Well its happened

[Clarissa]

Ive been put on Metformin. No great surprise really as since getting my meter 3 weeks ago, all of my readings have been above 9.

Just really hoping I dont get any of those nasty side effects, especially with having IBS. She has given me the slow releasing one, so I will have to see how I get on.

Claire

 

[sugarless sue]

Good luck with them,hope all goes well especially over Christmas!

 

[Clarissa]

Thanks Sue

That was one of my concerns. It says that the worst side effects will be in the first two weeks then should settle down. With Christmas only being a week tomorrow, I really hope the medication doesnt ruin my Christmas. It is going to be hard enough, not being able to eat what I like, without feeling ill also.

Fingers Crossed for a Merry Christmas for everyone.

Claire

 

[Dennis]

Hi Claire,

If you take the tablets with your food, not before or after your meal, it is supposed to minimise the side effects of Glucophage. I am also on Glucophage (1000mg twice a day) and my consultant says best to take them about half way through your main course. Occasionally I have forgotten and taken them half an hour after eating with no ill effects, but then I don't have IBS!

Good luck with them and have a good Christmas.

 

[martinbuchan]

I take 1000mg twice a day with food. I have been lucky and had no ill effects. Although I did build up the dose gradually over a few weeks. I thinbk the slow release is better as I think the half life is 6 hours for normal MF. If I take it at an early tea around 5pm, I don't think much is left in my system by the morning. So I sometimes take another 500mg with a snack before bed on those occasions. As the other regime is 850mg 8 hourly, I am still within that daily dosage.

MF reduces my fasting BS about 3 mmol i think (based on the very few times I have forgotten to take it). I am on fairly gut rotting antibiotics for a foot bone infection at the moment (clindamycin and cirpofloxacin), my bowels are controlled with probiotic yogurt drinks (4 a day at the moment). I think MF is a brilliant. I would hate to think how much Insulin I would be taking without MF (currently 100 levemir over 2 doses and about 90/day of novorapid).

Metformin has also been show to improve mortality and reduce risks/complications. it is not a failure to be on it. If anything, you probably should want to be on it. My diabetic nurses said if they developed type 2 (and one is borderline), they would start on MF and insulin straight away.

Marty B

 

[martinbuchan]

Thats why I have got today brewers yeast tabs. The yeast S B is good for antibioic related diarrhoea. The re about 40-50 cals per drink, but they certainly work. With the Brewers yeast tabs I will be able o cut down on them a bit (to 2 a day). Clindamycin is the classic antibiotic to produce Clostridium difficile problems, at the moment I am trying to get a good diet that may not be calorie controlled but is wide and varied.

I will look up the capsules later this week.

Thanks



Marty B

 

[martinbuchan]

Hi

Actimel has L casei immunitas bacteria. Per 100g pot it has 3.3g carb of which all of it is sugar. 4 of those a day is equivilent to a reasonably sized apple in terms of carbs. Each 100g has 0.1g fat and 28 kCal. Not a significant amount for anybody.

The best tasting is Muller Vitality. It has 71kCal per 100ml pot. CHO is 10g per 100 almost all sugar. It has added Omega 3 oils, so there is 1.7g fat per 100ml pot (1g saturated). 75mg omega 3 per pot.

So I only take one of the muller pots per day, It has the probiotic baceria La-5 and Bb-12.

I can't be bothered going back to my fridge to see what yakult is. yes, I am that fat and lazy just now.

All in all, actimel original could be considered an essential part of any calorie controlled diet, or for any other reason. I don't see any reason why diabetics can't use Actimel original- there is no real case against use for diabetics regarding carb content. However, being from Aberdeenshire, if the capsules are cheaper then that is major reason. I just live in a rural area. The bad name yogurts get is form the low fat variety which seem to load up on sugars to compensate for lower fat.

Marty B

 

[martinbuchan]

Hi

looked up Healthspan.co.uk- I use them for a lot of my supplements (they are quite cheap and not just because I used to work in Guernsey). £10 for 3 months supply. They have 3 kinds of bacteria in the capsules which will survive past the stomach. Ordered tonight. As I will be antibiotics for at least the next 3 months I will use it for this long. I will still take the brewer's yeast (also contains B vits), I will probably use at least one actimel and 1 muller vitality a day as these contain different probiotic bugs.

Certainly cheaper than the yogurt drinks.....

Thanks for the heads up SarahQ

Marty B

 

[martinbuchan]

Yakult has 17 g sugar per 100ml (pots are 65ml each). Finally manged to wobble to the fridge.

Actimel is probably the best one of the three.

Marty B