Metformin Dose?

[Radha]

For those of you who have taken or are taking metformin for hypoglycemia - what dose are you taking and did it lower the sugar level or just keep it from jumping all over the place and keep it more stable so it wouldnt suddenly drop? I do not want to take it if it might lower my sugar even more, did you have any side effects like weight gain or feeling even more hyper? Any info would be appreciated, thanks

Radha

[Guest Sandy Sims]

My dose is 500 mg at night right now--have blood work today and will start a daytime dose as well--my guess is I "may" get by on 1/2 in the morning--but might need more--time will tell.

This drug is usually started at 500mg--then tiered up by 500mg every few weeks.

A "normal" dose is usually around 2,000-2250 mg per day.

When I started this drug I DID feel more energetic--but NOT the usual nervous twitchy sort of stuff--I just--finally--felt good! My head cleared!

My blood sugar did NOT drop--this is a drug that is rarely known to do that due to the way it works to reduce insulin sensitivity and does NOT increase insulin levels.

Actually my lows came back up--as my highs also came down--it simply stablized my sugar levels and reduced the spikes--in both directions. At the same time my pulse and BP issues also stablized!!!

As another side effect I lost 20 lbs in two weeks--my guess is mostly fluid as my HUGE tummy suddenly shrank back to pre-dys levels! Who knew I was peeing so MUCH less than I should've been!

So it was obvious to me--very quickly--that this drug was helping me to have some MAJOR metabolic changes--all of them good--but major nonetheless. Thus the careful monitoring and slowly increasing the drug to allow my body to adjust back to what it needed to be.

However, I AM b-12 def. 2 years of adrenal surges from nightly low sugars will do that to ya. And metformin is known to also deplete B-12. So I now make very sure I take the activated form of b-12-- Hydroxocobalamin --daily.

Hope this helps!

XOXOX

Sandy

[juliegee]

This is probably a dumb question, but is the metformin just to treat your hypoglycemia? Not to lower blood sugar? My fasting blood sugar is so low, 60; I doubt my endo would let me try this.....but I'd love to. I am trying to do what the metformin is doing for you with my diet. It's easy most days. I like healthy food, but every two weeks or so, I binge. Over the weekend, I broke out the chocolate chip cookie dough and enjoyed a few heaping tablespoons I felt fine, no low rebound swing. But I cheated at night when my blood sugar is much more stable.

Does your endo suspect diabetes or is he just treating your hypoglcemia? I see mine soon and plan to ask him to check my fasting proinsulin per your advice. I suspect my adrenaline surges all day, causing my insulin to be released, and setting off my hypo. Seems like metformin could stop this awful cycle.

Thanks for your help!

Julie

[Guest Sandy Sims]

Metformin helps you body use sugar properly--i.e. it reduces insulin resistance that leads to over production of insulin during highs--which then ends up with hypoglycemia after those highs. The swings high to low--which can happen VERY quickly--lead to feeling AWFUL!

What I am is hyper-insulinemic. This is also called pre-diabetes--the storm before the calm--or maybe I should say the death--of a body that can produce insulin.

Other diabetes drugs work by increasing insulin production which WILL lower blood sugar--this drug does not!!

Again, you need a glucose tolerance test run with the addition of insulin levels at all blood draws. Too much insulin causes hypoglycemia--just like too little causes diabetes. If you contine to over produce for too long you will run out--then diabetes is forever.

What they need to look for is too much insulin--not just high glucose levels--or low ones.

This syndrome causes low BP--fast pulse--and pretty much every standard dys symptom.

FYI with those lows it is pretty likely there are highs somewhere too--you just haven't caught them--in my case I've seen them show up in as little as 30 minutes after a meal--and run as high as 191! But more often I see lows--and they feel worse so I tend to more notice them.

BTW you blood sugar is not more stable late in the day--it's just higher--maybe too high???? Maybe you've run low on insulin thru the day? But mine crops back up about 4 hours after I go to sleep--low sugar levels--then a HUGE adrenal surge that wakes me from a cold sleep--despite ANY sleeping drugs--sweating, shaking, and sick as a dog.

Metformin is to stablize blood sugar--is the best way I can say it. Not highs--or lows--just midrange numbers due to stable insulin production and blood sugar.

Too much insulin

[flop]

thanks for the information about metformin, I knew it was used to treat metabolic syndome and polycycstic ovarian syndrome but I hadn't heard of it being used quite like you describe. It is pretty unique amongst medications for type 2 diabetes in the way that it makes your body more sensitive/receptive to the insulin that is arround.

I just wanted to clarify this statement that you made:

If you continue to over produce for too long you will run out--then diabetes is forever.

In my understanding the 2 types of diabetes are very distinct. In type I diabetes the body attacks the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin (an autoimmune condition), once those cells are dead the body can't produce any insulin itself and the person would die without regular insulin injections. Type II diabetes is very different, classically it came on in older individuals but due to the epidemic of obesity sweeping the western world it is now seen even in children. Type II diabetes is thought to be caused by insulin resistance - the pancreas keeps producing insulin but the body can't respond to that insulin so the blood sugars go high. In type II diabetes treatment is initially with diet then medication to lower blood sugar (or in the case of metformin make the body respond to the insulin that is there). Whilst some type II diabetics do get put onto insulin injections this is in addition to their own insulin (they need massive amounts of insulin), you don't "run-out" of insulin.

I have read some interesting stuff on the internet recently about diabetes and one particular doctor who says that through diet and by carefully stabilising sugar and insulin levels that it is possible to reverse type II diabetes. His work isn't validated by other doctors but certainly seems to be working along the principles of assisting the body to function as it was designed. Hopefully more research will be done into the complex tangle that is insulin and glucose control.

Flop

[Radha]

i would really appreciate alittle more help, do you need to be monitored with regular blood work that your doctor has to order when taking this medicine?

and is it ok to stop it suddenly if you dont think its helping or do you have to taper off slowly and how will you know its helping? will you just feel better or do

you have to check your blood sugar regularly with a monitor? thanks for all your help

radha

[Guest Sandy Sims]

i would really appreciate alittle more help, do you need to be monitored with regular blood work that your doctor has to order when taking this medicine?

and is it ok to stop it suddenly if you dont think its helping or do you have to taper off slowly and how will you know its helping? will you just feel better or do

you have to check your blood sugar regularly with a monitor? thanks for all your help

radha

t was helping when I quit passing out

Yes, you do need a doctor to start taking ANY prescription med. and to monitor it's effects.

Also, stopping ANY med suddenly is rarely a good idea.

I knew it was helping when I quit passing out --started sleeping thru the night--and started feeling MUCH better overall.

However, I DO check my blood suagr frequently now that I know I have this problem to be sure this med is covering different foods I am eating from day to day--stress--and excercise fluxuations. As a newly diagnosed person on metabolic meds this is a good idea to establish your personal baseline responses.

I was also sent to a 3 day diabetes school to learn about meds, diet, excercise, and this disease andhow it affects me and may progress. Am now also attending a 12 week diet program with a registered dietician.

Hope this helps,

Sandy

[Radha]

what i wanted to know is do you have to have routine blood work, not just home monitoring? because i cannot handle having regular blood tests, they take at least one tube at a time and i feel too weak already, thanks

Radha

[Guest Sandy Sims]

what i wanted to know is do you have to have routine blood work, not just home monitoring? because i cannot handle having regular blood tests, they take at least one tube at a time and i feel too weak already, thanks

Radha

First let me say I DO feel for you!!!

Still~~~

I know of no treatment that doesn't require blood work to diagnose and at least one afterwards to monitor the affects of metabolic drugs to keep you safe. Tho here I have only one set of tests at one month--then annually there afterwards.

Tho the glucose tolerance test B4 to diagnose this requires 3 or 4 blood draws over the space of the minimum 2 hour test.

Mostly now my "testing" is what I do at home--with a very small drop of blood.

One tube of blood should NOT affect you physically--tho it may mentally stress you and start symptoms no doubt. Drinking lots of water and eating well before testing should work to keep you well hydrated and stronger.

Again, my weakness is gone now--so things that used to bother me physically--or even stress me emotionally--no longer do.

I feel badly for you tho--cause as long as you have no labs done the odds of getting a diagnosis--and a cure--are pretty much nil I'd think. Tho I DO hear you--and DO understand. I was so afraid of ANY meds at one point I was in a similar situation.

Hopefully, as I did, at some point you will want your life back enough to face the fear--and the possible side effects--to have hope of a cure.