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Newly started Metformin

G

GeordieBoi

Member
Hey Guys

I started the M-drug on 4th January (after losing the 2 year battle to control via diet !). My levels were running at an average c9 mmol/L prior to starting the drug and my last HbA1c was 64 (8% in old money). My BG levels are NOW running at an average of 10.5 (Highest 12.6 and lowest 9.2) on 500mg (1 tab daily) of the slow release formula. Whilst my dietary control since taking the drug hasn't been brilliant, I did NOT expect the levels to go up and be consistently and unacceptably high? :x

Am I about to go back and ask them to double the dose maybe ? :?

Cheers

Brian
 
Hiya Brian (I usually try not to talk to Geordies but in your case I'll make an exception) .

GeordieBoi said:
Whilst my dietary control since taking the drug hasn't been brilliant, I did NOT expect the levels to go up and be consistently and unacceptably high? :x
Click to expand...

I think you've answered your own question here. Metformin is a helping hand rather than a miracle cure. It'll knock maybe a point off your BG score, but it won't make up for eating a "non-brilliant" diet. I found that if I over indulged in carbs when taking the old Metformin, then it took instant revenge on me (they don't call it Metfartin for nothing).

GeordieBoi said:
Am I about to go back and ask them to double the dose maybe ? :?
Click to expand...

I'd give it a while and, more importantly, try and get your diet sorted. If you took more Metformin it might nudge your levels down a bit, but it probablt won't turn a 10+ into a 7-

Good luck.

Up the Boro

Stephen
 
I also note you're on just one tab of 500mg a day. That's normally the "starter" dose which is automatically doubled to 2 pills a day after about a fortnight as I understand it. So you will be doubling it soon anyway. Is that your understanding? Still doesn't change Borofergie's comments re - diet and the effects of Met. by the way.
 
Thanks for your sagacity, Stephen. Didn't mean to imply that my recent dietary control was especially bad as such, just that it wasn't optimal for Type II and more importantly, has not substantially changed over recent weeks (pre and post Metformin). I was mostly surprised that levels went UP where virtually nothing changed barring the tabs !!

Diabetic Nurse Practitioner says to wait a further couple of weeks unless levels stay consistently high after some adjustment in dietary control.

Haway the lads ;-)

Brian

 
In my early days on metformin, I found it pretty useless on its own. And one tablet sounds like a completely lost cause. Three tablets a day of metformin made me feel really weak and ill - I could barely function. The answer at that stage was without doubt gliclazide plus slow release metformin.

Whilst the logic of control by diet is sensible, it makes for a miserable existance in my opinion, which is not to say that you should eat anything at all and expect the medication to put things right.

Good luck - you'll get there in the end.
 
Hi. If you are an overweight Type 2 i.e. with insulin resistance then Metformin is a good starter drug with an appropriate dosage. If, like me, you are not overweight and not insulin resistant then the focus has to be on the pancreas and insulin production and this is where Gliclazide is normally the most relevant drug to start with or add. The NICE guidelines which you can download from the NICE Diabetes web pages are a good reference
 
Quick question.
How do you tell if you are insulin resistant?
I haven't been tested for this so far (diagnosed 4 years).
 
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