Hi ,
I could do with some advice.
My diabetes was out of control blood sugar levels at 19+ so I was given metformin which I could not take because it made me feel really ill.
I decided to try to control it by diet alone and reduced sugar levels to high fives and low sixes . My blood pressure is spot on but my diabetes nurse wants me to take metformin again and I can't understand why.
And if I do take metformin will it reduce blood sugar level too far ?
Firstly, to address your main question; Metformin only has a very modest impact on blood sugar levels. As you have found, the biggest impact we can all make is what we eat, or don't eat.
Whilst you might wonder why on earth anyone is prescribed Metformin if it only reduces bloods "a bit", it does help our bodies use the insulin we produce more effectively and it also can act as an appetite suppressant, so it is useful for folks carrying extra pounds. It does reduce the bloods "a bit", depending on individual sensitivity to it, and the dose taken, so there are other benefits in addition to directly reducing the blood scores.
Well done for getting your bloods down. Those numbers sound OK, but they aren't in any danger of being in the "too low" ranges, unless your scores vary enormously during the day, before and after you eat. Should you give Metformin another go, at least you are testing your bloods, so you would be able to measure any reduction the tablets help you achieve. I don't know if you carry any extra weight or if losing a bit might be helpful to your general health, but some people find that aspect a bit of a silver lining.
Did you only try standard Metformin, or did you also try the slow release version? These are usually called Metformin SR or Metformin MR (Slow and Modified respectively). Very many people find they tolerate these versions much better than the "ordinary" sort.
Just finally, I don't know what you have in your mind as being bloods that might be "too low"? For we T2s, taking wither no meds, or meds of the Metformin style, it is quite unusual to have hypoglycaemic attacks. Of coures, unusual doesn't mean it can't happen, but it is very unusual. I don't taken any meds at all, and using a reduced carbohydrates diet, my bloods routinely do run quite low. For me, it's just how my body works theses days. I feel extremely well, and an very unconcerned to see small numbers on my meter. They key is how you feel, as well as what your meter reads.
I hope that might have helped a bit, but hopefully others will come along and join in too.