Question about metformin

[Harmony]

Hi all,

My Doctor said to take metaformin 500 mg twice a day with something to eat. for those of you that take it, what do you think the best times to take it are? I have a real hard time with my wake up fasting number. My other numbers are good as long as I eat right. My fasting number is always over 200, so i would want to take the medicine when it will help me most with the morning fasting reading. Oh, also I wake up every day around 8-9am and go to bed about midnight.

Thanks for any help!

Harmony

[princesslinda]

Hi Harmony. I take metformin twice daily as well. I take mine just before breakfast and just before dinner. If you are having problems with high fasting #'s, i'd suggest you try to eat a lower carb dinner, and just before bedtime, have a piece of cheese or a handfull of nuts, this sometimes will help hold your levels stable throughout the night.

Not sure how long you've been on metformin, but it takes approx. 3 weeks to see full results, though you'll probably notice lowering of your levels before then.

Also, not sure if you're exercising, but perhaps if you exercised in the afternoon it would help things a bit.

If you have really high a.m. levels, try having a low carb b/fast, some type of eggs and bacon...you'll feel fuller longer and your levels won't spike as fast.

[jvetter18]

Harmony,

i looked back at your first post and it said you've had type 2 for ten years? Your fasting #'s are over 200?

Are you just now starting to take control? what are you eating at night? Need a little more info about you, in order to help. We'll get it sorted out.

[bryan42]

Could someone explain what "fasting" numbers are?

[mg_2204]

Fasting numbers : what your blood glucose level is before having anything to eat or drink in the morning.

I'm on Metformin and still have probs with fasting numbers. It's a curse! :T I have great numbers throughout the day. But it's kind of hard for me to be under 6 mmol/L first thing in the morning. It's called Dawn Phenomenon (DP). What works best for me is having a light supper, lean meat, lots of veggies and that's it. Keeping most of the carbs for breakfast and lunch works for me.

[Harmony]

Hi and thanks to everyone for responding.

I have had type 2 for 10 years and always could control it with diet and exercise. I got pregnant(my daughter is 20 months old now) and during pregnancy they said my fasting numbers were too high. They wanted them under 80 and mine were running about 100-110 which I always thought was fine. They put me on insulin during my whole prenancy and I went off of it when my daughter was born.Since then my fastinf numbers were all over 280! I eat the same way. I have eaten low carb for 10 years and never go over 50 carbs a day. Now I am on 20 carbs a day. My numbers are all fine except my fasting which is down to about 200 in the morning. I eat eggs for breakfast and within 2 hours my level is about 100. I test before I go to bed and its always between 100-120. I walk 30 minutes on the treadmill everyday. I was doing it at night, but thought that may be why my numbers were high in the morning so I changed it to late morning or early afternon. I dont understand what is going on really unless the insulin did something or another thing that I just thought of is during prenancy I developed high blood pressure and it didnt go away. I am on labetalol. enalapril and a water pill. Now I am wondering if the blood pressure meds could cause this?. They said it was dawn something, basically my sugar goes up while I am asleep. Or maybe just after 10 years of having it it has finally got worse or maybe the pregnancy caused it. My last A1C was 6.9 and the Doctor said it was fine. During pregnancy my a1c was never over 5. I am stumped. The last appointment I had they said I had metabolic syndrome. I also have polycystic ovarian syndrome. Thanks again for all your help. I hope I can figure this out.

[kgm0612]

I'm a type 1 pumper also taking Metformin. I take my morning pill about 30-45 minutes before breakfast and about 15 minutes before dinner.

You're having good results with readings throughout the day, so my guess is that you're going low during the night and your liver is kicking in causing you to have a higher reading in the morning. Are you testing yourself before bed? Try eating a light protein snack (peanuts or cheese) before going to bed.

Karen

[mzizgayle]

I take the long lasting metformin only once in the evenings and I no longer have the dawn effect.

[mg_2204]

I take the long lasting metformin only once in the evenings and I no longer have the dawn effect.

I take the long lasting one too... but still have probs with high fasting sugars. It's SO frustrating!!!!!

[MJB]

For me it's one with breakfast and one with dinner. I try to keep them 12hrs apart but it doesn't always work out. Either right before or right after the meal. I just don't want the medicine sitting on an empty stomach for very long.

[cgsmichelle]

We are supposed to take our Met with food? :confused: I take it when I wake up and when I go to bed. I am new to this. Only been on Met for about 3 weeks. Does it improve your numbers to eat it with food? My fasting numbers average around 110 in the morning. I thought that was good. Is it not? Thanks!

[MJB]

cgsmichelle,

Metformin causes some GI problems (basically diarhea) for some folks so I think the idea of taking it with food is to lessen or eliminate that side effect.

Your fasting numbers are not bad. For diagnosis of T2 one of the criteria used is 2 measured fasting numbers above 126 so you're below that.

If you're not having side effects from the metformin I think you're OK the way you are. When in doubt, ask your doc.

[cgsmichelle]

Thanks for replying Mike. I appreciate you taking the time. I have had some GI problems but its been tolerable to me. I took my meds with my breakfast this morning. We will see how it goes. My FSB before Met was 150. I have watched it come down over the last 3 weeks. Still new...still confused. LOL Have a great day!

[gelchick]

I take 500 mg of metformin with breakfast and dinner and 1000mg before bed to help with DP- my fastings used to be in the 140's- no I am rarely over 95. I take it with Hood lo-carb milk.