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Metformin advice

D

DylansDad

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diabetes
Hi All

I am 50 year old male, type 2, diagnosed about a year

I've been doing some research (well, more experimentation) and have managed to keep my blood sugar down today without the aid of my 500mg metformin (prescribed one, three times a day with or after meals)
On waking (around 7am) my reading was 6.5
breakfast consisted of
black coffee (I've been drinking my coffee black for years - this is not a concession to type 2)
3 smoked mackarel pieces (courtesy of ASDA)
2 hours later my blood sugar was 6.0

Lunch
English salad (lettuice, tomato, peppers, cucumber + 1 tin Sardines in tomato sauce)
followed by natural yoghurt with a few nuts & dried fruit sprinkles (Again ASDA Lancashire Farm probiotic - 5.2% protein, 7% carb - of which 3.7% sugars)
2 hours later blood sugar = 7.1

Later, I plan to eat a 'normal' evening meal and take a metformin - I'll test again 2 hours later and if necessary take another.

I appear to have kept my blood sugar at a reasonable level without taking any metformin since yesterday evening. I appreciate that my diet today is somewhat fishy and I may switch one of my protein sources to eggs and see what impact that has.

What I'd like to understand is - Am I likely to be doing myself any harm by not taking my metformin ? Is there an accumulative beneficial effect of metformin that I may not be receiving.

I also know that blood sugar between 6 and 7 isn't great, but it is better than I was

I'm not keen to join a debate on lo carb eating - I'm more interedted in a discussion of non metformin-ing

Cheers
 
Just wondering why you're keen to ditch the Metformin? It doesn't do a great deal for our blood sugars, but it's shown to be a really good preventative medicine against cardio vascular complications that us Diabetics often get. Even though I got my HbA1c down to 5.9% without Met or any drugs, I've asked to go on it purely for this reason. If you're getting bad side effects, which is common, you can ask for the slow release version (Metformin SR) which doesn't cause those problems.
 
Hi DD,

I would think that you still have a build up of Metformin in your system so unless you stop taking it for say 10 days then you really will not know if it is aiding your control or not.
It has to be taken regularly to see the benefits so your experiment needs to go on longer to see wether your readings have any bearings on it's discontinuation. IMHO.
There are other benefits to Metformin as Grazer states, heart health being the one that concerns Type 2's are we are more likely to succumb to heart issues than is the general population. The article below is not recent but still valid.

The multiple benefits of Metformin.
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/sep ... in_01.html
 
That is a very interesting link catherine.

As a newly diagnosed T2 I was slightly worried about Metformin and took it purely because I trust my GP. I was concerned when I read it has been established to have resulted in a few cases of AIHA ( Autoimmune heamolytic anemia), because I have AIHA and was worried it could awaken my sleeping giant but I got through the initial 4 weeks of building up to my full prescription of 2000gms without a problem and now your link has has shown just how many advantages there are to continue taking Metformin.
 
Hi All

I guess I'm still in some kind of denial after all, if I don't need to take metformin, then I can't be diabetic, right ? :?

I read the link on the multiple benefits of metformin and feel much better informed (metformed ?), as a result I have decided to resume my metformin tablets.

My practice nurse did mention that she has a plan to get me off them within 12 months or so (depending on weight loss) - lets see waht happens at my next assessment

Thanks to all
 
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