason to come off for the 'unpleasant' reasons.
I see the difference on my Libre if I forget to take it, so it does make a difference to my BG. I am LADA, but managing more like a T2 for now (low carb & exercise), as I am not on insulin.
When I first reduced from 2000mg I did a week on 1500mg first, and was told to keep an eye on my BG to see if it started to rise a lot in the days after, (some Metformin does stay in your system for as long as 4 days).
I think it is a personal thing, balancing the positives and negatives. I guess you can always increase the dose again if needs be.
Good luck, and if I've learnt anything from diabetes, its that getting the right balance, both physically and mentally, sometimes takes a while to get right.
The only way you are going to know the physical effects, re side effects if you have them, and its effect on your HBA1c, is by watching for patterns in your results, which your doctor will absolutely be doing, which might include as with you, going off it, and observing and noting those things, over a period of time. Usually this is the time between your HBA1c's, is my understanding.
I cycle metformin, ie, when my fasting blood glucose and post meal BG gets too high again, I go back on metformin until it comes down a bit. The idea for me being every bit helps.
I found physical exercise, as in aerobic exercise to have the greatest effect on lowering my too high BGs, not metformin. Which only seems to have a minimal effect, and I have some odd side effects that begin and end immediately on taking up and finishing a round of MET. (ie I am certain they are side effects of the drug, after several rounds.) But absolutely we are all different in these metabolic responses, which includes to various medications.
Because type two diabetes is a metabolic disease, those metabolic processes can differ quite substantially between people.
And online feedback and this Forum has been hugely influential in providing feedback on this, (I've been reading scientific papers on this, so I say this with confidence), so you are quite right to come in here and find out from others how MET on it and off it has affected them.
And wonderful that you have a good partnership with your doctor on trying things out and observing, reading, testing the results, and working out what is best for you.
Could you tell me more about this? Is there a walking version? Pm me if you preferI went for a guided run this morning with the topic of joy. It helped get me out of my morning funk.
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