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Effects of reducing Metformin

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Loobyloo

Loobyloo

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I am sure quite a few members have reduced their Metformin after reducing their Hba1c. Can i ask how much you reduced by and what effects on your glucose levels this had. I am going to be reducing my 2000mg SR Metformin by half this week on advice from DN. Just wondering if i can expect my sugars to shoot up or does it not make a huge difference? I know we are all different but just a general idea would be great.
 
I think you are right in assuming we are all different, so for what its worth, I've never seen any change that could be attributed to the effect of metformin. I currently take 500mg/day because the DN wants me to.

For me gliclazide is important - cutting that to zero, again because the DN wanted me to - led to a steady rise in BG which was corrected by restarting it.

I am sure these observations say something about why my pancreas is misbehaving and I would not recommend anybody else takes any action because of them.... unless of course their pancreas behaves exactly like mine, and there is no way of predicting that.
 
I came off Metformin completely after a discussion with my GP following my last HbA1c. Not noticed any change and my waking BGs are still OK.
 
My experience is that the reduction will only have a very small effect. Metformin is a useful drug but never has dramatic effects on BS.
 
Thanks everyone thats encouraging, lets hope i notice only a small change that a little more exercise can negate.
Adrian can i ask what dose you were on?
 
I’ve never used Met, but over the years I’ve seen people who do take it talk about it ‘soaking into’ the body over a long period, rather than each tablet acting over a specific time period the next day.

So I suspect any changes you see would be gradual rather than immediate, and if you reduce your dose I think you’d see a gradual taper.

Hopefully you won’t see much if any negative effect at all 🙂
 
Loobyloo said:
Thanks everyone thats encouraging, lets hope i notice only a small change that a little more exercise can negate.
Adrian can i ask what dose you were on?
Click to expand...
1x500 with evening meal
 
I have been on 2000mg of metformin per day for nearly 3 months and my HbA1c number has halved. My doctor has told me to continue with the metformin for a further quarter.....not good as the flatulence side effects are not great at all...

The sooner I get off the stuff the better but it is probably too soon
 
@Gee1970 - I would be guided by your GP. Hopefully in a further three months you will get down into the 40s if not the 30s as you re making great progress. Are you limiting carbs, exercising and losing weight if you need to? They are the three great levers you have in addition to medication
 
@Gee1970 I was initially prescribed 1 x 500 mg once a day. Then it went up to twice and then two twice a day. It’s now back down to 1 tablet once a day as BG has been better but the next two HbA1C tests will determine if I can come off it all together.
As for the side effects of Metfartin have you asked your GP to switch you to a slow release version perhaps? They have significantly fewer side effects it seems.
 
FWIW, I think that once your morning/fasting levels are down to normal-ish levels, there's probably not a lot of point to continuing with Met. But obv to be talked about with yr doc.
 
Eddy Edson said:
FWIW, I think that once your morning/fasting levels are down to normal-ish levels, there's probably not a lot of point to continuing with Met. But obv to be talked about with yr doc.
Click to expand...
My GP initial said I should I should continue and re-test in six months and if still OK I could come off the Metformin. After a bit of arm twisting on my part he agreed I could come off immediately and re-test after three months. I have to say he is very supportive and it didn't take a lot of persuasion to get him to agree.

I'm 15 days after my last tablet and my waking BG average for those 15 days has been 5.51 with two House Special 5.2s thrown in for good measure 🙂
 
I’m pretty certain that my DN will want two consecutive HbA1C results to be “normal” before countenancing coming off the metformin.
 
Definitely reduced carbs, more exercise and watching what I eat is the key, amongst totally stopping things like Coca Cola....

My weight is pretty constant with a reduction of around 6 pounds over the last 3 months. I’m currently 16st 12lbs but at 6ft 4inches I wouldn’t want to lose too much more, perhaps a few more pounds.

I’m just a bit concerned that getting into the 40’s and particularly the 30’s may be much harder than getting the number from 101 to 51 given I think I’ve made most of the dietary changes I would want to.

Definitely want to be off Metformin ASAP but I am staying on 4per day for another 3 months it seems....
 
I'm 6 feet 2 and according to the BMI calculator my normal weight is below 13t 13lbs. That's my target for the year. It will be six stone loss in total. It is horrible to think of the damage carrying six stone of extra weight around will have had on my body....
 
You have done great with the weight loss.

Sometimes those normal weight calculators are a bit of a red herring in my opinion because some of us have different builds...I really can’t realistically get to below 16 Stone with my build. I haven’t been below 16 Stone since my early 20s so you have to accept certain things. I was overweight at 18st 4lbs which is the biggest I’ve been but if I get to 16 Stone I will be happy.
 
I was a tight-head prop forward (Union) for over twenty years so I'm certainly not a slim build!
 
adrian1der said:
1x500 with evening meal
Click to expand...
Ah right i am on 2000mg so may be a harder challenge to reduce without affecting Bg levels but horrid side effects of even slow release Metformin make me think i want to reduce. Blood test today and results later in the week so will have my fingers crossed my results are still around 40 or lower as DN says i can start cutting in half to see how i go.
 
Great news! Hope the side effects go away & you can come off it completely. 🙂
 
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