[TommyTechnology]

So, as I posted last week, my doc told me to just end the Metformin on June 4th (Wednesday) when he saw my fasting numbers were hovering around the mid-80's... I thought long and hard and posted here for advice and decided to just back off on the dose. First few days I backed off from 2 of the 500mg to just 1 per day. Then on Monday (9th) I felt like "what the hey, I am going to try this" and stopped completely. The next morning was the 10th - got an 85 fasting. Did not take a fasting test on 11th - then I did take tests on 12, 13, and 14 (that's today) and those last 3 were: 100-104-104. Nothing else about my daily routine changed, same great LCHF food choices, same exercise. Weight changed from 201.6 to 207.4 lbs.

I am not a fan of those numbers. I do realize this is a very short time span to go making judgements - not very scientific of me... however....

I did not expect the missing Met to make a 20 point difference so fast - although many here on this forum have reported having bad numbers after missing so much as 1 of their 2 daily Metformin pills - so I did have reason to believe this "could" be my fate too if I tried to cut the stuff out entirely.

Since the Metformin has always been good to me (i.e. I have not had any adverse reactions, knock on wood...) it makes good sense in my mind to go back on it, and I have done so since yesterday (June 13th).

I know it will take some time to get built up again... hopefully not as long as the 2 months it took to originally become effective when I started in January!

 

[skb]

I wouldn't mind a morning fasting number of 100-104. That's because I know that for the rest of the day they will keep coming down, and my pre-dinner number will be 78-82.

Giving up the metformin in stages or cold turkey, is a personal choice which has been discussed many times on this forum, and I have always opted for cold turkey, because that is what I did.

Now that you have made a change in your diabetes control regimen, give your body some time to adjust. I'm certain that your weight will drop & so will your numbers. To give it a little nudge, why don't you go VLCHF for a few days.

 

[Xenon]

I take Metformin, 850 mg three times a day, along with a single dose of Lantus (24 units) before bedtime. First-AM blood sugar levels tend to be between 5 and 6 mmol/L (90 and 108 mg/dl), with an all-time low of 4.8 (86) the other day.

One day last week I forgot to take my evening dose of Metformin, and was shocked to see a BG of 8.2 (148) the next morning. Amazing what one missed dose will do. Of course, as with everything else, Your Mileage May Vary.

 

[TommyTechnology]

...and my pre-dinner number will be 78-82.

Actually I never thought about doing a pre-dinner test, thanks, interesting idea....

...why don't you go VLCHF for a few days.

Did try that for 2 weeks and got so dopey I couldn't think straight! Main reason I have for getting back on the Met is to control spikes after food. The postprandial results that I have taken show that I have a delayed response to foods, so sometimes higher numbers at 2 hours than at the one hour mark. I think that indicates I am better off on the Met than off.

@Xenon - yep, and my mileage has been similar to yours...

 

[Shanny]

Testing before the meal is the only way we can know how high we spiked on that food . . . it's a vital component of the eat-to-your-meter regimen. A postprandial reading of 130 isn't so bad if your preprandial was 110, but if you started at 85, then it looks a whole lot different - thus the importance of the preprandial test.

 

[TommyTechnology]

Ooops, I missed that detail in all this time. Thanks!!! I am definitively going to need more test strips!

:drum:

 

[grammaB]

At my last pcp appt, (June 5) he told me to stop my metformin also. And to start tapering off my Wellbutrin (take one every other day instead of daily), and see how I feel for a month and if all OK to drop it completely. Instead of going off the met cold turkey, I cut down from 2 500mg tabs a day to one at bedtime. My numbers have crept up some, normally fasting in the mid 60's to low 70's now have some in the low to mid 80's. I don't really like it, but will try to hold out for a month to see if I readjust back down to my normal numbers. When I do I will try dropping it totally.

My problem is I do like some of the side benefits of met especially in the Alzheimer's area as that runs in my family. Not sure if a dose of 500mg would help, but that is something I consider. Also I believe met has some weight loss side effects, correct me if I am wrong on that. I have gained a pound or two but that could well be just normal fluctuations. The thing is Wellbutrin also has a weight loss se, and dropping the both of them does give me pause. I'd rather be off the Wellbutrin totally and keep the met @ 500mg frankly. I wish this was easier to decide!!

 

[TommyTechnology]

I am back from Target with a new meter, what group should I post that overview in: here in Treatment, the Diabetes general topic, or some other?

 

[TommyTechnology]

I posted the review to Diabetes Medication and Supplies, happy reading!