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Pre diabetes

D

darrenjallen

Member
Messages
21
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi there. My doctor has stsrted me on metmorfin 500mg twice daily He Says I'm pre diabetic. 44 was the result. I was told by a diabetic nurse that if I'm on already metmorfin then I'm type 2.

Any info would be greatly appreciated as I'm a little confused.
 
Hello and welcome,

The test you had sounds like an HbA1c, which is the usual test for diagnosing diabetes. The result of 44 puts you in the pre-diabetic range ("at risk"). It doesn't put you in the diabetes range, so your nurse is wrong and your doctor is right. However, it is unusual for a pre-diabetic to be on Metformin, which is probably what confused your nurse. Maybe your doctor is being a bit enthusiastic with his prescription pad. It does happen. Metformin is the first line treatment for T2's although even then a T2 should be given 3 months grace before medicating to try and lower the glucose levels by lifestyle changes if the HbA1c is low enough.
 
Hi Darrenjallen. A reading of 42-47 is classed as pre -Diabetic over 47 Diabetic. HBA1C


https://www.diabetes.co.uk/pre-diabetes.html

Lots of great information and help on this site.

I am sure someone will have a more detailed reply.. Take care dude..
 
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Thanks guys. Reassuring. I must admit since taking metformin I feel so much more full of energy
 
I also find it strange that as a Pre-diabetic you have been put on medication. Perhaps have a word with your doctor as you may be able to drop your sugar levels by eating a very low carb and get all the information from the people here and look around the site. It is much better to have no meds if you can lower your BG levels
 
To be honest I'm pre diabetic and I would have no problem taking metformin, as long as I had no digestive problems! Metformin from what I've read seems to be a beneficial medication with no downsides, apart from digestive problems.
 
darrenjallen said:
Thanks guys. Reassuring. I must admit since taking metformin I feel so much more full of energy
Click to expand...
If it is suiting you, I'd keep stumm and stay on it. I have read lots of good things about Metformin. I rather envy you, as I had a pre-pre-diabetic A1c test of 41but am finding I am having to cut carbs to the bone to lower my daily blod glucose levels to anything approaching normal / ideal. I tried hard to get my GP to prescribe me Metformin, but she wasn't playing. Some people want passionately to control their bgs by diet alone. Personally, I feel lowering one's bg is SO important, I'll do whatever it takes.

IMO whether one is pre- or type 2 is irrelevant. I follow my two gurus, Dr Bernstein and Jenny Ruhl, in thinking that what counts is blood sugar levels, and that they are damagingly high long before they qualify us for these categories. In any case the level at which one is considered pre- etc varies from country to country.
 
Can I get free prescriptions with ore diabetes taking metformin ?
 
Jo123 said:
To be honest I'm pre diabetic and I would have no problem taking metformin, as long as I had no digestive problems! Metformin from what I've read seems to be a beneficial medication with no downsides, apart from digestive problems.
Click to expand...

One thing to consider is, should your blood glucose levels deteriorate and you end up diabetic you have already exhausted one medication and would end up on a much larger dose or a stronger drug.
 
Bluetit1802 said:
One thing to consider is, should your blood glucose levels deteriorate and you end up diabetic you have already exhausted one medication and would end up on a much larger dose or a stronger drug.
Click to expand...
Are you sure Metformin works like that?
 
Alexandra100 said:
Are you sure Metformin works like that?
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean. Metformin works on the liver to help reduce the amount of stored glucose it releases, which in turn helps a little with insulin resistance. It is also an appetite suppressant. As it is the first line drug for T2 diabetics, if it is used for pre-diabetics but that person continues to deteriorate (wrong dietary choices maybe), then when diabetes hits, the first line drug has been shown to fail in their case, so only choices are increased doses or another drug.
 
I was diagnosed in April with a hba1c of 108. Two months later whilst taking Metformin it came down to 59. At this point I decided to stop taking Metformin and control it by lchf diet. I am 6/7 months from being diagnosed, down 3 stone and test daily and see normal blood glucose levels.
There isn't a drug to cure but you have the power to make healthier choices to control your pre diabetes and not let it control you.
If I were you.. put the metformin to one side and try eating lchf and see what results you get.....
Good luck ..
 
I don't agree with the principle of metformin. It does stop the liver releasing stored glucose but this could cause the liver to store more because you are interfering with the bodies natural process. Best not to eat so many carbs & sugars in the first place.
Let the liver depleat it's fat reserves.

This worked for me at least so far lol
 
Hi,
I am also recently diagnosed with pre diabetes, but drugs have not been mentioned at all, let alone prescribed. I have been advised on diet and exercise and invited to a diabetes group at my local clinic. I have been reading Dr Michael Mosely's book on Blood Sugar and would advise you do the same - page 58 " What's wrong with just taking pills?" is very informative. I have only read of Metformin for diabetes, not pre diabetes.
 
My doc prescribed metformin for my pre-D so it's not unknown. There is some sense in not waiting for some arbitrary bg number in order to prescribe. The question I have is whether drugs of any kind are effective treatments when the underlying issue is matching what we eat to what our bodies need.
 
In her books Jenny Ruhl is enthusiatic about the benefits of Metformin, which she considers well tested and very safe. It has been claimed Metformin may help heart health, lower cholesterol and prevent cancer. Some non-diabetic doctors are said to take Metformin for the sake of these possible benefits. Personally, I am attracted by the possibility of eating a more balanced diet containing a few more carbs, as at present I am consuming under 30 grammes of carb daily but not seeing as much of a reduction in blood glucose as I feel I am earning. However, all efforts to get my GP to prescribe me Metformin have failed utterly. Now the following article about research linking Metformin use and dementia has made me wonder whether the drug is so very safe alfter all.
 
Sorry, I forgot to put in thearticle:

Metformin Use Linked to Increased Dementia, Parkinson's Risk in Patients With Diabetes
Deborah Brauser

March 30, 2017
  • recent research has suggested that use of metformin may protect against neurodegenerative diseases. When asked about that, Dr Kuan told Medscape Medical News that "some studies have actually found positive [outcomes] but some have been negative." So the researchers wanted to look into this using their own data.

    "We'd heard about a possible protective effect from metformin. However, we found the reverse," she said, but stressed that large-scale, prospective studies in other countries are needed to clarify the results.

    Higher Cumulative Incidences
    The investigators note that past research has shown a link between T2DM and increased risk for neurodegenerative diseases, but there's been "some question" about the association with specific diabetes medications.

    They examined records for patients with T2DM from the National Health Insurance research database of Taiwan, including 4651 who had metformin prescriptions and 4651 matched controls who were not using the medication.

    After adjustment for factors such as age, sex, and diabetes severity, "the cumulative incidences of Parkinson's and dementia were significantly higher for our metformin cohort" at 12 years (P < .001), reported Dr Kuan.

    In addition, the outcomes mostly increased as the use duration and dosage of metformin increased, especially with use for more than 300 days and doses greater than 240 g.

    Dr Kuan said that the investigators would like to eventually look into possible associations with other antidiabetic medications, such as insulin or sulfonylureas.

    "I'm a neurologist so I want to know which kinds of medication is best for the patient," she said. "Because there are some limitations with our study, I can't say the risk effects we found are real," but clinicians should keep them in mind, she concluded.

    Surprised and Skeptical
    When asked for comment, Larry Ereshefsky, PharmD, with Follow the Molecule consulting group, Los Angeles, California, told Medscape Medical News that he was "very surprised" and skeptical about the results.

    He noted that the poster didn't explain how the investigators controlled for the confounders and didn't mention anything about alternative treatments for T2DM or hemoglobin A1c levels between the groups, which would affect the analyses.

    "It's interesting and I would like to know more but I don't believe the findings based on what's up there," said Dr Ereshefsky, who was formerly a psychiatry and pharmacology professor at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

    Dr Kuan and Dr Ereshefsky have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

    AD/PD 2017: International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases. Abstract 312. Presented March 29, 2017.
 
Alexandra100 said:
... at present I am consuming under 30 grammes of carb daily but not seeing as much of a reduction in blood glucose as I feel I am earning...
Click to expand...

Any time my low carb eating was not doing what I thought it should, I went back to Dr Sarah Hallberg's rules for eating:
1. If it says "light", "low-fat" or "fat-free" it stays in the grocery store.
2. Eat food. (Real food does not come in a box.)
3. Don't eat anything you don't like.
4. Eat when you're hungry. Don't eat when you're not.
5. No GPS - grains, potatoes or sugar.

This, plus carb and fat counting pointed the way for me to get back on track. All the best...
 
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