• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

What was your Hba1c when you were put on metformin?

Hello Gracicles,
I was diagnosed just over a month ago but only met with the nurse to discuss my results yesterday. My Hba1c was 64 and I'm on 500g of metformin twice a day. I'm also cutting the carbs and trying to lose weight. I know I have to get those levels down and I have to engage with the support being offered to me. I completely understand where you are coming from though, it can be so easy to just slip into denial - which was my initial response. I do find this forum to be supportive - just knowing you are not alone is a great help. I'm finding the shame of realising that I have done this to myself to be the hardest thing to overcome though.
 
LisaHug said:
I'm finding the shame of realising that I have done this to myself to be the hardest thing to overcome though.
Click to expand...

You can't put this on your shoulders anymore than someone else with any other life changing condition could. Acceptance is a great start and a terrific incentive and the support? Well, you'll always get that here. I wish you well
 

Metformin doesn't really work like that.
It is a drug that slowly builds up, over time. Taking several weeks to reach full effectiveness (depending on dose).
The effect it then has is to lower your blood glucose overall, by reducing insulin resistance, amongst other functions.

For this reason, missing a tablet isn't a tragedy, but you do need to take them consistently, as prescribed, for them to have any benefit.

Most people assume that a tablet taken with a meal will affect the blood glucose peak after that meal. But it doesn't. It lowers your blood glucose a bit throughout the day, all the time.

I agree that diet (and to a lesser extent) exercise are the most powerful tools in the T2 toolkit, but i think drugs have their place, and can be very useful, although diet and exercise are great first lines of defence.
 
I was diagnosed as diabetic on 1st April this year with a blood sugar reading of 23.5

I am generally around 5-6.5 this last week and I am on Metformin 2x 500 gr twice a day and 2x gliclazide a day

Meds seem to be working along with extra exercise and watching what I eat .... wondering if the doc will reduce the glic as I am not losing any weight
 
Hi magsiesss, I was diagnosed in Jan this year with a BG reading of 19.3. Now in single numbers following the LCHF diet and on 2x 500mg of Metformin SR daily. I have lost 1 stone 9lbs since Jan. Go onto the Forum " What Have You Eaten Today " it is a good place to start as you can see what some of us put on there for daily meals. You can try and test for yourself, you will never get bored of what to eat. Good luck keep us all updated as there are lots of good supportive and very friendly people on here that can advise you . Ask anything you feel you need too and someone will answer you.
 
Hi @Gracicles
I was diagnosed end of January this year with an HbA1c of 104. I was signed up for the education course, which actually takes place tomorrow, about 12 weeks too late! I was prescribed 2x 500mg Metformin. My HP's don't think I need a Blood glucose monitor nor any contact for another six months. I decided not to wait for the next HbA1c and take responsibility for my own health. I started on LCHF a few weeks back and from my own attempts at testing, I'm averaging around 8's or about 50. So I've halved my starting figure but I have a way to go. Metformin (for me) is the absolute pits!
 
I notice that some people post their Hba1c results at 48, (without a decimal point) while others would say 7.0%. Would someone explain what the number without the decimal point means?
 
bramas said:
I notice that some people post their Hba1c results at 48, (without a decimal point) while others would say 7.0%. Would someone explain what the number without the decimal point means?
Click to expand...
Some results are reported in % (and those will be things like 7.0%) and others in mmol/mol (numbers like 48). Here's a rough guide to the conversion: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html

FWIW, I got met with a HbA1C of 6.3 after 6 mos of a super low carb diet didn't fix things (in fact they were slowly getting worse). I have never been "overweight" and always exercised. I find the met seems to help with my fasting #s more than anything else (and I had really stubborn impaired fasting glucose).

You didn't necessarily do this to yourself; it's also just rotten luck. We just like to blame people because it makes us feel like we have more control over the world.
 
My HbA1c in February this year was 111. I bought a meter straight away and my pre-breakfast reading was 29. I was put on 4 Metformin SR 500mg a day, straight away. I've only lost 12lbs since then (I don't have very much to lose).
I feel that the medication has helped give me a kick start to taking my diabetes seriously.
 

Hi I am 42 and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (I also suffer from chronic pancreatitis) the doctor put me on 500mg metformin (once a day) and I had a bad reaction to it I lost a stone in weight in a week I was sufferering bad headache,light headed loss of appetite drinking lots of water and it got to the point where I was rushed into hospital with severe diadration body temp of 25 and they had to give me insulin to try and bring down my levels and keytones (29.8) so over days they took me off metformin and put me on the same doze 500mg but the slow release one and also glitlazite 40mg twice a day and now I've got my appetite back,I've changed my diet completely but my levels seem to be high still (30.1) and my keytones level in the morning are 1.5.all the best with your treatment dave
 
I was diagnosed 8 weeks ago. I was put straight on 1500mg Metformin (started off with one at breakfast for a week then breakfast and lunch for the next week then 3 times a day with meals). Still wrapping my head around the new lifestyle changes that I need to make.

I think I'm at the angry stage at the moment! Occasional explosive bouts of explosive diarrhoea caused by the Metformin don't help! I'm beginning to realise though that my "EE's" ("Explosive Episodes) may be linked to the amount of carbs I eat on or around the day that it happens. Still trying to figure it out. In the process of reducing carbs to see if it makes a difference.

Lovely to see some positive posts regarding lifestyle changes and weight loss though. Gives me hope that I can control this Diabetes Beast!!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hi Sad to say I took ages to accept responsibility for my diet & exercise, so I can understand your initial ignoring of the advice.
HbA1c - 45 mmol/mol IFCC standardised BMI 32 in 2014 Metformin 1000mg per day (500 x 2)
Changed eating habits and increased the exercise
HbA1c - 37 mmol/mol IFCC standardised BMI 28 in 2016 Now entertaining the idea I might cease medication or reduce it, need to do some more research in to the cardio protective effects of Metformin
So stick with the forums, best advice out there in my opinion. Eventually you will get to like a lowcarb, no sugar diet with exercise - honest, you really will!
 

Someone else may have mentioned it but if Metformin doesn't agree with you ask to go to the slow release version
 
Ah PenfoldAPD you are on the same journey I am trying to complete. Thanks for the encouragement, you are one step ahead of me, I am due an extra review in 2 months to review all my meds
 
Just something to encourage you..... I was diagnosed in Jan 16 with T2 and decided to go the low to no carb route on the 800 cal/day programme. I have to say that I really didn't think I would have the willpower to stick with it. However I discovered something I wish I had known years ago. This that carbohydrates are addictive! This is why there is no such thing as one doughnut. Carbs cause a massive sugar spike. It is the rapid drop from this spike which causes the hunger pangs to top up with more carbs. Once I had removed carbs from my diet, it really became easy (relatively) to stick to the diet - especially as I saw the positive results on the daily scales and glucose measures. The result - losing 3 st in 3 months and a drop in blood glucose from 7.4 to 5.8. Also, I now find I have more energy, flexibility and the more weight I lose, the easier and more enjoyable the exercise.

By the way, I rejected the Metformin from day 1. I wanted to do this without drugs. So far it's working.

Stay with it and measure weight and blood regularly to feel the rewards of all your efforts.

I agree with the comments that this forum is a great and supportive place. Keep coming back to experience this community.
 
I got put on metformin at around 7.0 I think. Now on Lyxumia too, and well controlled. I tried very low carb but my sugars rise dramatically if I go too low. Gluconeogenesis, I guess. I also find that exercise (running, weights, swimming etc) can up my sugars - liver pumps out glucose to feed the muscles. I've found that I can eat carbs in the form of pulses, nuts, whole grains and quinoa in good quantities, and my sugars don't rise after meals. I don't eat white rice, pasta, bread etc. I often need to eat a small amount of carbs at bedtime - about 20g - or my sugar drops in the early hours and my liver pumps glucose to compensate and I'm high in the morning. The carbs before bed have knocked that out. I used to need to test several times a day to keep my sugars in check, but now I've sorted the diet I only check a couple of times a week just to be sure. Worth noting that Metformin has excellent health benefits quite apart from the sugar stuff - heart protection definitely - so I'm happy to be on it.
 
Hi DominicLaiYew - may I suggest increasing the amount of fat you eat? It takes at least a few weeks for your body to adapt to low carb, and unfortunately you're just prolonging the misery by "rewarding" yourself with carbs - instead try cheese/olives/avocado/macadamia nuts if you have bad carb cravings - cravings will defo diminish over time. Low carb forever!!
 
Should say - I've lost a stone and a half since changing how I eat. And in fat rather than muscle thank goodness. Too easy to lose muscle as well as fat.
 
LisaHug said:
I'm finding the shame of realising that I have done this to myself to be the hardest thing to overcome though.
Click to expand...
I'm with you there - you feel quite stupid that you now have to spend the rest of your life concentrating on food and it's all self-inflicted. Still maybe this will be a good thing, a chance to sort yourself out, get those BG figures down and have a long and healthy life. I've lost lots of the weight I was always aspiring to lose but never really doing it properly and I'm going to lose the rest. If I can kick my T2 into remission without any meds, that will be a proper victory for me.

I was diagnosed at 94 by the way.
 
Hi when I had my hba1c test on May 5th it was 97 when do you have your next one when the cells die and new ones are made
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…