How do you take metformin?
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lorib642
Posts: 1,942 Member
Initially I was prescribed 2X 500mg to take with dinner. This was upped to 3X 500mg and I still took it all with dinner. I just got a meter and had a recent blood test. My A1C was 5.9, which is typical but my fasting glucose was 130 (the meter has been reading in the 130s or higher in the am.
My dr upped my metformin to 4X 500mg (the highest dose). She said I can take it all at night or split it and take half in the morning and half at night. I am not sure what to do. If I can tolerate it, would it be best to take it all at night with dinner?
My dr upped my metformin to 4X 500mg (the highest dose). She said I can take it all at night or split it and take half in the morning and half at night. I am not sure what to do. If I can tolerate it, would it be best to take it all at night with dinner?
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I take mine at 8am and 9pm. I take 500mg twice a day but I was up to 1000mg twice a day plus lantus and 10 mg glipizide twice per day. Now I only have to take 5mg glipizide once per day.
I think you can call your pharmacist to ask if you can't get in touch with your doctor or np.0 -
I was prescribed 2x500mg/2xday. I take them at breakfast and dinner on the advice of my dr. I agree a call in to your pharmacist or dr would be very helpful for you.
My A1C was 6.0 at Feb.1/16
Despite the divided dosage I still experience gastrointestinal discomfort.
I consume <100g of carbs a day, and I try to keep my dinner low in carbs high in protein.
Since I joined MFP this week I have been eating every 2 hrs and average a blood sugar of 5.5 throughout the day.
Keep us update! Good luck!
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As with the above poster, I had a large amount broken into two pills, one for breakfast and one for dinner. However, I can now control my sugar through diet, and not have to worry about timing my doses of those horse pills around food.0
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that is awesome zcb. My dr gave me the option, I just wasn't sure what to try. I get reflux already, so I may split it and see how that goes. thanks. It is great to hear how well you are all doing.0
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I take 2x500mg when I wake up, and 2x500mg around 6:pm0
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Is it okay to take it with juice? I get up around 6:30, but don't have breakfast until 9-9:30. So I take all my morning drugs together with a glass of orange juice.
The evening pills, I tend to take around 6 ish, after supper.0 -
@judyvalentine512, the least calories I would recommend is some milk, crackers or a small meal. An extremely knowledgeable member of this group told me that the food-of-choice is not to be carby, though.
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Thanks zcb94. Once I'm off clear fluids(pancreatitis flare) I'll make a point of eating breakfast earlier and taking my pills a little later.
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At the diabetic teaching, the nurse and dietician told us to eat within 20 min of getting up. I have stuck to that.0
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JaneKnoll1 wrote: »At the diabetic teaching, the nurse and dietician told us to eat within 20 min of getting up. I have stuck to that.
I have Always had a problem with that, except when I was biking to work. I would have a banana before heading out, then cereal once I got to work and showered. Being retired has kinda messed up my routine, but I hope to get a good routine going once I start biking this spring.0 -
I take 1000 at lunch and 1000 at dinner. So far not too many issues. Dr didn't really care, just wanted it split up.0
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I work rotating shifts, my dosage is one 500mg pill twice a day... so I take one every 12 hrs (give or take an hour or two if i'm messed up coming off a night shift, and occasionally on changeover day I have to shorten the time down to 8/9 hrs between doses
At some point either my doc or the diabetic clinic suggested "life" of the dose is 9-12 hrs inside me, so to split it up that far apart.
I do try to take my "morning one" (which could be 6pm on nites lol) with food.. but rarely eat with the" before sleep" one.0 -
I take 850mg 2x a day and 30mg actos 1x. I was told to take with food so I take 1 metformin and the actos in the morning and the 2nd metformin with dinner. I see that some people take theirs before bed, is it ok to take without food? Was thinking I might try taking my 2nd dose at bedtime or even a 3rd dose as my fasting BG is always over 2250
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judyvalentine512 wrote: »Is it okay to take it with juice? I get up around 6:30, but don't have breakfast until 9-9:30. So I take all my morning drugs together with a glass of orange juice.
The evening pills, I tend to take around 6 ish, after supper.
I don't know if I would take it with juice unless it is sugar free juice. A cup of orange juice is about 20g of sugar and even more in carbs. It can be quite a jolt to BG.0 -
judyvalentine512 wrote: »Is it okay to take it with juice? I get up around 6:30, but don't have breakfast until 9-9:30. So I take all my morning drugs together with a glass of orange juice.
The evening pills, I tend to take around 6 ish, after supper.
I don't know if I would take it with juice unless it is sugar free juice. A cup of orange juice is about 20g of sugar and even more in carbs. It can be quite a jolt to BG.
I agree on the juice.... Metformin is not going to cancel out the precipitous jolt your BG will take from a glass of OJ! Metformin XR takes 4-7 hours to reach its peak; the BG spike will have hit you much sooner.)
The first goal is not to have GI problems, so you might want to very gradually increase the Metformin, which should be divided into at least 2 doses.
Also, it can be helpful to take it in the middle of a meal.
Finally, you can take Imodium with the Metformin, if necessary.
After a few weeks, you should be in the clear!
But if not, and your insurance company is cooperative, ask your MD to order brand Glucophage XR (that's what it took in my case). It tends to be much gentler than the nastier of the 20+ generics on the market.
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