Type 2: Reduction of Metformin

[pamK]

Hi Everyon When i went for my 6 mth results my HbA1c was 41 and i saw a new DN who said it maybe because my red blood cells was low But they are always low i told her as i am low in iron I told her that i have gone back onto Metformin and was on 4 tablets a day as i had also been on steroids which make results change and go up which had happened the previous time and this is how i went onto 4 tablets a day But with the new results there has been a complete 3 months from my steroids which it has to be This new DN agreed that a reading of 41 i should reduce my metformin by 1 tablet also as my reading before bed was around 4.1 she has taken the tablet of the morning tablets so now it's 1 tablet in the morning and 2 tablets at night and i was wondering if this is right can anyone help with how i would know if this is correct Thanks Happy New Year to everyone

 

[Oldvatr]

We cannot advise what is best for you. That is beween you and your HCP team to decide, But one aspect of the way Metformin works springs to mind, and that is it acts to inhibit the digestion of carbs and so reduce the amount of glucose getting to the liver. In this respect the dose in the morning might be improved if it became the larger dose since it needs to act on food which may not happen last thing at night. Other than that I think Metformin is a slow drug that needs to build up over time, so altering the timing is not so critical as say insulin. The other thing reported is that many here benefit from taking Metformin with food to reduce stomach upset, and again the larger dose should accompany food as per the user leaflet.

 

[pamK]

Thanks for the reply