Recently diagnosed T2 on Glucophage

[Shahnaz2357]

Hi! I am 67 years old. Have been diagnosed T2, 4 months back and am taking 1000 mg Glucophage per day however my BS 2 hours after meals continues to remain around 155. What dose of metformin/glucophage is appropriate for bringing the numbers down to the normal figures of 140 or below?

 

[Resurgam]

There isn't one - it is not a glucose lowering medication.
The way many people cope is to reduce the amount of carbohydrate eaten.
I get readings under 6 mmol/l without medication by restricting my carbs. It would be about 100 in US units, after eating my evening meal, which is when I eat most carbs.

 

[Grateful]

Hello and welcome to the forum,

As @Resurgam pointed out, Glucophage (same as Metformin) does not directly lower blood glucose.

Like Resurgam, I "reversed" my Type 2 diabetes by adopting a "low carbohydrate" diet (see signature below). By "reversed" I mean that our blood glucose levels are "non-diabetic." We still have the disease, but if we keep those levels low, we have a much better chance of avoiding the complications of the disease.

If you are only taking Glucophage, and no other diabetes drugs, it should be safe to try the "low carb" diet if you are interested. "Carbohydrates" are much more than just "sugar" and include many common foods, including for instance bread, rice, pasta, potatos....

Here are some useful links:

Explaining the HbA1c blood test: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html

Explaining the various low-carb options: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html

Getting food information and recipes: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb

I believe you are located in Islamabad, Pakistan. In some countries, including many Western ones, the "low carb" option is not actively advocated by doctors and other medical professionals. So don't necessarily expect much support from your doctors if you try this "diet" route to controlling Type 2 diabetes.

This forum is a great place for help and support.

Tagging @daisy1 who will provide useful information for newcomers.

 

[Olufisayo]

Appreciation to @Resurgam and Grateful! May I ask exactly what metformin does since it does not tackle diabetes. I am T2 and I am on metformin 500 mg in the morning + clamide 5mg and 500mg metformin in the evening. Thank you!

 

[Guzzler]

Metformin (Glucophage) is a mild appetite suppressant but is prescribed to those with T2 to curb liver dumps which helps with Insulin Resistance. It also affords some protection of the organs. It is not prescribed to lower blood glucose per se but it is considered a safe and useful drug.

 

[Olufisayo]

Thank you Guzzler for this information. Does it mean then that I am not being treated at all for diabetes?

 

[Guzzler]

Thank you Guzzler for this information. Does it mean then that I am not being treated at all for diabetes?

No, Metformin is a prescribed treatment for Diabetes, it is just that it works in the background as one of the problems for those with Type 2 Diabetes is excessive liver dumps which is not good. You may still be able to adapt your diet to lower your blood glucose levels. You could say that a good diet is also a 'treatment'.

 

[Olufisayo]

No, Metformin is a prescribed treatment for Diabetes, it is just that it works in the background as one of the problems for those with Type 2 Diabetes is excessive liver dumps which is not good. You may still be able to adapt your diet to lower your blood glucose levels. You could say that a good diet is also a 'treatment'.

Thank you for taking time to answer my questions,

 

[Shahnaz2357]

Thanks all for useful tips on basics of Diabetes

 

[Shahnaz2357]

I am on a diet of lots of vegetables, eggs and chicken and limited bread and rice....am on 1000 mg metformin x day from the last three months since diagnosed. My morning BG is mostly less than a 100 or 5.1- 5.3 but my HbAic has moved to only 6.5% from 7% in my recent blood test. How can I get a better decreased HbAic result? Should I ask the Dr. to increase my dose of metformin?

 

[snowmonkey]

I am on a diet of lots of vegetables, eggs and chicken and limited bread and rice....am on 1000 mg metformin x day from the last three months since diagnosed. My morning BG is mostly less than a 100 or 5.1- 5.3 but my HbAic has moved to only 6.5% from 7% in my recent blood test. How can I get a better decreased HbAic result? Should I ask the Dr. to increase my dose of metformin?

i am on 4*500mg =2000mg per day. I understand that it does lower blood glucose levels a little but that might be partly due to appetite suppressant action. so if you are only on 1000mg then maybe there is a possibility of a higher dose - that said, only your doctor can know for sure if a higher dose is safe\would help.

if you only test in the morning then it is possible that you blood sugar goes high after food. portion sizes are important too and some veg has quite a lots of carbs.

 

[Deepshika]

Hi! I am 67 years old. Have been diagnosed T2, 4 months back and am taking 1000 mg Glucophage per day however my BS 2 hours after meals continues to remain around 155. What dose of metformin/glucophage is appropriate for bringing the numbers down to the normal figures of 140 or below?

For all you know it might be the drug itself. There might be some ingredient that you might be allergic to. You should try switching the dosage or try another brand of this drug so that you can be sure you are well suited to the dose of medicine you consume.