• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Type 2 Metformin or not

S

sigrumpy1

Member
Messages
8
Hi just after some advice, I am have been on a low carb diet for the last 18 months and my Hba1c level is 44. I am currently on one 1000mg of slow release metformin a day. My diabetic nurse is talking about taking me off of metformin. I am keen to come off medication and want have other peoples opinions experience of coming off medication. do you feel 44 is an acceptable level to come off medication ??.

Thank you
Simon
 
It must be your choice. If you decide to stop taking Met and later see a rise in A1c then you can request to restart it, nothing is set in stone with these things.

Remember, by coming off Met you lose all your free prescriptions, something to consider.
 
Personally I believe 44 is too high to consider coming off any medications, but we are all different and have different ideas and goals.
 
Metformin has an effect lowering HbA1c. Of course this is variable, and dependent on dose.
You may find this link interesting.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2991324/
The % figures quoted in the study are American HbA1c units.
The table below shows that 1% is approximately equal to 11mmol/mol (which are the HbA1c units used in the UK)
upload_2019-1-22_17-12-28.jpeg
So the study showed that Metformin lowered the HbA1c in the study by an average of approx 11 mmol/mol, over time.

I would suggest that you need to decide whether you are on the same doseage as those in the study? And seeing the same benefit? And then decide if stopping Metformin (with an accompanying rise in HbA1c) is acceptable to you.
You may want to consider making other lifestyle and diet changes that would lower your HbA1c by a comparative amount.
 

Attachments

  • upload_2019-1-22_17-12-15.jpeg
    upload_2019-1-22_17-12-15.jpeg
    47.8 KB · Views: 306
My last A1c was 44, the DSN did not offer any medications, which was just as well cos they would have been refused. If your low carbing is working then perhaps ditching the meds is something to consider. It’s your choice, do whatever you feel comfortable with. Don’t feel pressured into either continuing or ditching!
 
sigrumpy1 said:
Hi just after some advice, I am have been on a low carb diet for the last 18 months and my Hba1c level is 44. I am currently on one 1000mg of slow release metformin a day. My diabetic nurse is talking about taking me off of metformin. I am keen to come off medication and want have other peoples opinions experience of coming off medication. do you feel 44 is an acceptable level to come off medication ??.

Thank you
Simon
Click to expand...
When you say low carbing do you have any idea how many grams of carb per day? May be a factor in the decision making process. I hated met so came off it on my own, but intermittent fasting and very low carb seemed to work better for me anyway so I never went back to it.
 
My A1c was 105 and i got prescribed Metformin , but I refused it and will always refuse it along with statins .
My next A1c is next Wednesday should get result Friday , am expecting it to have reduced but expecting cholesterol to have gone up but one never knows.

It is your choice what you do we are all different and if you can tolerate Metformin then that's good , up to you in the end .
 
I can never understand why people, other than those who suffer @bulkbiker side effects (please no graphic details ) are so keen to stop taking Metformin.

It helps in lots of ways, does you no harm and there are no prizes for not taking medication.
 
britishpub said:
I can never understand why people, other than those who suffer @bulkbiker side effects (please no graphic details ) are so keen to stop taking Metformin.

It helps in lots of ways, does you no harm and there are no prizes for not taking medication.
Click to expand...
Hi metformin has never agreed with me I have tolerated it but that’s not my rational to come off it it’s all about setting personal goals and achieving them.
 
Hi Thanks all for your replies as always very helpful, I'm think now the best option is to reduce form 1000 mg down to 500 mg daily and see how i get on over the next few months. I will see what my nurse says. really keen to get off meds . been on slow release for years and still does not agree with me.
Once again thank you
 
Back
Top