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metformin vs diet

L

Lincom

Member
Messages
16
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
wondering if diet and excersise reduces ha1bc faster than the metformin medication ?
 
Hi - metformin doesn't actually reduce blood glucose directly. What it does do is interfere with the liver's ability to top up your BG when the liver thinks it needs it - and that can be for many reasons. I need to say I've never taken metformin myself so have zero personal experience. My preference is not to take medication that I don't need to take.

Info from Bilous and Donnelly, "Handbook of Diabetes" -

Metformin increases insulin action (the precise mechanism is unclear) lowering glucose mainly by decreasing hepatic glucose output.

So how metformin works isn't fully understood, according to the text book. It might reduce HbA1c overall by a few points, and that effect is going to (probably) be different for different people.
 
Lincom said:
wondering if diet and excersise reduces ha1bc faster than the metformin medication ?
Click to expand...
For me, diet was the main way to go, especially since working out was not an option when I was first diagnosed. Metformin probably made a bit of a dent, but it didn't do anywhere close to what diet did.... But that's me. I can't say that's true for everyone, as we're all different.

Metformin can work alongside diet, by the way, it doesn't have to be an either/or.
 
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