Long acting Metformin

[lyndsaychocolate]

Hi

i wonderful if someone can help me. I am a type 2 diabetic but was told by my consultant that my pancreas has packed up altogether and i make little or no insulin. i am on insulin 4 times a day with a long acting one overnight. i also have to take metformin. i have been on 2000 mg per day and i found the side affects were horrendous. it completely changed my taste buds, i used to love pasta and i hate it with a vengence now and garlic and other stuff so much so that i was only eating cereal at one time and the last straw was when i had a cheese roll (tried it and with onions for my tea one night) and i was physically sick afterwards. Contacted my doctor who said there was no alternative to metformin. She didnt want to change my medication until i told her my diabetic nurse said there was the long acting one. She has put me on this but now put me down to only 1 tablet of 500 mg which i take with my evening meal. i have found that i dont get so many side affects, my appetite is still rubbish though, but i am finding it difficult now to control my sugar. Can anyone advise me.....

would be so grateful

Yours lyndsaychocolate

 

[Dennis]

Hi lyndsaychocolate and welcome to you.

I rather suspect that either your doctor knows very little about diabetes medication, or more likely is simply trying to cut down costs. Firstly 500mg of slow-release is NOT the equivalent of 2000mg of normal metformin. To get the same effectectiveness that you had with normal metformin you need the same dose of slow-release. Unfortunately slow-release is a lot more expensive than the standard version, so I suspect that your GP has prescribed a much lower dose simply to ensure that your new prescription doesn't cost the NHS any more than the old one did. I.e. treatment dictated by cost instead of treatment that is appropriate to the patient's needs!

If I were you I would go back and challenge your doctor on why she has reduced your treatment by 75%. If she says the slow-release version is much stronger, ask her to confirm that in writing - I can assure you she won't!!!

 

[lyndsaychocolate]

Thank you so much for your advice and help. i thought it was rather strange that she reduced my dosage by just one a day. my sugars are all over the place and constantly up to 12 and 16.

can you tell me though is there an alternative to metformin altogether and that does the same thing as she told me there was no other alternative.

my appetite is almost none existant and i am driving my family mad because i just cant decide what i fancy to eat any more and stuff i did love i hate now!

thanks for your help.

Lyndsay