rheddmobile wrote: »

Is there a particular reason you want to stop metformin? Unless it’s giving you gastric issues, there’s no need to stop it. It doesn’t lower blood sugar directly, it just prevents it from rising out of hand. Since Met is also an appetite suppressant, encourages lean tissue, and research has found people who lose weight while on it tend to regain when they go off it, I decided to stay on it personally.

If it does give you side effects, such that you want to go off it, I would try to talk to your doctor before changing anything. Just a phone call and an explanation might get him to change your meds.

I would talk to your doctor too. Mine reduced my dosage and then stopped it at one point.

I can't believe anyone would need to have a reason to STOP taking a medicine, if the problem is relived by diet. There are ALWAYS side effects, even if they are mild enough, that the benefit is worth accepting.

If you were averaging 160, then you should be on meds, since diet isn't working, but if diet handles your diabetes, you SHOULD want, and be able to get off meds for diabetes.

The problem is.. you are averaging 112 ,g/dL WITH Metformin. If you stopped taking it, your average blood sugar would climb back up over 120 mg/dL.. Metformin WORKS, meaning by removing it, you LOSE the benefit.. so maybe your average has been dropped 30 pts. by Metformin, and the rest by diet. If you quit Metformin right now, you might pop back up to 142 average.. which isn't horrible, because you have improved your diet.. but still high.

Management of your blood sugar is a combo of diet & meds. Most people stay on meds, because the diet recommended for diabetics doesn't get your blood sugars low enough. Still far too many carbs.. but most people find that they can stick to moderate carbs, and NOT low carb.

I doubt your doctor, will drop you off meds, knowing your average blood sugar WILL go up.. 112 average is about 5.5-5.6 A1C, which is OK, but not that low.

You should see if you can get it down to a 5 A1C... which is a 97 average, and THEN ask your doctor to start dropping meds.. if it goes up 20 pts., then you are still under 120 mg/dL, without meds.. which should be EVERY diabetics goal, even if some can't get there.

It's possible though. I responded because I am off my meds recently. I drastically changed my diet, eating under 10 g of carbs, and lost 46 lbs. since 9/11/2021, and have been getting readings from 65-85 regularly. So my doctor CUT my pill dosages, and when I stayed below 90, she said, why not try dropping them? If you pop above 120, we'll put you back on one of the Januvia.

I jumped up to 142 immediately, and now have been testing 100-115 for several days.. 3x a day. Next time I order lancets, and test strips, I will drop down to 1x a day, since I dropped my basal Insulin, but will still be testing, and I hope with my diet, I can drop down to 5.0 A1C, while off meds. I did it for 5 years, back in 2012-2016.. on Atkins Induction, but started eating poorly again.

Meds are only required if the diet you consume causes high blood sugar, BUT, if your blood sugars are 112, which is OK ( below 120 ), then the Metformin is working. You are doing better than MOST diabetics, who are on pills, and Insulin, and STILL have high blood sugars, because they eat too many carbs. Just remember that while 112 sound great, it is barely below the max blood sugar level you want, and some of that is due to the Metformin. You quit when you think you can do so, and STILL be below 120 mg/dL. You don't want high blood sugars, just so you can say you are off the meds.. meds are useful, UNTIL you get your average down some more.

If you bottom out at 110, WITH meds, you still are having normal blood sugars on average, avoiding the damage, most diabetic still face, even on meds and Insulin.. they live with 140 blood sugars, as if that was safe. If you need to be on meds, then do so.. whatever it takes to stay below 120 mg/dL.

I hope you achieve your goal of cutting meds out. in time, but you should be happy that you can have normal blood sugars at least.