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Metformin question

M

Maggie75

Well-Known Member
Messages
174
Hi everyone,

So I spoke to my DN today after getting my HBA1C result yesterday of 36. She was delighted with the result and genuinely interested about how I'd done it which surprised me (incidentally it was following a low carb diet (although still eating around 100 grams of carbs per day, only eating 2 meals per day 4 days a week and fasting for at least 15 hours during the night 4 days a week). I've been taking 1 500mg Metformin a day since being diagnosed in Nov/20 and DN wants me to stop taking this as of now and get another HBA1C test done in 3 months time. Is it normal for me to feel nervous about doing this, I guess I've come to think of the metformin as a sort of crutch helping me with the T2 diabetes and I'm scared that if I stop it my next results may not be so good especially as I do eat quite a bit more carbs than others on the site. Does anyone have any experience of this, what I can realistically expect and any advice on how to keep it as low as I possibly can without going super low carb because that wouldn't be sustainable for me, just being super honest. I'm really hoping the weight loss will help me, I've already lost 38 pounds and have at least another 2 stone to lose to get to my goal weight. I understand why she's telling me to stop the medication, just not sure if it's too soon? Thanks.

Maggie
 
Given you have more weight to lose. If it was me, I'd ask to stay on metformin for the weight loss benefit. If I stopped metformin, I'd get a meter and strips to see my BG progress at home, before the 3 month A1c.
 
I came off metformin when my hba1c was 39 and by keeping to my regime I have stayed stable with a 40 most recently

if you are well tolerating metformin then it does have some other effects. But feeling nervous is understandable. Have you explained the nervousness to the nurse?

congratulations on your improvements though. It’s fantastic
 
Well when I stopped the metformin I stopped losing weight. When I started it again I started to lose it again. So I agree with @optimist1 . In fact I have just asked to go back on it yet again, specifically to help me lose weight.
 
I was diagnosed 4 years ago, and within 4 months had reduced my HbA1c of 70 down to 36. I have continued to take Metformin (1500mg/day) throughout all those years and as others have said I put my weight loss down to the Metformin alongside my low carb diet. I agree with you when you say you have reduced your carbs to a level you can live with. I stay on Metformin with my GP’s blessing as I don’t want to compromise my diet further than I already have.
 
It’s interesting as I have come off the metformin and have mostly stayed stable blood level wise and hba1c wise and my weight has also stayed stable over the last 3 months without changing my diet but the difference perhaps with the others posting is that I have achieved the weight I wanted so don’t have further down to go, I also can eat more carbs than many (luck or perhaps the exercise I do)

I was wary about coming off the metformin but in my individual case it appears to have not changed things in either direction. But I wouldn’t be against having it again if I thought it would help.

@Maggie75 Did you raise your concerns with the nurse? That could be something worth doing just to get that discussion moving forward
 
Thank you so much for your replies, I did discuss my concerns with the DN, she just said it was time to come off the metformin as blood results were normal and I'm assuming she wants to see how much is me making the difference and how much is the medication. She was adamant that I have another HBA1C in 3 months time. I think maybe the best thing for me to do is take my weight tomorrow morning, record it and see if there's any difference in my weight within the next 2 weeks, I've been losing on average 1 pound per week so if that changes I'll know pretty quickly. I do have a blood glucose monitor so I'll probably have to use that a bit more, I'm slightly phobic about needles but I'll have to try. If I see any changes which I don't like then I'm going to go back on the metformin straight away, at least then I'll know. Does that seem like a reasonable plan? Thanks.

Maggie
 

Hi Maggie,

just read your post and I thought I’d drop my 2 cents.

It does sound like you have already achieved very good results; was it thanks to the Metformin? Probably..or perhaps the hard work you put in paid off? we can't know...

As for your higher than most tolerance to carbs: is it the Metformin? Or perhaps the weight loss jump-started your pancreas in working better? I guess we don’t know either.

Personally I would prefer a life without medications, if I can help it.

I was diagnosed last October with an HbA1c of 96 and put on Metformin right away (hated the first few weeks but then got used to it but still not liked the idea of depending on drugs at my age..mid 40’s); not having the chance to do research of my own (had cataracts in both eyes with ZERO vision from the right eye and limited vision from the left one) I complied to what they said and as soon as I had the veil lifted from one eye I got onto this forum and learnt I could at least give it a go to control the condition with diet (no exercise for me due to my eye condition...apart from walking).

After 8 weeks (last December)I had another HbA1c and it was 50; I decided, against medical advice, to stop the drugs and carry on on my own...although I then went home and opted to carry on the Metformin since I had 2 more months supply...and also was a little bit concerned just like you...not for the weight (I was 76Kg so not that heavy to start with) but to the fact that I would need to take drugs for the rest of my life which meant at some point I could develop resistance to it and need insulin..and I hate needles!

So in January I stopped the drug; I have no idea where I am with my HbA1c but I have a blood test next week which will tell me if I can carry on without the drugs or I should go back to them.

My point being: if I don’t try I will never know. I have noticed my tolerance to carbs has increased (during the time without the drug) and I have lost weight due to my new diet (as not taking Metformin for almost 4 months so I know for sure it has nothing to do with it).

Wouldn’t you want to find out whether your good results are due to the drug or your will?

After all it’ll only be for 3 months, how much weight can you put on in so little time? And if anything you’ll have a better idea of what is working for you and if you can sustain a more ‘natural’ life with diabetes...without drugs?

This is the point of view of someone who hates equally drugs and needles...and is about to find out whether a life without both is possible or have to resign to take the drugs again...but at least I have tried

Aren't you even a little bit curious?!?
 
Hi Zeus,

Thanks for your reply which definitely makes a lot of sense, I suppose I am curious as to whether the improvement in my bloods is down to me or just the metformin, bearing in mind I was only taking 1 500mg per day I think maybe a bit of both. You are right in saying that 3 months really isn't a long time and obviously I'm still going to be careful about my weight management, I think my reservations come from the fact that I do still have 2 stone to lose and I just figured I would stay on the metformin until I was a lot closer to my goal weight as DN told me initially it can help with weight loss. I haven't taken it today and am just going to keep a careful eye on my weight and glucose levels if I have anything higher in carbs to eat. To be honest I hadn't even considered that I could possibly develop resistance to it so thanks for the insight there! Lol. I do get the feeling I might be a bit of a guinea pig with this, my DN said she hasn't had any patients who've managed to reduce their HBA1C so much in that period of time (it's taken me 6 months to get to a non diabetic level), I was a bit surprised with that to be honest. I think she wants to see for herself if my pancreas is working better along with the reduced carb diet or if it really is the metformin. I'm curious myself so just a waiting game now for the next blood test in August and of course I'll update when I know. Thanks again for the replies and advice.

Maggie
 
Hi @Maggie75 Most medical professionals have never seen a T2D patient improve without much stronger medication than Metformin. The majority of them still consider T2D to be progressive and irreversible.
I have never been on Metformin, but reports from many of those who have suggest that the vast majority of your progress is down to Low Carb rather than the Metformin.
 
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