Metformin, night shift and fasting numbers
cassie77775
Posts: 9 Member
Does anyone else work night shift? I am doing fairly well with lowering my carb intake but I am having trouble with when to take my Metformin. My Dr wasn't much help to be honest. I work 7p-7am(typically I am there at 630a and clock out by 730). My dr told me to take my Met in the evening with something to eat. So this is my typical meal schedule:
430-515-eat a dinner type meal at home with my kids
12-1230 am-eat a lunch type meal at work
4am-eat a breakfast meal(typically a protein drink-atkins or premier protein) along with a boiled egg and the Met.
730-get home and go to bed.
300 pm-wake up and do my fasting sugar(which is typically 12 hours after taking the Met).
My problem is sometimes my fasting is 95, other times it is 114. Should I try moving my 3am meal to 7am instead and take the Met then so it's only 8 hours later when I do a fasting? Typically I never eat before bed so this would be a change for me but I am not sure how long to expect the Met to last.
430-515-eat a dinner type meal at home with my kids
12-1230 am-eat a lunch type meal at work
4am-eat a breakfast meal(typically a protein drink-atkins or premier protein) along with a boiled egg and the Met.
730-get home and go to bed.
300 pm-wake up and do my fasting sugar(which is typically 12 hours after taking the Met).
My problem is sometimes my fasting is 95, other times it is 114. Should I try moving my 3am meal to 7am instead and take the Met then so it's only 8 hours later when I do a fasting? Typically I never eat before bed so this would be a change for me but I am not sure how long to expect the Met to last.
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Replies
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You should clarify your schedule with your Dr; he may not have known you're a night shifter.
My understanding is that met is normally taken at bed time with something to eat for 2 reasons.
1. Met can cause an upset stomach. Taking it with food minimizes that issue.
2. Met does not directly lower your BG. It makes you less insulin resistant and suppresses the liver's urge to dump glucose into your blood while you are sleeping (morning syndrome)
Its also my understanding that Met is not "fast acting". So the exact time taken isn't mondo important; that its taken consistently is.
So my guess would be you should take the met before you sleep; which for you would be the morning. But Id confirm with your Dr.
BTW; You are doing well with those BG numbers!0 -
I work night shift too. I don't take metformin, so I can't address that concern. My question for you is how many nights a week are you working? On your nights off what time are you taking your metormin? What are your blood sugars before bed? For myself my fasting number will vary in a range. My endo's goal is 100-140 for my fasting numbers.0
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It's usually best to take metformin at about the same time every day. If you're not usually eating at 4am when you're not working, perhaps you can talk with your doctor about taking metform with your evening meal. Some people take metformin in the morning with breakfast, and others take it at night with dinner. One of the problems with shift work is that you're changing your schedule on your days off, so finding a time to metformin that can be consistent whether you're working or not makes a lot of sense. It's great that you're changing your eating habits as well! ~Lynn /Glucerna0
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On my nights off, I typically take at 1am and sleep at 3 so it varies from the days I work. I only work 3 12 hour shifts a week. Bedtime glucose I rarely take as he only told me to do fasting and 2 hours after any one meal(do test twice a day max)0
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It makes the most sense to talk with your doctor and let him know when you're taking metformin on work days as well as days off, and see what he recommends going forward. ~Lynn /Glucerna0
