Metformin ?
1234usmc
Posts: 196 Member
I have been searching on here and online off and on for 2 weeks, reading about metformin and I just cant find anything that makes me feel better about taking it. I was diagnosed T2 last Oct. a1c of 7.3 or so. Over 8 months I lost 30+lbs and started exerciding (cardio and weights) regularly. My a1c only went down to 6.6. My Endo wanted me to start metformin and I refused (that was the end of June). I decided to try eating low carb. I havent been strict enough that I am a keto person, but I cant be far off. I just had my a1c checked and after only 2 months it was down to 5.9. Not where I want it, but not bad for 2 months since it is a 3 month average roughly. My endo is still insisting that I start metformin. She said I am the only patient she has ever had refuse to take it. She said many new studies show metformin not only helps with diabetes/ insulin resistance but is showing that is can help prevent several cancers. Being a cancer survivor, that is interesting, but I hate to take something I may not need. My mom is a diabetic so I have a family history. My Dr. asked if I could stick with this diet the rest of my life. I cant say for sure that I can but I am so far. I just really miss pasta, bread, potatoes 
. I said all of that to ask my question. What are your experiences, good and bad, with metformin? Maybe a low dose of 500mg would have benefits besides just my blood sugar. My Dr. insists that it will help me not become insulin dependant longer. BTW, it came in the mail today. My Dr ordered it for me even though I said no.
. I said all of that to ask my question. What are your experiences, good and bad, with metformin? Maybe a low dose of 500mg would have benefits besides just my blood sugar. My Dr. insists that it will help me not become insulin dependant longer. BTW, it came in the mail today. My Dr ordered it for me even though I said no. 0
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After some nausea and diarrhea the first week i had no ill effects when I was on it. But I am back off it again.0
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I'd take it for now only to get off it later. It can keep you from becoming a diabetic for years.0
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I had bad stomach cramps for a few weeks then they went away.... I am having almost no side effects now and am on 500mg metformin xr bid. If I go a long time between eating I get heartburn, but that may be my lack of a gall bladder as much as the metformin. My doctor also highly recommended it and put me on blood pressure medication for protection of my kidneys. With diet, exercise and metformin my A1C went from 10.3 in February to 5.7 in May. My doctor agreed to lower or stop metformin if I can keep my A1C under 6.0.0
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I take Metformin. I've had digestive issues but it is tolerable. My biggest difficulty is the fact that it is an anorectic and there are days it is quite difficult for me to eat. I can go for 16 hours easily without feeling hungry, which isn't great for keeping my blood sugar stable. I rely on liquids (yep, those nutritional things for diabetics) when I'm feeling that effect. I'm having one right now actually because I haven't eaten for 14 hours and the thought of food is, well, quite off-putting.
Here is my view: Metformin isn't forever, and it is worthwhile if it means being able to delay or completely avoid the complications of diabetes.0 -
I don't recall any side effects, but I've been taking it for several years. I take the 1000mg pill 2X a day. I'm hoping to work my way off it in the next 6 months or so.0
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My a1c is down to 5.9 with no meds, that's why I really don't want to start it. My Dr just thinks it would be best to get it even lower plus the other benefits of metformin. I just hate to take meds if I don't need to. 500mg a day isn't much but maybe it's a pride thing too. I like knowing I got my a1c down without it. But maybe a small dose will help me keep it down. With my family history, my pcp said it's not if, it's when I will need insulin. I refuse to accept that premise. I keep going back and forth on what to do.0
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I think it is a very personal choice, to be honest. I hope to one day be off of all medication for diabetes.
Is this doctor an endocrinologist, or your family doctor?0 -
She is an endocrinologist. She is young and I feel up on the latest information. She doesn't understand why I am so resistant if it can help me. My thought is why take meds if I don't have to. Or do I take the low dose of 500mg once a day and see what happens......0
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With a 5.9 A1C and near keto (as you described) levels of low carb you definitely don't need metformin. I'd have the same feeling as you in not believing that insulin is an inevitible thing for you someday. I would not be surprised if your next A1C is under 5.0 if you stick with things, without meds, and I would bet any amount of money on the fact that if you continue eating the way you are now it will at least be below 5.5 in 3 more months.
As for other benefits, I dunno. My instincts are the same as yours I think. I got off metformin as soon as my doctor OK'd it and was thrilled at the accomplishment and never looked back. I didn't have any noticible side effects with it, but it just seems like a natural and logical goal to see how much health I could regain once I started taking care of myself, which includes a goal to get off all meds if possible. So that's my default way of thinking and it takes a lot of convincing otherwise.
You may want to ask the same question on the low carb forums. There are a couple folks over there who are really good at parsing through scientific research and giving people things to read and consider, and you may be able to get a better feel for the non-blood sugar related benefits of metformin there.0 -
Oh, sorry, I didn't actually answer the original question.
If I had side effects from metformin initially they weren't bad enough for me to remember. I took it for a year without issue. My mom is also diabetic and hates it and complains about digestive issues with it.0 -
I have taken Metformin off and on for about 10 years. The worst side effect is GI distress but if you take the ER version (long acting) and start slowly, it isn't so bad. From what I have read, this is a safe drug, doe not cause weight gain and does have other helpful aspects, as you mentioned. There are a lot of other drugs with very serious side effects that I would not use. Metformin is safe as far as I know. Having said that, I have had the best results with low carb diet.0
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Oh, the only serious side effect is if you take it when you are sick--it can cause a condition - the name of which I forget- that can be dangerous, I just stop taking Metformin if I have a bad cold flu, etc.0
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I think it is called lactic acidosis. I might be having surgery in November and I'll have to stop taking Metformin for 24-48 hours before to avoid the possibility of it.0
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I have been on and off metformin for about 9 years or so and I have never had any side effects or ill feelings. I was even on a combination of metformin in the morning and lantus at night and still no issues. Now I am on glucovance and still no issues. I think every body is different.0
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BTW there are lots of articles floating out there on some possible good side effects to being on metformin. So it is not all bad news.0
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Personally I have not had any issues with metformin. I have been on it about 6 weeks now. 500 mg morning and 500 mg at night.0
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I'll be honest, I've been on it for about 8 weeks now and this is the first week I haven't had any GI distress. Pretty exciting!0
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When I was first diagnosed I started on Metformin, but the digestive side effects were too much for me, so we stopped it and just did Glymeperide. Recently my blood sugar has not been controlled, went back up to a 9.5 A1c from a 7.5, so we are doing the Metformin XR, one 500 mg morning, one 500 mg evening. So far so good, I've had no side effects at all in 2 weeks, I think the extended release helps. I do hope to get off of it one day, I do hate taking medicines and generally don't trust the big pharma companies to have my best interest at heart, but for now I'll take my medicine like I'm supposed to! Finally got blood sugar under 200 for the first time in weeks yesterday, saw a 153 after lunch...I was so happy to see that- hoping to continue the downward trend!0
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At the beginning I had a few small issues but I quickly got over them as far as digestive issues. My body has the opposite effect now... I require a lot of water to keep things going and can get dehydrated pretty quick. My skin gets pretty dry so I tend to use baby oil in the shower right before I get out otherwise my poor legs break out pretty bad! Otherwise I feel pretty good. I also wanted to add that by being on medication it kind of gave my pancreas and liver a bit of a break and I was able to bounce back as far as insulin resistance went. I was on Lantus at the beginning in combination with my metformin. Within a few months I noticed a huge difference in my blood sugars. They started dropping and I was able to go off Lantus after 9 months of being on it. My metformin is slowly decreasing as well...so there is hope and know that just because you start doesn't mean you will be on it for the rest of your life.
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Thanks for all of the input. I am still having a raging debate inside my head. I have my a1c down by following a low carb diet but it is hard. I travel a lot, like this week, and it is hard to just eat salad bcuz everything has bread or breading etc. I am not no carb, just low carb. I would love some french fries or pasta occasionally. If I went on the low dose of metformin I could do that. But like I told my wife tonight, I don't want to justify it and then when my sugar goes up someday, take a little more before my small dose turns into 2500mg or something. Arg!!!!!0
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After much research, soul searching and advice, I am going to start taking 500mg once a day a dinner. Although my sugar is under control following a low carb diet and exercise, there are to many benefits of the low dose to ignore. With my genetics and seeing what my mom has gone thru, I have been determined for that not to be me. As a cancer survivor and just having another scare, the anti cancer benefits alone helped with my decision. I plan to continue what I have been doing and only take this small dose as hopefully added protection from long term effects of diabetes. My goal is to never be insulin dependant. People always say they hope to come off od meds someday and that is me to but I have decided a big part of that for me is pride in knowing I did it on my own. I can't let my pride get in the way. I don't plan on taking more and the benefit from this low of a dose may be minimal, but that's where I am at for now. Thanks for all the input.0
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I am glad you decided to take the pill. It's there to benefit you. The first little while is always the toughest as far as accepting that "Yeah I have this issue and the doctor says I have to take this medication!"...it can be kind of depressing but at the same time this is your chance to live a healthier life. For myself I am at my healthiest than I have ever been in my life!
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I was almost the same way. Two years ago my Dr. put me on Metformin I fought it and I got off it as soon as I could. This summer I fell off the wagon (vacation, school, work) and had a hard time with sugar cravings so I did the unthinkable and asked my Dr. to put me back on it. I've been on Metformin for about 3 weeks now, I'm not sure how long I'll stay on it but for now I'm back on the wagon.0
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A week in and everything is going ok. It's a small dose, 500mg once a day, so I haven't had nay side effects. I am still sticking with my low carb diet, so I am sure my BS is fine. Hopefully this is just a little added insurance. I sure would love a plate of spaghetti though0
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IMO, anybody diagnosed with DM2 should be on metformin, an ACEI or ARB, a statin, a baby aspirin, and co Q 10 for life.
What is a ACEI or ARB?
As far as the rest besides the co Q 10, I am on...the baby aspirin....no...but I am taking fish oil (krill) and it thins out my blood. I will do some research about the co Q10!0 -
IMO, anybody diagnosed with DM2 should be on metformin, an ACEI or ARB, a statin, a baby aspirin, and co Q 10 for life.
What is a ACEI or ARB?
As far as the rest besides the co Q 10, I am on...the baby aspirin....no...but I am taking fish oil (krill) and it thins out my blood. I will do some research about the co Q10!
These are blood pressure medications:
ACEI (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitor)--this one made me cough a lot (a "tickle" cough).
ARB( Angiotensin Receptor Blocker)--I'm using this (Cozaar) since it doesn't make me cough.
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Hmmm good to know...for once it's not something I need as I suffer the other...too low of blood pressure. Thanks for responding!0
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