Metformin & Hypoglycemia

CeciHarper
CeciHarper Posts: 37
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
So I am really concerned about taking metformin & starting this new diet & exercise program...

My concern? How I feel after I exercise... Oh I feel soooo horrible after I exercise. You're supposed to feel great! The first 2 weeks were okay, I was doing circuit training [Jackie Warner] & it's hard, it's a tough DVD... I would feel okay afterwords, a little ill, but okay... thennn I decided to add cardio to my exercise routine... I did biggest loser cardio max, week 1-2... After I finished, I really felt like I was about to kick the bucket... My husband was watching me like a HAWK 'cause I felt so bad... It eventually went away [hours later]

[FYI: I called my dr & left a message on the nurses' voicemail.]

So I am wondering.... can my insulin levels be messed up taking metformin & diet & exercising the way I am supposed to??

Help me my lovlies! :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • emersoam
    emersoam Posts: 179
    I have taken Metformin for 1-2 years, and I have never had any effects from it.

    Just make sure you're eating enough, so your blood sugar levels don't get too low during exercise.
  • ChubbieTubbie
    ChubbieTubbie Posts: 481 Member
    I never had problems exercising on metaformin. I do find that I feel generally half-dead if I'm not eating enough. Are you eating back any of your exercise calories?
  • Amarillo_NDN
    Amarillo_NDN Posts: 1,018 Member
    as some one who had been taking insulin for 10 years, I can tell you for sure, as you eat healthier and work out, you blood sugar should start to get better.

    Talk to your doctor, but I would try this for just one day. make sure you monitor your blood sugar 6 times for one day of normaly eating and working out. The next day, do not take anything and repeat the the same thing, trying to duplicate as much as possible. Compare the 2 days and see how your blood sugars did.

    You should notice that with meds you could be droping too low. If that is the case, your doctor will need to readjust you. The good news is, with proper diet and excerise, you have a great chance of never having to take anything for blood sugar levels.
  • Beebee78
    Beebee78 Posts: 703
    The only problem I ever had when taking metformin was a dodgy stomach but this can be avoided but gradually increasing your dose to what it should be xxx
  • fergie1404
    fergie1404 Posts: 43 Member
    same here I take raplignide for type 2 diabetes and as long as you make sure you have eaten before you start you are OK exercise helps drop levels.

    Liz
  • CeciHarper
    CeciHarper Posts: 37
    Are you eating back any of your exercise calories?

    I eat some back, not all... I've been told I need to eat/drink protein before & afterwords, but like I really felt like I was going to kill-over. I have NEVER felt like that... I just am curious to know if I am eating & exercising the way I am supposed to now, would I even need to take it anymore... Does my insulin level start to regulate itself with proper diet & exercise?

    I dont have a blood sugar meter, as I take merformin for PCOS...
  • ohiogirl30
    ohiogirl30 Posts: 141 Member
    Okay, here's the skinny...There are two main reasons to be taking metformin to treat PCOS. One is to reduce the degree of insulin resistance. The second is to improve the frequency of ovulation which may be related to the insulin resistance as well. It all depends on which one of these reasons or BOTH that your doctor put you on the metformin. Being a health care professional AND someone with PCOS (that is no longer on metformin but was for a while) I must ask the obvious. Are you drinking enough water to flush the toxins you are burning through exercise because if you’re not your body may try to reabsorb them and in turn, you feel like crap. The correlation between metformin and hypoglycemia is generally the thought that metformin should not provoke hypoglycemia in people taking it, unless they are also taking other diabetes medications that can lower sugar (such as the sulfonylurea pills or insulin) but since you are not taking it for Type 2 diabetes keep in mind exercise itself lowers blood sugar. Check with your doctor definitely. You're dose may be too high now that you are eating right and working out. Just a thought... keep it moving girl and make sure you're taking in enough calories!
  • fitterpam
    fitterpam Posts: 3,064 Member
    I have to say that I feel sea-sick, but not from the exercise. It's just getting used to the medication and when I've eaten like crap. The one thing my doctor told me was to make sure that I ate a full meal when taking the actual pill cause it could affect blood sugar and cause hypoglycemia. I've been very careful about it.
  • CeciHarper
    CeciHarper Posts: 37
    Are you drinking enough water to flush the toxins you are burning through exercise because if you’re not your body may try to reabsorb them and in turn, you feel like crap.

    I drink my 8 glasses a day & STILL feel sooooo thirsty... I take 2000 mg of Metformin a day...
  • happily
    happily Posts: 72 Member
    The mechanism of action for metformin is to keep the liver from spitting out too much glycogen, not to act on insulin itself. There is not supposed to be a risk of hypoglycemia from metformin.

    Do not take the word of anyone on the internet as truth or medical advice! That includes what I just said.

    If you can't get a quick call back from your doc or nurse, please call your pharmacist to set your mind at ease about the metformin. Once you know for sure that's not the cause of the problem, you can look for the real cause.
  • Beebee78
    Beebee78 Posts: 703
    The mechanism of action for metformin is to keep the liver from spitting out too much glycogen, not to act on insulin itself. There is not supposed to be a risk of hypoglycemia from metformin.

    Do not take the word of anyone on the internet as truth or medical advice! That includes what I just said.

    If you can't get a quick call back from your doc or nurse, please call your pharmacist to set your mind at ease about the metformin. Once you know for sure that's not the cause of the problem, you can look for the real cause.

    I have to agree - the reason metformin is used in pcos is because of insulin resistance not a lack of insulin altogether. Your blood sugar cannot drop too low on it because your body already produces insulin. xxx
  • jb_sweet_99
    jb_sweet_99 Posts: 856 Member
    Well I've been taking Glumetza (long lasting metformin) for quite a while now (for PCOS) and have never had an issue as long as I make sure that I've eaten enough food and drank enough water. Also I do Kickboxing, which is realy vigorous and I feel fine afterwards. I would suggest making sure that you are eating enough in the hours before hand and take your time getting used to any exercise. If this doesn't help I would suggest you talk to your Dr because there could be something else causing your issue.
    Good luck! :bigsmile:
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