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METFORMIN

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
thelis

thelis

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I have just been put on Metformin 500mg. 1 per day to double to twice a day in the second week. Slow Release ones.
Can anyone please tell me when is the best time to take these. My GP said to take them before breakfast but on the leaflet inside the packet and also on the label from the GP pharmacy it says to take them with or after a meal.
Also I only have 28 tablets. Am I correct in thinking that they should double after the first week or should it be the first month.
My request for test strips was refused.
Thelma.
 
Hi Thelma. I take mine just after breakfast and haven't had any problems. I should think if you take it before breakfast it will still have the food to 'mix' with so doubt it makes much difference. I've not increased dose so arnt sure how soon you should increase. Maybe you could check with surgery as they need to give you more if you're to double up after a week.
I was looking at your lowering hba1c results and just curious why you are starting medication? Hope you don't mind me asking 🙂
 
Lindarose said:
Hi Thelma. I take mine just after breakfast and haven't had any problems. I should think if you take it before breakfast it will still have the food to 'mix' with so doubt it makes much difference. I've not increased dose so arnt sure how soon you should increase. Maybe you could check with surgery as they need to give you more if you're to double up after a week.
I was looking at your lowering hba1c results and just curious why you are starting medication? Hope you don't mind me asking 🙂
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply Linda. I think I may try and take it after breakfast and see how it goes. How long have you been taking it for? Were you not told to increase it after so long? Sorry I haven't kept my HbA1c results up to date. The last 2 results were 6.8 and 6.9% which is 52. The GP said that if it went up to 7% he would have prescribed it but if I wished I could have it now. I said I would like to try it now.
Thelma.
 
Hi Thelma, if your GP says to increase the dose after the second week then that's what you should do. As for taking the pills, again you should follow the doc's instructions till you see how it works out for you. I do think you need to call for more pills though, you don't have enough for a month.
 
AlisonM said:
Hi Thelma, if your GP says to increase the dose after the second week then that's what you should do. As for taking the pills, again you should follow the doc's instructions till you see how it works out for you. I do think you need to call for more pills though, you don't have enough for a month.
Click to expand...

Thanks Alison. I will be ringing the pharmacy this afternoon about the pills.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum 🙂 I started off on 500mg then next week went up to 1000mg then the week after 2000mg but couldn't tolerate it so I'm now back on 1000mg. I'd ring your pharmacy because you will end up running out quickly if you're going to go up next week!
 
Hi Thelma, I was put on the maximum dose from day one after diagnosis. I always take mine after I've eaten.
 
I was told take them after food because of the side effects you get if taken on an empty stomach..

The best people to ask advice about medication are the DSN (if you have one) or the pharmacist. A few times my doctor has prescribed things that don't work together and the pharmacist has phoned the surgery and queried the prescription
 
Hi, I take 2 X 1000mg SR tablets as I finish my evening meal.
 
Hi Thelma. I've been taking 1 tablet daily for about 18months now. No mention yet of increasing it and I hope I don't need to but my hba1c has gone up to 53 so I'm hoping my next check in June is an improvement.
 
Hi, I take three slow release 500gm metformin a day . I have had differing advice from medics ..I took three at once in the evening at first , I now take one with food in the morning and two with my evening meal..that seems to suit ok. I think the only thing I have been told consistently is to take with meals or immediately afterwards.
 
Hi thelma. 1 take metformin m/r.two twice a day. Try to take them just after food.
 
I take mine after food too. After experimenting I find this suits my stomach best. I've been on them for 10+ years now and I waited for my GP to tell me when to increase them.
 
question would metformin work if taken at brekkie time then not eating for say 5hrs after its taken? lets say 2x scrambled eggs for brekkie
 
Hi folks. When I was originally diagnosed, the nurse practitioner prescribed Metformin, if memory serves me it was 500mg twice a day with or after food, but at the time I though it was before food - which made me ill. I came off and was put on other meds which did not agree with me i.e. they put weight on, so after a period of approx. 15 months I went back to my doctor and he put me on 500 mg metformin again - only this time said take 500mg after breakfast and 500mg after evening meal - these are not slow release. That has been my situation for the past five months or so. Now during that time, my gp practice lost their nurse practioner, she has only in the past week or so been replaced by a new one.
I put myself up to 500mg at lunchtime just in the past few days, and I'm wondering if I've done the right thing - no unpleasant side effects, but I always remembered the previous nurse telling me with type 2 drugs are added, not subtracted, so that's why I did the increase myself, basically because I can't be bothered going to the surgery. My main reason for doing this is to try to control my own diabetes myself as I worry about it getting to the back of my eyes - do you think this will help, or should I not have increased my med by 500mg. So in the past 3 days instead of 1000mg I'm now self prescribing 1500mg.

wise or foolish?
 
I personally would adjust my medication dose without medical opinion, but that's me.
 
both of the other meds you are on were the ones that put my weight sky high (I don't need help in that area) so like you, I guess my thinking is that a tad more Metformin will help - hope I'm right, thanks for reply.
 
Ive only just started to retake metformin and have been put on the max dose due to struggling with my levels. Gliclizide didn't help me with weight side of things either. But I'm still on it. I would still ask medical opinion before increasing the doses.
 
r
Annette&Bertie said:
Hi folks. When I was originally diagnosed, the nurse practitioner prescribed Metformin, if memory serves me it was 500mg twice a day with or after food, but at the time I though it was before food - which made me ill. I came off and was put on other meds which did not agree with me i.e. they put weight on, so after a period of approx. 15 months I went back to my doctor and he put me on 500 mg metformin again - only this time said take 500mg after breakfast and 500mg after evening meal - these are not slow release. That has been my situation for the past five months or so. Now during that time, my gp practice lost their nurse practioner, she has only in the past week or so been replaced by a new one.
I put myself up to 500mg at lunchtime just in the past few days, and I'm wondering if I've done the right thing - no unpleasant side effects, but I always remembered the previous nurse telling me with type 2 drugs are added, not subtracted, so that's why I did the increase myself, basically because I can't be bothered going to the surgery. My main reason for doing this is to try to control my own diabetes myself as I worry about it getting to the back of my eyes - do you think this will help, or should I not have increased my med by 500mg. So in the past 3 days instead of 1000mg I'm now self prescribing 1500mg.

wise or foolish?
Click to expand...
Annette I would not increase my medication without discussing it with my GP first...you say your BG levels are 'much better'...just wondering why then you felt the need to increase the Metformin...presumably you are adjusting your diet & activity levels (if you are able to exercise)...so if you are also testing...then you should be able to see those BG levels reduce...if you simply increase the medication in order to lower them...how will you know whether you are managing your diabetes as well as you can...this is not a criticism...just concerned you would increase your meds in those circumstances...metformin is used in conjunction with your own efforts to reduce your levels...it won't do it 'all' for you...if you are having your regular eye screening...then if there were any eye problems...this should pick that up...I have no idea why your nurse would say 'type 2 drugs are added...not subtracted'...I disagree with that...I started off with 500mgs of Metformin twice daily in July last year...my BG was 17.4 at diagnosis...now with an average of 5.8 I only take 500mgs once daily...it is possible to reduce the medication providing you are able to manage your diabetes effectively...why not discuss this with your GP before you continue...the temptation is too take more...however...that may lead to you relying heavily on that to manage your condition...and the need to increase your dose even more.
 
Annette, if you are concerned about retinal problems, do ask if there has been any detectable change since your previous scan, and make sure that you know when the next one is due.
 
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