Metformin Question/Syndrome X

Hi Stone-age!

I'm also a borderline Type 2 on 3 x 500g Metformin a day. I'm treating myself as diabetic so that I don't slide right over the slippery slope! I'm a great Atkins fan, and try to keep to 25g - 50g of carb daily.

I don't know about Metformin making you thirsty - it doesn't me. You should be drinking 2 litres of water a day on an Atkins-style diet anyway.

You should find, as you continue to low-carb, that your blood lipids improve - your HDL will raise and your LDL and triglycerides will come down. Your chol/hdl ratio is on the high side but not very much, and that too will come down on a low carb diet. At least mine did first time on Atkins, and are again this time round.

Once you're in ketosis you're burning fat, but also getting blood glucose from the protein you eat as well as from your few carbs. Protein doesn't produce anything like as much glucose as carbohydrate does, and it's produced more slowly.

The advantage of Metformin is that it reduces insulin resistance, so that your insulin can push the glucose into your muscle cells (for energy) instead of simply storing it as fat. It gives your pancreas a rest from working overtime, constantly pouring out more and more insulin to try to deal with all the blood glucose. Reducing your carb intake also rests your pancreas.

I believe Metformin is sometimes used for weight loss in the US, though it isn't licensed for that in the UK. It doesn't make everyone lose weight, but it can help.

As a Type 2 you're still producing insulin and your system can still cope with some carbs. If you end up with low blood sugar your liver should kick in with a dose of glycogen (have I got that right, someone? or is it glucogen?) from its emergency supply to stop you going too low, so you shouldn't have any hypos.

If your testing shows you're going too low ( below 4 - '4 is the floor', which is a whole other topic someone will point you towards) treat it like a hypo - that's another thread on here somewhere. But as a borderline Type 2 you probably won't have dangerous hypos. Keep testing so that you know what's going on.

I hope I haven't confused things even more! :lol: Someone will let us know if I have

Viv

The ones for ketosis go from peach (none) to deep purple (plenty).

The urine glucose ones are the ones with the turquoise bit for none. My practise don't issue them any more as the nurse says they are not sensitive enough - ie that by the time you've got enough glucose in your urine to show, you've got pretty high blood glucose! I bought myself some in the summer, and they stayed resolutely blue so I reckon I'm not bad enough to have glucose in my urine. My blood test reading are generally between 5 and 7 these days, with the help of the metformin. Type 2s don't often get ketoacidosis though it's always wise to keep it in mind, particularly if you're ill and vomiting.

The advice on here is to get a blood monitor and testing kit, and test yourself by a finger prick regularly. Immediately on getting up, before each meal, 2 hours after each meal, and then at bed-time. In the UK it's possible to get the monitor, lancet and test strips on prescription (well, in theory!). I don't know about France, though they seem to have been pretty thorough with your lab tests. It's an easy procedure - I'm self-taught! :roll:

NICE (national institute for clinical excellence) guidelines for non-diabetics are blood glucose levels between 3.5 to 5.5 before meals; less than 8mmols/l 2 hours after meals. For Type 2s it's 4 - 7 before meals; less than 8.5 2 hours after.

If everything behaves well on your present diet then you may be able to test less often, but the system is very good if you're eating a food you're not sure about. A mince pie, for instance, sent me to over 11 1 hour after eating it (I tested early to check) so that is definitely a no-no food for me. Jacket and mashed potato have similar interesting effects. On an Atkins-style diet you should be pretty stable.

Having said that, everyone is different - some on here can eat a little porridge, others can't. We all react differently to different foods, so it's worth testing just so you know what's happening inside you.

See if your doctor can help, otherwise try the pharmacist. You can buy them off ebay as well, sometimes.

Roast chicken and broccoli with a little garlic and butter sauce for me tonight, followed by some cheese. It's a hard life!

Hope that helps.

Viv