Hypos On Metformin?

oreochic77 said:

Keep having Hypos I'm only on 500my once a day but keep getting bad hypos? My nurse won't let me test as its not in the policy so never know how low I am but I know my awareness is lower than it used to be and it it taking me longer to recover from them! A friend who is a nurse says I my be a late developing type 1 (large family history and I'm 38) anyone had experience like this? Thanks in advance x

Click to expand...

The only bit of your post to which I wish to comment is "My nurse won't let me test". It is not within her gift to stop you. Buy a meter and some strips and enjoy yourself.

Will tag my husband @eldergarth who has had similar experiences and his nurse says you cant have hypos on metformin. Who's she kidding ?

oreochic77 said:

Well I will rephrase she won't supply me with a prescription. I've looked in to supplying my own but very expensive. I work in the NHS I know the struggle to keep costs down but I want to manage this condition correctly and I can't do that if I don't know how low/high I am (I've been gestational diabetic in 2 of my pregnancies in the last 10 years on insulin) so I know when I'm high/low but need to know the numbers esp if I'm low so I can treat it x

Click to expand...

Yes they are expensive but the SD codefree is the cheapest by far so many people buy one of those. The strips are also affordable since we are talking health issues here.

I was diagnosed as type 2 and put on metformin back in 2000.
I have had loads of hypos since then whilst on Metformin.

I still get them despite my new diabetic nurse telling me that it is impossible for anyone on metformin to have hypos.
She also took away my prescription for needles and strips for testing so have no idea what my blood sugar levels are.
This is just a lie to save money. I am very skilled at noticing a hypo coming on so take evasive action before it gets too bad.

I am disgusted that the NHS has taken away my ability to monitor my levels.

My previous diabetic nurse used to discuss my hypos with me and offer advice. My new diabetic nurse is a cold as a witches you know what and has no bedside manner at all. She is just extremely cold and clinical without any sense of humanity at all.
It's as if she resents me being in the same room as her.

When my GP takes away my prescription (as he will if/when I can stop taking Glic) then I will make sure that I buy the Codefree strips and have them available asap.

How can you possibly control your diabetes if you don't have a clue what your BS is?

oreochic77 said:

Well I will rephrase she won't supply me with a prescription. I've looked in to supplying my own but very expensive. I work in the NHS I know the struggle to keep costs down but I want to manage this condition correctly and I can't do that if I don't know how low/high I am (I've been gestational diabetic in 2 of my pregnancies in the last 10 years on insulin) so I know when I'm high/low but need to know the numbers esp if I'm low so I can treat it x

Click to expand...

Another thing that often happens to T2s getting a handle on their diabetes control is to experience false hypos, whereby the blood drops a bit lower than the body is used to experiencing, and it then gives a "feed me" signal. Over time, provided a good eating/drinking regime is followed, they hypo feelings ease, although if the blood numbers drop further can come back.

Whether or not your meter and strips is NHS sponsored or not, I do think testing would quickly answer much of your puzzle for you. Without it, we're all just stabbing in the dark.

As a matter of interest, how long ago were you diagnosed and have you made any changes to your eating/drinking habits since?

I am type2 and bought the sd codefree meter and strips. I test very regular. Over the past weeks I have had 2 hypos, the first one scared the he'll out of me. By testing, my levels on both occasions were in the low 3,s. I am on metformin and victoza. I do urge you to buy meter and get testing.

oreochic77 said:

Keep having Hypos I'm only on 500my once a day but keep getting bad hypos? My nurse won't let me test as its not in the policy so never know how low I am but I know my awareness is lower than it used to be and it it taking me longer to recover from them! A friend who is a nurse says I my be a late developing type 1 (large family history and I'm 38) anyone had experience like this? Thanks in advance x

Click to expand...

Hi and welcome to the forum all the advice you have already had has been good advice to help you we need a little more info like are you following any particular diet what if any exercise you are doing and when do your hypo symptoms appear.
Also is there any pattern when your hypo starts from the time you take your meds (IE you take meds in morning and hypo in the evening)
If you go on Amazon and search homehealth codefree and choose the one that states "I am diabetic" you won't need to pay tax

Hi.
I got an SD Codefree monitor kit from Amazon. Quite affordable. My GP surgery don't want me to test but couldn't answer how else I'm supposed to know what I'm getting right or wrong.
Are you on LCHF diet? Carbs are a quick & simple energy source (& bad for us folk) but fats are slower release...you feel fuller longer and don't get the empty pangs between meals.
I was offered Metformin but decided to avoid it for now and try diet/exercise regime to control b/s. So far, so good. Couldn't do it without monitoring, though.
Wishing you success.

I do not believe metformin causes hypos as it has nothing to do with insulin production. What it may do is slow down the liver dumps that the body uses to recover from going low. If I were you I would talk to the doctor about getting a c-peptide and GAD testing done to see where you are at. As for not being allowed to test, you are a perfectly competent adult and don't need permission. Are you on any other meds that may cause you to go low? Type 1's usually present with extremely high blood sugar not low but I am not a doctor and this is just my opinion.

Of course you can have hypos on metformin.

Any of us, at any time can have hypos, for different reasons. It isn't common (actually quite rare for a non medicated person to have them, but it is POSSIBLE)
Yes, some medications may cause hypos, and metformin is not known to be one of those, but it doesn't stop a hypo happening for a different reason.

I would get a meter and test when you experience the symptoms.
If they ARE hypos, go back to your nurse with the evidence, and discuss it firmly.
If they AREN'T hypos, go back to your doc, and discuss these unpleasant symptoms which may, or may not be related to diabetes.

Plus, false hypos are horrible, but your meter will inform you on whether they are, or aren't happening to you.

My hypos are mostly real. I know all about false hypos.
I argued with my diabetic nurse when she informed me they were removing my ability to monitor my levels but she just quoted the new policy introduced purely to save money.

Try and see a doctor. I am on Metformin, linagliptin and forxiga and it was only after I kept ending up in A&E with hypos that they decided to give me a meter. Explain that it would only be used when you felt wobbly. It is so important to know what is going on in your body and a meter helped me stop worrying all the time.

Well I am still trying to get a handle on things - butI have been terrified out of my wits for the last couple of days because I was feeling lightheaded, dizzy, heart pounding etc etc. I kept telling myself that My GP was positive that Metformin doesn't cause Hypos - but spoke to someone today whose husband has been diabetic for 20 years who says it IS perfectly possible to have a hypo on Metformin. I ate some sweet stuff and some carbs and was feelingmuch better an hour or so later. I ordered a meter last week and it can't arrive quickly enough. I so wanted to be able to check what my Blood Sugar levels were. Annoyed my GP won't prescribe but my health is worth paying a bit. I have ordered the SD Code Free as others have recommended as doesn't appear to be too expensive

Hi, I'm new to the forum.
I have been on metformin 500mg od for two years have had 2 hypos.
Recently told by GP hba1c has risen from 46 to 50 and now I'm on a twice daily dose, just getting over nausea.

Saz23 said:

Hi, I'm new to the forum.
I have been on metformin 500mg od for two years have had 2 hypos.
Recently told by GP hba1c has risen from 46 to 50 and now I'm on a twice daily dose, just getting over nausea.

Click to expand...

I've tagged @daisy1 to give you the newcomers welcome information.

If your meds aren't working and your Hba1c is rising something is causing that.
Because diabetes is mostly affected by what we eat and drink, it is probably that.
Can you give us an idea what your diet is like and someone will give you some great advice on how to get your Hba1c levels down.

Best wishes and welcome to the forum.

@oreochic77

Hello and welcome to the forum As mentioned above, here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 210,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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.