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Hi All, new to Forum

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J

julie59

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi All, my name is Julie and I'm 59 years old. I'm not new to Diabetes because I have a Type one daughter who was DX at 15. She's now 21. But what we went through to finally get her on Insulin etc. was beyond description. Once she was dx by our family Dr. she was sent an appointment 6 months from the date of the letter to a clinic doe diabetics. She was told she was more than likely a Type 2 and sent home on medication. Over that weekend she hit the 20's so I took her direct to hospital and the Dr. we saw was furious he said she was definitely a Type one and needed Insulin. So come the Monday morning, I called our diabetic clinic at the hospital told them what was happening and they after a brief trial with medication decided she needed Insulin. She's 21 now and it is thanks to her that I had my glucose fasting test done. They called on Monday and they are putting me on a drug called Metformin, I start on 2 a day for a week and then build myself up to 10 a day. Now I was reading through the side effects of Metformin and they are vast. I wondered if anyone could tell me if the symptoms are very bad and also when I looked through the drugs working beside other drugs I was shocked to see like my Liquid OraMorph which I'm on a very heavy dose of, my Thyroxine as well as a few other seemly I should not take any of these without checking without my GP as they may interfere with this Metformine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have all this medication but I don't feel safe started this drug without first getting reassurance from my GP. And I'm very nervous about these side effects from vomiting to diarrhoea. Take care all-Julie
 
Hi Julie, I also have a type 1 daughter, with regards to metformin I also take this. I do have some stomach cramps on occasions but I find if I eat take my pills 2 x 1000mg then sit still for 15 mins I'm normally ok. 10 a day sounds a lot are you sure you picked that up right? Welcome Al
 
I believe so, but because I have questions re the other medications I'm on I'll will review with her dosage. She said you must build gradually. So the first week, its one in the am and one at bedtime. Then after a week I add and make it 2 in am, two in the pm. Working my way up to 5 in am 5 at bedtime. So thank you so much for your welcome Alan and for your reassurance re side effects and I'll post once I've spoken with the nurse again.
 
Welcome from a T2 who's 15 months in.
 
Hi Julie
Just wanted to say hello and welcome. I have no personal experience of Metformin, but my Dad took it for many years. If you have any gastric issues with it there is a slow release version that people tolerate very well, so worth asking about that. There are also other medications for type 2 that lower blood sugar, so if Metformin doesn't work for you keep going back and make sure they get you sorted. In terms of drug interactions I'd ask a pharmacist as a double check (I frequently do), they're the experts in that area so are very useful

Sorry to hear your daughter had such a poor experience with the GP, I know the incidence of type 2 in youngsters is increasing but I thought doctors were a bit more careful with children since it's still a 99% chance for them that it's type 1. If it's the same GP you see now, then just make sure they are keeping an eye on you too, and get those blood sugars down. Best of luck 🙂
 
Hi Julie and welcome to the forum.
 
Just wanted to say Hi and welcome
 
Hi Julie, I have been a type 2 for about 15 years and I started on Metformin one a day. Now I am on what I understand to be the maximum dose which is 2000mg (2x 500mg twice a day). Unless each of your tablets is a lower dose than 500mg, 10 a day is a huge amount so you definitely need to talk to your doctors to check. I also take Gliclazide so you may need something in addition to the Metformin.
 
Hi Julie, welcome to the forum 🙂 A terrible experience for you and your daughter, glad you took the initiative and got her the care she needed! Regarding your possible medication interactions/worries - I'd suggest asking for a prescription review with your pharmacist. They will go through all your meds and raise any potential problems with combinations, and know much more about this stuff than doctors and nurses, on the whole 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum Julie. You're in the minority, I think, reading throigh patient information leaflet when you get a new drug. As Northerner has just mentioned, asking a pharmacist for a medication review to identify how to manage interactions, is a very good idea.
Specifically on the topic of metformin, building up dose gradually is normal, but 10 x 500mg tablets would be above normal maximum daily dose. To lessen gastro intestinal symptoms, taking metformin with or just after eating is important, but if gut effects remain problematic, slow release metformin might be easier. It's far more expensive than basic metformin, so it's not surprising that basic is tried first.
 
Hello Julie and welcome to the forum. 🙂
 
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