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Not taking metformin

T

Tan200

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Hi my husband is a type 2 diabetic. He has been prescribed metformin but he hasn’t taken it for weeks now. The problem is he now gets up quite a few times in the night to go the loo and drink water. This causing problems between us both because none of us are getting a good nights sleep. How can I get him to take his medication. Tan
 
Hi @Tan200, as a diabetic, not as professional advice or opinion:
Metformin can cause tummy upsets, such as diahorroea and nausea.
Perhaps your husband has stopped it because of this but has not told you or his doctor why.
Or perhaps your husband is in some sort of denial that he is unwell and thus has dispensed with the Metformin.?
The getting up at night suggests he is having to pass urine frequently and the thirst, drinking of water more than usual, could both be a sign of high blood sugars. Without any urine testing strips or blood testing machine and strips you would have difficulty proving that he has high in sugar BUT the doctor can.
If you happen to have either then if your husband will co-operate you have a way of checking either whether he has glucose in his urine or a blood sugar greater than ,say 9 mmol/l. This can then be reported to his doctor and the matter dealt with.
If your husband steadfastly refuses to see the doctor within an agreed time interval, one week or less, you may need to contact the doctor yourself, in the interests of your husband's health. Even if you have to make an appointment to see the doctor.
If it is difficult to contact the doctor, a written message or speaking with the nurse at the practice could have the desired result. Nurses are pretty good at sorting out stubborn patients, too.
The other 'angle' you could use might be that with high blood sugars a person's vision maybe affected.
Your husband may not be safe to drive and that is another reason to see the doctor to make sure he is fit to drive.
Anyone who is concerned about a person's ability to drive has a duty to report this to doctor and the DVLA.
It may be that the doctor might have to visit your husband at home if he remains stubborn but from what you describe he is doing himself no favours by carrying on the way he is.
I hope the above helps.
 
Hi @Tan200 ,
Honestly, if he's up all night drinking and visiting the loo, sleep is the least of his problems. It's a clear indicator of high bloodsugars, and he really needs to deal with that. If he stopped taking metformin because it didn't agree with him, (I know it gave me the runs, up to the point where I had constant bleeds and got dehydrated) but there's a myread of other medications he could try, OR, he could change his diet. Practically all carbs turn to glucose once ingested, so if you cut the carbs, his bloodsugars won't run high and he most likely wouldn't even need medication. I was only on metformin and then gliclazide for 3 months. Going on 2 years med-free and in the non-diabetic range, on diet only. Try reading Dr. Jason Fung's the Diabetes Code so you know what's going on with your husband: T2 is NOT something to take lightly, and he seems to be in denial... I know it helped me tremendously that my spouse took an interest and learned about this condition right along with me, because his support was invaluable. Just about as important as having a meter that told me how I was doing. Maybe have a gander over at dietdoctor.com as well... The recepies there are low carb and very, very healthy for a T2. (Low carb, high fat). I don't know if you're the one doing the cooking at home, but... You could make quite an impact by changing meals for low carb ones. It'd certainly keep him asleep at night, and you too.

So he could eat, without issue:
Scrambled eggs with bacon, cheese, mushrooms, tomato, maybe some high meat content sausages?
Eggs with ham, bacon and cheese
Omelet with spinach and/or smoked salmon
Omelet with cream, cinnamon, with some berries and coconut shavings
Full fat Greek yoghurt with nuts and berries
Leafy green salad with a can of tuna (oil, not brine!), mayonaise, capers, olives and avocado
Leafy green salad with (warmed goat's) cheese and bacon, maybe a nice vinaigrette?
Meat, fish or poultry with veggies. I usually go for cauliflower rice or broccoli rice, with cheese and bacon to bulk it up. Never the same meal twice in a row because of various herbs/spices.

Snacks? Pork scratchings, cheese, olives, extra dark chocolate, nuts.

I keep it simple because I am useless in the kitchen, but like I said, there's loads more on Dietdoctor.com that might suit your needs.

...If your other half is resistant, just try sneaking low carb meals in... Cut out pasta, rice, corn, potatoes, bread, cereal/weetabix/muesli/porridge and fruits that don't end in -berry. Things that are "safe" for a T2: meat, fish, poultry, above ground veggies/leafy greens, nuts, extra dark chocolate, cheese, butter, cream, full fat greek yoghurt, eggs, nuts, olives, that sort of thing... He'll do loads better, and in all likelyhood his mood will improve too. High bloodsugars don't do much for emotional health either, after all.

Good luck!
Jo
 
There’s no way to post this without causing offence to some, but perhaps you might urge him to have a look at this discussion linked below. Be advised that the videos within contain some extremely graphic images that may upset some viewers. Please ignore if you feel it may be too much, but if this doesn’t convince him to start taking diabetes seriously then nothing else will.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/new-zealand-documentary.160198/
 
Tan200 said:
How can I get him to take his medication.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately the Metformin will not do much to solve (cure) the issue. On it's own it is a very mild medication and needs additional measures to be taken to be properly effective.

Your husband clearly has high blood glucose levels and would be wise to try to take steps to lower it, before he ends up being prescribed stronger and stronger medication.

Have you read @daisy1 info pack ?

It is full of helpful information, and will be a good place to start if your husband wants to be serious about getting on top of his T2D.
 
I stopped taking Metformin - but I have been eating a low carb diet since diagnosis, to great effect.
If your husband chooses not to take medication then is he willing to control his intake of carbs?
I used a meter to test my blood glucose to ensure my readings were in the normal range, or at least heading in that direction - I think it is essential.
 
Thank you I
Thank you I think the medication making him feel unwell as a lot to do with him stopping will see if I can get him to go back the doctors and get his medication changed
 
Thank you to everyone for their advice think I need to do some reading as well as the other half. I do think the metformin makes him feel unwell hopefully he’ll go back to doctors and I can help with meals
 
@Tan200
Hello Tan and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you and your husband will find it interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
  • Reduce your carbohydrate intake
  • Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
  • structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
  • self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.

  • Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why

  • Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
 
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