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levels down so increase Meds

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wennortheast

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Type 2
Hi, I was told I was type 2 diabetic about 2 years ago...I started off on diet control then my Diabetic nurse put me on Metformin....on my last visit she said that my sugar levels have come down so she wanted to increase the amount of metformin I was taking.....is this normal as I thought it would have been the opposite....I dont have much faith in her to be honest...can anyone give me any advice
thanks
 
Hi wennortheast. Welcome.🙂

Are you testing your own blood sugar ?

And do you know what your HbA1c is and was previously ?

It may be that your levels have come down but still have some way to go.🙂

Rob
 
Hi wennortheast, welcome to the forum 🙂 That does sound a bit topsy-turvy! Do you know what your levels are now, and what they were when you were diagnosed? What dose are you currently on, and what does she want to increase it to? We may have other members who have encountered the same situation, so hopefully they will be around to share their experiences. I don't take metformin myself, but have never heard of a dose increasing because of improved levels - might be worth getting it in writing, along with the actual blood sugar levels she is basing it on.
 
Hi Rob
she wony give me any test strips a s she says there is no need to keep testing....I wasnt geting on with the metformin so she changed them to Glucophage saying these would be better but they are like horse pills and I cant swallow them ( I have to take 4 together at tea-time) I dont know what my H whatsits are as she never tells me....Ive sopped taking my tablets I dont know if this is me being silly but I dont feel any diffrent
 
Hi there Wennortheast and a warm welcome it does seem slightly **** about face your right,dont think i would feel to confident in her either,I was started on metformin but when my levels decreased so was my meds
 
Hi Northerner

I was ment to be taking 2 metformin per day ( I was actually only takin 1) but she reads the results of the blood test so fast and doesnt explain things very well....Thats why I was really confused ..if the levels had come down when I was only taking 1 tablet per day when she thought I was on more then why increase them....
hence the stop taking any full stop....call me a rebel I dont know it just didnt seem correct
 
Hi Steph

stopping taking all the Meds hasnt made me feel any different...maybe she has shares in the Pharm business lol
 
If you ask her what your results are, she has to tell you. I would be inclined to ring or make an appointment to find out.

I would also not recommend stopping your meds without seeing her or a GP about it. You may not notice any difference in the short term but if your blood sugar runs high for a while, you can risk serious complications over the long term.

The HbA1c is explained here http://www.diabetes.org.uk/en/Guide.../Glycated_haemoglobin_HbA1c_and_fructosamine/

And it sounds like you would benefit from a second opinion from one of the GPs at the practice. They may at least tell you what your results are and explain their significance.🙂

Rob
 
wennortheast said:
Hi Northerner

I was ment to be taking 2 metformin per day ( I was actually only takin 1) but she reads the results of the blood test so fast and doesnt explain things very well....Thats why I was really confused ..if the levels had come down when I was only taking 1 tablet per day when she thought I was on more then why increase them....
hence the stop taking any full stop....call me a rebel I dont know it just didnt seem correct
Click to expand...

Depends how high your HbA1c was to start with and if a smaller dose of met is working but not getting you in range, an increase in dose would likely be indicated in those circumstances. If you were only taking half the prescribed dose and it was bringing you down slowly, then of course the Nurse would think that the presacribed dose was insufficient and put it up. Presumably the Nurse doesn't know that you are cheating her ( and yourself) by not taking the prescribed doses ? Your HbA1c should be 6.5 or under and the Nurse is working at getting it there.
With metformin the minimum effective dose is 1500 mg and the normal range is 2000 to 2500.
It is common to start on 500 and work up to 1500-2000 so you were always probably going to be moving up through the dose anyway.
Its difficult for us to comment without knowing what your A1c was when you started met and what it is now and what your dose was and what it has been upped to.
 
I agree, what mcdonagh says makes good sense, but without knowing certain information it can only be speculation. I think you need to make a doctor's appointment so you can talk about your concerns, and also ask to see your test results, both past and present - you are entitled to know these, and it is the only way you can know how your improvement is going. Glucophage is a 'slow-release' form of metformin and is intended to give fewer side-effects than the ordinary metformin.

As the others have said, you may feel OK, but if you don't know what your levels are you could be doing damage to yourself. The reason why many people with Type 2 can remain undiagnosed for many years is because the symptoms are not always apparent, or might be confused or passed off as due to other things like getting older. Please start taking your medication and get that appointment - you're not in a position currently to know where you are heading. If it was me, I'd want to know!

Let us know how you get on 🙂
 
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