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anyone on metformin?
MyPrimalLife
Posts: 123 Member
i am on metformin and it just came to my mind that maybe i need to stop? i am on it for pre-diabetes and blood sugar control. should i wait for my next dr appt (april 25) to ask and to see what my new A1C is, or is it safe to stop taking now? (yes, i realize a dr is the best person to ask, just curious what anyone else is done/has done.)
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How has your blood sugar been lately? Feeling like you're getting low blood sugar at all?
What was your last A1C?0 -
i don't feel low blood sugar signs AT ALL. i used to get light-headed all the time, and would even faint (mostly the fainting was while pregnant) i would also be starving all the time. not anymore! my last A1C was 6.4
i will have to double-check, but i think that's correct.
i know my first level done when i initially started Met was 5.70 -
****i have fluctuated A1C in the pre-diabetic range, have never been diagnosed with diabetes, although my mother has***0
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I used to be on Metformin, but stopped after the last time it turned on me. You will probably be able to just use LCHF to control your blood sugar, but it's a good idea to wait until your doctor appointment and depending on how much you take, you may want to titrate down.
Metformin's mechanism of action is such that you don't need to worry about low blood sugar from the combination of it and LCHF, so it's fine to take until then. It's possible you might experience GI symptoms again, though, so just be aware.0 -
What has your blood been testing at? If within normal sugar levels, I would call and ask the doctor right now. To me, the least medicine is the best. Also, if you are normal and take sugar lowering medicine, you might pass out, get hurt, have a car accident, whatever.0
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caroldavison332 wrote: »What has your blood been testing at? If within normal sugar levels, I would call and ask the doctor right now. To me, the least medicine is the best. Also, if you are normal and take sugar lowering medicine, you might pass out, get hurt, have a car accident, whatever.
Metformin doesn't work that way. It's an insulin sensitizer, so it makes your body more sensitive to the body's own insulin. The body takes care of the rest.
While I do agree that it's a good idea to get off of medication, it also should be done in a controlled manner whenever possible. Since the OP is already under doctor supervision, it's a good idea to keep them in the loop. Calling now may be a viable option, but 6 weeks isn't going to impact much and allows the OP to get a good foothold in LCHF.1 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »caroldavison332 wrote: »What has your blood been testing at? If within normal sugar levels, I would call and ask the doctor right now. To me, the least medicine is the best. Also, if you are normal and take sugar lowering medicine, you might pass out, get hurt, have a car accident, whatever.
Metformin doesn't work that way. It's an insulin sensitizer, so it makes your body more sensitive to the body's own insulin. The body takes care of the rest.
While I do agree that it's a good idea to get off of medication, it also should be done in a controlled manner whenever possible. Since the OP is already under doctor supervision, it's a good idea to keep them in the loop. Calling now may be a viable option, but 6 weeks isn't going to impact much and allows the OP to get a good foothold in LCHF.
Very sensible advice.
No need to rush off metformin if the concern is hypoglycemia.
If there are no GI effects that resemble a tidal wave or geyser, the safety profile and long history are quite reassuring.
However (clears throat):
I am never more than about 30 seconds from a bottle of generic imodium pills, which I take in excess of the directions on the bottle.
Personally, I would not stop Metformin unless my HbA1c levels fell to within the normal range for nondiabetics (or the Imodium gave up the ghost...).0 -
I take metformin for prediabetes and I have no intention of going off of it. As mentioned before it is safe to use with LCHF. There are also quite a few papers out there about it being neuroprotective and anti-cancer. So, though I am usually in the "less medicine is better" camp, I feel that Metformin is an exception. It's been around a very long time and has well-understood side effects. If those GI side effects are not bothering you, I wouldn't feel like you need to rush to get off this particular medication. But that is my opinion and personal choice for myself.0
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Been on metformin since mid January. Aside from the tummy issues, I have no problem with it and LCHF. My readings have been perfect the last two weeks. And the tummy issues really don't bug me as LCHF usually makes me have the opposite problem. My next A1C is at the end of the month and I'm hoping I get great results. I've decided however I'm in no rush to get off it. It supposedly has a lot of other benefits too.0
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I take metformin for prediabetes and I have no intention of going off of it. As mentioned before it is safe to use with LCHF. There are also quite a few papers out there about it being neuroprotective and anti-cancer. So, though I am usually in the "less medicine is better" camp, I feel that Metformin is an exception. It's been around a very long time and has well-understood side effects. If those GI side effects are not bothering you, I wouldn't feel like you need to rush to get off this particular medication. But that is my opinion and personal choice for myself.
Bingo!
Even the skeptical Dr. Bernstein is not opposed to Metformin.
I wish I had gotten on it when I was prediabetic or at the latest when I was first diagnosed...
You smart folks who are proactively dealing with prediabetes are doing yourselves and your families a giant favor. Many kudos!0 -
that's so weird about tummy troubles b/c i have read about them, but never had any issues at all since i started it. (and i was also on it years ago for conception purposes when we were having infertility issues. i am on 500mg/day now, was on 1500/mg day back then and still no issues)0
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MyPrimalLife wrote: »that's so weird about tummy troubles b/c i have read about them, but never had any issues at all since i started it. (and i was also on it years ago for conception purposes when we were having infertility issues. i am on 500mg/day now, was on 1500/mg day back then and still no issues)
Some people don't have the issues. I seem to only get them if I eat starchy or sugary carbs... which serves as a further reminder to get back on track.
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MyPrimalLife wrote: »that's so weird about tummy troubles b/c i have read about them, but never had any issues at all since i started it. (and i was also on it years ago for conception purposes when we were having infertility issues. i am on 500mg/day now, was on 1500/mg day back then and still no issues)
Some people don't have the issues. I seem to only get them if I eat starchy or sugary carbs... which serves as a further reminder to get back on track.
Any idea why simple carbs + Metformin = combustion?
Any other timing tips?
Thx!0 -
MyPrimalLife wrote: »that's so weird about tummy troubles b/c i have read about them, but never had any issues at all since i started it. (and i was also on it years ago for conception purposes when we were having infertility issues. i am on 500mg/day now, was on 1500/mg day back then and still no issues)
Some people don't have the issues. I seem to only get them if I eat starchy or sugary carbs... which serves as a further reminder to get back on track.
Any idea why simple carbs + Metformin = combustion?
Any other timing tips?
Thx!
No idea at all. My instinct tells me gut bacteria is somehow involved...0 -
MyPrimalLife wrote: »that's so weird about tummy troubles b/c i have read about them, but never had any issues at all since i started it. (and i was also on it years ago for conception purposes when we were having infertility issues. i am on 500mg/day now, was on 1500/mg day back then and still no issues)
500 mg is as low a daily dose as I recall hearing. (It was too light in my case - A1c rose from 5.8 to 6.5 after reducing from 2000 mg... ).
Is your Dr planning to increase this dose over time?
Incidentally, there are quite a few interesting, recent abstracts of research on Metformin available through NIH & Medscape.
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Which version are you on? I heard the ER version has less gastric upset. I'm on 2000mg a day atm of the non extended release, increasing to 2500 tomorrow. Some people seem to have massive issues, but while not the greatest thing in the world, I can live with it.0
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MyPrimalLife wrote: »that's so weird about tummy troubles b/c i have read about them, but never had any issues at all since i started it. (and i was also on it years ago for conception purposes when we were having infertility issues. i am on 500mg/day now, was on 1500/mg day back then and still no issues)
Some people don't have the issues. I seem to only get them if I eat starchy or sugary carbs... which serves as a further reminder to get back on track.
Any idea why simple carbs + Metformin = combustion?
Any other timing tips?
Thx!
No idea at all. My instinct tells me gut bacteria is somehow involved...
I've noticed this as well. I get them regardless, just worse if I eat carby stuff.0 -
chaoticdreams wrote: »Which version are you on? I heard the ER version has less gastric upset. I'm on 2000mg a day atm of the non extended release, increasing to 2500 tomorrow. Some people seem to have massive issues, but while not the greatest thing in the world, I can live with it.
I'm on the ER version, but I haven't yet taken the step of asking my Dr to write my script specifically for Glucophage ER, which some folks here have recommended.
Any thoughts on how you'll space 2500 mg throughout the day?
Thx!0 -
MyPrimalLife wrote: »that's so weird about tummy troubles b/c i have read about them, but never had any issues at all since i started it. (and i was also on it years ago for conception purposes when we were having infertility issues. i am on 500mg/day now, was on 1500/mg day back then and still no issues)
500 mg is as low a daily dose as I recall hearing. (It was too light in my case - A1c rose from 5.8 to 6.5 after reducing from 2000 mg... ).
Is your Dr planning to increase this dose over time?
Incidentally, there are quite a few interesting, recent abstracts of research on Metformin available through NIH & Medscape.
No, there aren't any plans to increase, in fact, i really want off them. i was on ALOT of meds, and Met is one of my last ones. my goal is to be med free by end of year, i still have another to tackle...
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I've been on Metformin for 12 years at 1000mg 2x a day. I weighed 320lbs at one point and then have hovered in the 285-300 lb range for ~10 years. My morning blood sugars were rising from 130 to 197. I went on Glyburide for a bit to help counter that.
Worse, my numbers would only continue to go up until I had eaten some protein. Exercising while fasting only exacerbated the problem.
Last June I started changing how I did low carb and dropped 40lbs. My morning blood sugars were now in the < 100 range and we cut back my Metformin to 850Mg 2x a day. I'm at about 100 - 120 right now in the am as I'd been out of ketosis for a couple of months due to some broken ribs and lack of interest in exercising.
With the weight loss, I am having some issues with hypoglycemia that I hadn't experienced before. Some of that is my body having to adjust to 80 - 100 being something of a new normal.
To make a long story short, right now I'm using my morning fasting numbers as the indicator of when I should lower the Metformin dose again. The next step will probably be 500mg 2x a day. I would check with your doctor though as opinions may vary.
I've had a lot of gut issues and hadn't thought of the Metformin as I didn't experience any nausea.
With other hormones, etc. out of whack I've been on a number of supplements and those problems have mostly gone away so not sure how much Metformin may/could be contributing to that.
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Thanks. I used to see how few carbs I could eat and how deep into ketosis I could get. I'd do well for awhile then lose my mind and binge big time.
This time around I kept my carb count low enough to get and stay in trace ketosis but didn't shoot for anything higher.
With a few months of that under my belt I really lost my taste for sweets. Not all of it mind you, but I can have just a little and be happy.0 -
Thanks. I used to see how few carbs I could eat and how deep into ketosis I could get. I'd do well for awhile then lose my mind and binge big time.
This time around I kept my carb count low enough to get and stay in trace ketosis but didn't shoot for anything higher.
With a few months of that under my belt I really lost my taste for sweets. Not all of it mind you, but I can have just a little and be happy.
Well, I'm impressed. Sounds like it's really working for you. Roughly what percentages of carbs/protein/fat do you aim for?
The 80-100 BG range of course isn't in the danger zone, but it's quite a bit lower than your previous levels. I'm curious what sort of hypoglycemia issues you're encountering - something like fluid retention or lack of energy?
Thanks!0 -
Doctor said to take 1000 in the am and 1500 at night, which will make for some interesting mornings LOL.
My fasting blood sugar has been in the 80 - 100 range for two weeks now. I'm quite pleased with it and looking forward to the Dr at the end of the month. That combined with the almost 20 lbs I'll be down should make him happy. I am noticing the weight is coming off easier with the metformin. It's like my body isn't fighting my efforts anymore at all.0 -
Thanks. I used to see how few carbs I could eat and how deep into ketosis I could get. I'd do well for awhile then lose my mind and binge big time.
This time around I kept my carb count low enough to get and stay in trace ketosis but didn't shoot for anything higher.
With a few months of that under my belt I really lost my taste for sweets. Not all of it mind you, but I can have just a little and be happy.
Well, I'm impressed. Sounds like it's really working for you. Roughly what percentages of carbs/protein/fat do you aim for?
The 80-100 BG range of course isn't in the danger zone, but it's quite a bit lower than your previous levels. I'm curious what sort of hypoglycemia issues you're encountering - something like fluid retention or lack of energy?
Thanks!
The sad part is I did most of that without counting carbs specifically. Last month I bought a Garmin Vivosmart HR and started tracking things. Right now I'm trying to target about 15% carbs, 40% fat and 45% protein. I'm not getting all the protein I want so may have to bump the fat up instead.
I'm definitely have times where I'm beginning to feel shaky. I'm testing 4 - 6 times a day at the moment to get a handle on it while my body adjusts.
When I do a TRX session of about 25 minutes I can see a 50 pt drop in my sugar levels. One night I got nauseous during the warm ups and had to give up. Pretty much screwed up the rest of my night even after I got my blood sugar up.0 -
chaoticdreams wrote: »Doctor said to take 1000 in the am and 1500 at night, which will make for some interesting mornings LOL.
My fasting blood sugar has been in the 80 - 100 range for two weeks now. I'm quite pleased with it and looking forward to the Dr at the end of the month. That combined with the almost 20 lbs I'll be down should make him happy. I am noticing the weight is coming off easier with the metformin. It's like my body isn't fighting my efforts anymore at all.
What is your morning blood sugar? If it's that low in the am your doctor should be ok with you lowering your dose a bit at a time.0 -
chaoticdreams wrote: »Doctor said to take 1000 in the am and 1500 at night, which will make for some interesting mornings LOL.
My fasting blood sugar has been in the 80 - 100 range for two weeks now. I'm quite pleased with it and looking forward to the Dr at the end of the month. That combined with the almost 20 lbs I'll be down should make him happy. I am noticing the weight is coming off easier with the metformin. It's like my body isn't fighting my efforts anymore at all.
Ah. Now I see where chaotic dreams might come in.....
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Right now I'm trying to target about 15% carbs, 40% fat and 45% protein. I'm not getting all the protein I want so may have to bump the fat up instead.
It sounds like you have a really good grip on what you're doing.
But just in case.... I wonder if this book might be a good resource for you: The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance
(It's free on Kindle Unlimited.)
Dr. Phinney has a great podcast here - about 2 hours of informative and fascinating Q&A on weight-loss stalling, including many training-related questions.
One point he frequently comes back to is the need to set an upper limit on protein, lest you have too much of it in your body that's being converted to glucose. Of course, YMMV given your workout regimen.
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I appreciate the link, I will check it out. It looks like there is more to learn. I'm glad I was directed to this forum.Right now I'm trying to target about 15% carbs, 40% fat and 45% protein. I'm not getting all the protein I want so may have to bump the fat up instead.
It sounds like you have a really good grip on what you're doing.
But just in case.... I wonder if this book might be a good resource for you: The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance
(It's free on Kindle Unlimited.)
Dr. Phinney has a great podcast here - about 2 hours of informative and fascinating Q&A on weight-loss stalling, including many training-related questions.
One point he frequently comes back to is the need to set an upper limit on protein, lest you have too much of it in your body that's being converted to glucose. Of course, YMMV given your workout regimen.
I'm also on TRT and my estradiol levels seem to have spiked and it looks like it's futzing with my blood sugar as well.
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I appreciate the link, I will check it out. It looks like there is more to learn. I'm glad I was directed to this forum.Right now I'm trying to target about 15% carbs, 40% fat and 45% protein. I'm not getting all the protein I want so may have to bump the fat up instead.
It sounds like you have a really good grip on what you're doing.
But just in case.... I wonder if this book might be a good resource for you: The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance
(It's free on Kindle Unlimited.)
Dr. Phinney has a great podcast here - about 2 hours of informative and fascinating Q&A on weight-loss stalling, including many training-related questions.
One point he frequently comes back to is the need to set an upper limit on protein, lest you have too much of it in your body that's being converted to glucose. Of course, YMMV given your workout regimen.
I'm also on TRT and my estradiol levels seem to have spiked and it looks like it's futzing with my blood sugar as well.
How goes the battle?0
This discussion has been closed.