efficacy of metformin

[wasp88]

I was diagnosed type-2 seven years ago. In that time, I always manage to keep my HbA1C 5.5 - 6.5 with diet and exercise. However, the last few months have seen a dramatic increase in my morning bloods. What had been 135 - 155 are suddenly 240 - 280! The only thing I can attribute to this dramatic rise in sugars - other than my pancreas saying bye-bye - is the efficacy of my Metformin Rx.

I lost my insurance last year. Consequently, I turned to my local wholesale club - a legit, national-chain pharmacy - to secure my med's at a manageable cost. It has been in this time that the sugars have been slowly creeping upward. I asked my doctor about the efficacy of generic drugs and he confirmed that there can be a BIG difference when compared to brand-name med's like Glucophage.

My concern is that my pharmacy is inadvertently passing along weak or counterfeit drugs. I have no way to prove this other than the results I get every morning. So, before I pursue this more vigorously, has anyone had similar, dramatic changes in their sugars due to the same prescription being filled from a different lab? The current Rx is manafactured by APOTEX USA INC.

[EricG]

That's interesting. I started metformin last July. The metformin from my pharmacy is manufactured by Caraco. With it, diet, and weight loss my blood sugar readings went from 300-400 to consistently under 100. Only problem was that I started having bad side effects and had to switch to Actos.

I would think a pharmacy dispensing diluted or impotent drugs would be in jeopardy of major trouble. I suspect it is changes in your body, you probably need to have your doctor sort it out. There are several other type 2 oral medications available in generic form.

[Petruchio]

I noticed the same thing. When I buy the Metformin manufactured by Teva Pharm, My BS readings are all over the place. When I buy Metformin made by Barr Pharm. and my BS readings are 100 to 110.

[soso]

can you get a prescription of Glucophage and do a 2 weeks on each test and see what happens?
Not to say this is the way it is, but 6-7 yrs is what they (whoever they are)say is the average time for progression to insulin for T2's...so it could be the beginning of a downhill slide...Also, my understanding has been that fasting bg is the last part of the system to deteriorate and that it happens rather quickly, unlike the slow worsening of pp bg...
hope you can sort this out soon
ss

[wasp88]

Thanks for the feedback. My wife starts a new insurance program in Feb. so I'll have my doctor write me a script for Glucophage. This will be one way to test the differences. I run two businesses and neither have done well in the last couple of months. Maybe stress is playing a role in this as well.

Seven years on average to insulin? I had not heard that info.

[moorejames]

I noticed better control when I switched to my drug plans 90 day supply vs what I waqs getting from the local pharmacy. They were different manufacturers.... but then I wasn't really on the first stuff long enough for that to be a fair assessment. (only a few months from when first dxd.)

[princesslinda]

I don't know about the efficacy of metformin, as i'veonly been on it x 5 months and have done okay with it. I have read that eventually many T2s eventually have to go on insulin. However, there are other medications you could try before that. Also, from reading the many posts here, there are many who have had diabetes for a lot longer than 5-7 years and aren't yet on insulin. I guess its one of those "individualized" things. I'd suggest you go to your doctor and see what the next step would be as far as medications. I know many diabetics who take metformin as well as another medication for diabetes. Let us know what your doc says.