Meal timings and Metformin

[Neverbloobloo]

Hi all hope you can give me some advice about when to take my metformin. I have been type 2 now for over 15 years and originally controlled through diet but over time I have graduated to 2 with breakfast and 1 with evening meal. However due to family reasons I now have my main meal much closer to midday rather than evening and a snack around 9:30 to 10:00 in the evening. Question is should I take my second dose with the main meal or late snack? Is the metformin taken to impact on the meal just eaten or is the meal to reduce possible side effects of the medication ?

 

[ianf0ster]

Metformin is only taken with meals because of that helping to minimise its side effects on the digestive system. The time of day that a particular dose it's taken doesn't otherwise matter

 

[lovinglife]

I’m in Metformin 1 twice a day, I take mine with breakfast & evening meal, personally I have no side effects from the Metformin, @ianf0ster is correct in saying that taking it with food is to mitigate the side effects, it has no effect on the food you eat, it’s a build up drug.

I don’t take it at a set time so some days I eat breakfast at 5 am, some days 10 am, some days I don’t eat breakfast and don’t eat until lunch, I take my met at those times,

Same for dinner or evening meal anywhere between 6.30 & 8.30, I take my met then.

 

[Nicola M]

I’ve only recently started on Metformin but as I don’t eat breakfast I take mine with my Lunch and Evening Meal which depending on the day can sometimes only be 4.5 hours apart. Doesn’t seem to cause any issues and I’ve found that I’ve had very minimal side effects with taking it after my meal.

 

[Pipp]

Meal times are movable for me, too. Always take my Metformin doses with food though. Twice a day. So I make sure I eat twice a day. Generally one main meal either lunch time or evening, and one small meal either breakfast, or late afternoon.
I am fortunate never to have had the gastic problems reported by some.

 

[Neverbloobloo]

Thank you everyone for replying, it clears things up.

 

[Hopeful34]

I’m in Metformin 1 twice a day, I take mine with breakfast & evening meal, personally I have no side effects from the Metformin,

Your profile @lovinglife says diet only. I don't know if the Metformin is a recent addition, but it would be helpful to update your profile.

 

[lovinglife]

Your profile @lovinglife says diet only. I don't know if the Metformin is a recent addition, but it would be helpful to update your profile

Not a new addition been on it nearly 40 years sporadically for an off label reason, not anything to do with my diabetes, my numbers don’t change when I’m not taking it.