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Metformin

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Vonny01

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1
I am newly diagnosed with dm 2. I have taken my first tablet of Metformin I am just wondering how long before it brings my bg down. at the present time its 19.6.. also everytime I eat anything I crash! please can someone help me understand whats happening.
 
hya what do u mean by crash?
im sure one of our type 2s will be able to help you :D
 
Hi. Welcome.

As Totsy says, What is a 'Crash ?'

Here is a link to information about Metformin.
http://www.healthyontario.com/Assets/Pd ... Advice.pdf

Metformin is not a miracle drug and typically only reduces Bg levels by around 1 - 2 mmol/l.
As your levels are much higher at 19.6 I would suggest that you discuss this with your GP ASAP.
You may well also need some dietary advice as well ?

Ken
 
Hi

I am in agreement with the others.

Met is the first line of defence - I could not take the normal tablet but the slow release works much better for me...

Your level is quite concerning. For example my local authorities flow chart of diabetes treatment state that a random reading greater than 11mmol along with one typical symptom of diabetes and/or moderate/heavy ketonuria would invariably invoke an immediate insulin treatment plan.

If you haven't then you need to alert the GP.

You need to experiment with food to see if there are any that send you higher than others...e.g peanuts!

take care
 
I take Metformin every morning as directed by GP leading up to it with a cereal breakfast (sometimes with a little fruit included with it) and totally skimmed milk. 7 fluid ounces of orange juice (no more)take it down and keep colds at bay. If I alter the time of eating to couple of hrs later or more I don't feel so good. Im not checking blood sugar levels in any way, checked by GP, has not been suggested that I do at this time. Most of time feel fine occasionally feel strange can't describe it though usually towards the end of the day just feel yuk. Believe it is something to do with diabetes just not recognising what it means. checked out on NHS website nothing to ID. G
 
Hi grum.

I think regardless of what your GP says you need to test otherwise you have no idea at all as to your Bg levels. A check at the GP every so often is useless. Your feeling 'yuk' indicates all is not well.

Looking at your food and drink intake, personally I wouldn't be able to take any of them at all as my Bg levels would go sky high. The Orange juice in particular is a definite no ! Especially in the quantity you mention.

You may be able to tolerate all the starch and sugar ? Without testing at least 2 hrs after your food you are sailing blindfold into the sunset. You must get a meter and some strips and test. Read the threads round here about testing and Bg levels. If you want to avoid complications you must know what is happening to your body.

Ken
 
Hi Ken
Thanks for advise, I know it would be best to check Bg levels, (regardless). I guess I haven't because all the time I am forced to think about being diabetic I will learn to eat and drink only the things that don't make me feel bad,that's what I have been thinking anyway.
As example , never been and still not good, intaker of liquid (don't mean the alcholic kind)! water, tea, coffee, squash, milk and like.
I now force myself to drink water (though I am not desperately thirsty) when I am home from work, carry bottle wherever I go. In work bad habit, only one drink midday (it is habit, I just work and work) this I am trying to change because it is essential I down the water because of the diabetes. likewise when I have my orange juice I have water. I eat fruit and veg and love salads, eat brown bread and pasta, I could live without meat (husband couldn't).
Acquired the waistline that is diabetes (sedentary job just isn't the 'in' thing to have at my time of life or when you have diabetes)and working long hrs, have the HBP and HChol to go with it, walking disaster area. I still believe it is correctable given time ( I know, the Q is how much time)!
 
Hi grum.

Straight talking time.

11 years ago I was like you, newly diagnosed, eating all the wrong stuff even though they told me it was 'healthy'. I carried on like that until 2004. Then I started getting Angina, this was on top of my ever bulging waistline and fat face. I had high BP, high Cholesterol and loads of other aches and pains. I ended up nearly dying and having to have major heart surgery. Felt a million dollars after that. Then they gave me the same 'healthy' diet. So off I went and continued in the same way. BP and Cholesterol soared, HbA1c rocketed and I got progressively worse.

Then in January this year I found this forum. I looked all over it and took on board the advice re:diet etc. I thought low carb was the way to go but I didn't fancy high fat. So I looked at a low GI diet which seemed just what I needed, I modified it by reducing the carb intake drastically. I also added low fat, low salt, low sugar.

What a difference that made. Bg levels all started going down, weight started falling off, lipids all began to get close to near 'normal' levels, Cholesterol now down to 3.2. I have managed to lose 3 stone in as many months with this new diet. I have so much more energy and vitality now. Life is just great. Before it was a chore and I wondered how much longer I had got left ??

I would have never achieved this if it wasn't for the help and advice I found here. That 'healthy' diet for me was totally wrong. It may well be for you ? You are going to have to do some real lifestyle changes if you want to take control of this Diabetes. Only you can work out what is best for YOU. Testing regularly is part of that change you need to make even if it costs ?

Ken.
 
i have just read post by cugila the words gi diet popped out in front of me remember few years ago consultant suggesting that but at that time never took diabetes serious i dont know much about it but when i log out i will look it up thanks for that
 
Echo Cugila here. I did'nt have heart op but was seriously unwell and overweight. Changing my diet has changed my life, and taken 2stone of my weight since the end of March :D
 
Hi
Just read your thoughts about the dietary requirements, weight etc. I am reading everyones views and how they are dealing with life in general since becoming diabetic.
There is a heck of alot of good advise on the site 9 still trying to read it all) and seeing how changes have helped others makes you keen to give them a try too.
I have read about the GI diet, have a book with all the food values in and have spoken with people who follow it religiously, also have a list from the GP of the good, not so good and the 'downright evil' foods. Ofcourse its the last that have to be totally ignored in life (but that isn't what they said at the sessions).
My first objective was cutting out salt and sugar ie adding it ( I know it will be in foods that I buy) did that without too much grief. That's when I started reading labels on foods and finding they too in most cases were loaded with salt or sugar or both! I thought I can't go wrong with the salad, veg and fruit senario eating brown rice, bread, pasta, potato in small amount.
Any suggestions are welcome so many of you who have already found the way to make it work well for you, yes I know it is an individual thing but.... Grum
 
belinda_b said:
Echo Cugila here. I did'nt have heart op but was seriously unwell and overweight. Changing my diet has changed my life, and taken 2stone of my weight since the end of March :D
Click to expand...

Me too! Similar dietary changes, more exercise with the addition of a couple of supplements (the subject of another post) and I've lost around 7 stone and feel better than I did 20 years ago.

Fasting BG? 4.3, 4.5, 4.3 (2hrs after dinner; 4.4, 4.7, 4.5) this week so far (on just 2 x 250mg Met per day).

Expensive, though, had to buy a whole new set of clothes - I'm now a 34" waist down from a peak of 48".

Mark
 
dear all (and Vonny01)
Cugila is right on the money! Only since buying a meter and testing my readings regularly (several times a day, and writing down the results plus what I've eaten) do I feel in control of my diabetes. And what a relief that is! I'm still learning what I can and can't eat but have a pretty good idea now. There's nothing "magical" about the low-carb approach but it seems to work in my case, as I've proven to myself with the help of my meter, and for many other people. So that's one approach that is really worth checking out. I was 17.6 at diagnosis last summer but now rarely go above 9 at any time and am trying to keep even lower. It's kind of fun, on some level - :?: - I take 2x500 Metformin per day and have plans to exercise more :roll:
 
markd said:
belinda_b said:
Echo Cugila here. I did'nt have heart op but was seriously unwell and overweight. Changing my diet has changed my life, and taken 2stone of my weight since the end of March :D
Click to expand...

Me too! Similar dietary changes, more exercise with the addition of a couple of supplements (the subject of another post) and I've lost around 7 stone and feel better than I did 20 years ago.

Fasting BG? 4.3, 4.5, 4.3 (2hrs after dinner; 4.4, 4.7, 4.5) this week so far (on just 2 x 250mg Met per day).

Expensive, though, had to buy a whole new set of clothes - I'm now a 34" waist down from a peak of 48".

Mark
Click to expand...

Your next blood test should be interesting! Well done.

I wonder how many T2's don't change their diet and excercise?
 
[/quote]

I wonder how many T2's don't change their diet and excercise?[/quote]

Me for one.

I took metformin for 12 months from my diagnosis without making a change to my lifestyle, I don't drink, never smoked, but I just enjoy good food and plenty of it.
Remote control aerobics was as much exercise I took.

I had a severe telling off from my GP who prescibed Gliclazide as well as Metformin. He gave me a blood test meter so I could see what happens. If you look at my other posts you can see I'm still getting used to it.
I've had the introduction to a lettuce leaf lecture.
I did read somewhere that life expectancy would improve by leaps and bounds if vegetable smelt like bacon
 
The only thing I would add is that the idea of glycemic load has overtaken raw GI values. This takes into account the amount of something that you eat.

There is a very good (and cheap) Collins Gem book on it.

I have mentioned in another thread that Anthony Worrol Thompson has produced some good recipe books on GL.

If you follow a low GL approach (minus the theoretically permitted large amounts of fat) you will lose weight, and be eating fewer carbs.

You can eat very well on a low GL regime, and there are plenty of things you can have for treats.
 

I wonder how many T2's don't change their diet and excercise?[/quote]

Me for one.

I took metformin for 12 months from my diagnosis without making a change to my lifestyle, I don't drink, never smoked, but I just enjoy good food and plenty of it.
Remote control aerobics was as much exercise I took.

I had a severe telling off from my GP who prescibed Gliclazide as well as Metformin. He gave me a blood test meter so I could see what happens. If you look at my other posts you can see I'm still getting used to it.
I've had the introduction to a lettuce leaf lecture.
I did read somewhere that life expectancy would improve by leaps and bounds if vegetable smelt like bacon[/quote]

You could try eating your proteins and fat before tucking into the carbs!
 
Romola said:
The only thing I would add is that the idea of glycemic load has overtaken raw GI values. This takes into account the amount of something that you eat.

There is a very good (and cheap) Collins Gem book on it.

I have mentioned in another thread that Anthony Worrol Thompson has produced some good recipe books on GL.

If you follow a low GL approach (minus the theoretically permitted large amounts of fat) you will lose weight, and be eating fewer carbs.

You can eat very well on a low GL regime, and there are plenty of things you can have for treats.
Click to expand...

Low GL really works for me, wish I looked into it before being diagnosed T2
 
Hi Vonny, metformin allowes you cells to let your insulin work. It hasnt been able to for a while thats why you've developed diabetes. You may think that you have no insulin and thats why you've become diabetic, but infact you may have loads but its "locked out" of you cells. Metformin is the key to allow your cells to use food in the correct way. stick with it and it'll start to work over the next few weeks. Check out Fergus's low carb info, worked for me.
Good luck.
Dee.
 
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