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Introduction & Metformin help

V

VR6 Nut

Member
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Hi, new to the forum, I was diagnosed with type 2 in 2005 and have been treated by diet until now. I am in my late 40s. I had my review on Friday with the GP last week, my HbA1c was 7.8%. My GP wants to put me on Metformin to give better control. I am concerned about the Metformin as my GP said there could be issues with lactic acidosis. I would like some advice on this as back in 1999 I was diagnosed with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis with 40% scarring of the kidney tissue, at present my kidney function is normal. I am not sure of the % scarring now as this is determined by biopsey.
 
Hi, and welcome.

As far as I understand it the lactic acidosis is a very rare complication with Metformin, and is usually associated with drinking alcohol. If I'm wrong someone will soon come and tell us :D . Anyway, it is very rare. If you're worried about your kidneys (who wouldn't be!) go back to your GP and ask him. Or go to your pharmacist and ask him/her - they are usually very knowledgeable and only too pleased to help.

Metformin does have a few side effects, usually to do with your digestive system, diarrhoea, stomach upsets, wind and the like. Some people adapt easily, some people can't cope - in which case, ask your GP for the slow release (SR) version, which is usually easier on the system. You should be started on them slowly, one for a week, then 2, then 3 etc. I've adapted well - no problems after the first couple of months, and not many before that.

Metformin is a very safe drug. It suppresses the appetite a little and helps with weight loss. It gives protection against stroke and cardiovascular disease, and recent research has found that it may give some protection against cancer, including breast and bowel cancer, so it's worth thinking about. There are a number of threads about it on here, so have a look round. Also Google.

You may be able to lower your blood glucose levels by tweaking your diet a bit. You don't say what diet you are following, but many of us on here find the NHS diet doesn't work for us, but controlling our carbohydrate intake does.

Daisy1, who greets all our newcomers, shold be along to post some introductory info for you. Even though you're not new to diabetes, it may be of interest.

Have a good look around, and don't be afraid to ask questions. We're here to help. :D

Viv 8)
 
Hi VR6 Nut and welcome to the forum :)
This is the information that Viv mentioned which we give to new members. I hope you will find it useful and will ask questions if there is anything you want to know.

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 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.
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Please sign our e-petition for free testing for all type 2's; here's the link:
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/petition/

Do get your friends and colleagues to sign as well.
Click to expand...
 
Hi, Thank you for the info. I did ask my GP what the issues were with lactic acidosis with my kidney condition. He was not sure so went on to google to see what could be found, which raised doubts with me as to if I should take this! VR6 Nut.
 
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