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What happened?

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xtinexoop

Member
Messages
8
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
So, been on metformin (2 x 500mg) for just over a week, and apart from one dash to the loo the first eve haven't seemed to have any side effects.

Been monitoring my BG and in the Eve's it's been high (10.8) so decided to really go for the low carb, so yesterday for dinner I had salad and steak, at breakfast today (10am) I was 6.0 before I took metformin and ate (2 eggs, 2 sausages, small glass of milk), 2 hrs later I was 7.0, had lunch (1 slice rye bread with cheese and ham and some peanuts), was 7.5 2hrs later and decided to go to the gym. Had a bit of a crampy stomach, but ignored it. Did 12 mins on hand bike and 15 mins on a cycle and got stomach cramps again, rushed to the loo... Was bathed in sweat fom head to foot, then got the runs, felt sick and called for help. They gave me some lucozade sport and a cold flannel, I was shaking so much I couldn't dial on my phone, after a couple of sips of the lucozade I started to calm down, hubby picked me up and I'm back home. Only had about 2inches out of the lucozade bottle, but on return home BG was 9.8...

So, what happened? Hypo? Hyper? Metformin reaction? Was going almost cold turkey on carbs for 24 hrs too much too soon? I don't like the idea that my sugars are nearly 11 2 hous after a "normal" evening meal, but I don't want to collapse again like this afternoon.

Any ideas?
 
You don't get hypos on metformin. You can get low blood sugar like any other person (non diabetics) but you shouldn't go drinking lucozade. Not necessary.
 
Stomach cramps and sweating can be linked to metformin (I certainly used to get them), and severe cramps can be sufficiently debilitating to give you the shakes, but that's not linked to blood sugar levels. If you start getting the stomach cramps more regularly you might want to ask your GP about switching to the slow-release version of metformin, which most people find easier for their system to deal with.
 
Well that's useful to know, I didn't think it was a hypo can't see how my sugars would go that low.. Reckon then the cramps and diahorrea were from the metformin?

The gym staff gave me the lucozade, it might not be necessary, but I felt a hell of a lot better after a few sips...
 
Does adverse reaction to metformin change depending on what you eat? Ie. if you take it with carbs it has less side effects than with no carbs?
 
xtinexoop said:
Does adverse reaction to metformin change depending on what you eat? Ie. if you take it with carbs it has less side effects than with no carbs?
Click to expand...
Difficult to say -- I wouldn't think so, but it probably depends on the individual. See if you can detect a pattern. I couldn't in my case, but i had poor digestion to begin with anyway. The crucial thing though is to get your sugars down, and reducing carbs is going to be the most effective way of doing that. It's the meds that you might in the end need to adjust, NOT the moderate to low-carb diet.
 
Hi. As has already been suggested, ask your GP to swap you over to Metformin SR which should help with the stomach cramps. You appear to be doing the right thing overall. Take the non-SR Metformin with food if you're not already doing that. Don't expect too much too soon. Metformin is a good drug but will only reduce your BS by perhaps 1 mmol. It's diet that will have the most effect and the gym obviously helps
 
Just think that there is something that should be mentioned..

Often you can get symptoms resembling a "hypo" if you have been running high levels for a considerable time and they drop quite quickly..this may be what happened in your case.

It isn't a true hypo but it still feels bloomin awful, however it should settle fairly quickly as your levels are coming down. As others have pointed out Metformin is a good med to take but it doesn't work instantaneously by lowering levels, it is not that type of drug.

Not sure why the staff at the gym gave you lucozade, did you tell them you were diabetic? It really isn't necessary and will cause more harm than good as your numbers later showed-I really have a hunch this happened because your levels are doing what they are supposed to do, starting to lower! :)
 
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