Timing for meds?

[Joanne]

Hi, just a quick question as I can't get a straight answer from anyone...(doctors, nurses) when do I take my metformin, right after I eat my meal for after I have done my two hour test? I am somewhat confused..
any advice is thanked in advance. My other problem is remembering to take my meds...I have a very busy office job and eating at a regular interval everyday doesn't always work. Somedays it's manageable but not always.
What is an average testing schedule. My sugars are pretty good right now do I have to test three times a day..???? what does everyone else do...???
looking forward to all advise..thanks...Joanne:hello:

[Jaclyn]

I take my Metformin Right before I eat breakfast and right before I eat dinner. I test beofre breakfast and 2 hours after dinner and sometimes in between just to see what the numbers are (im still new to this). I would either take it before you eat or while your eating. I usually forget about the dinner pill untill im almost done with dinner so I jump up and take it while im eating. You will feel much better and not get much side effects. How many times a day are you taking Metformin? As for a reminder I have no problem with the morning dose but I have an alarm on my cell phone I set to 5 pm so it reminds me, but still if dinners running late I will forget. I hope this helps!

Jaclyn

[seacomp]

I usually forget about the dinner pill untill im almost done with dinner so I jump up and take it while im eating.
You dinner pill is doing you 50% more good than the other. Metformin should be taken with food or immediately afterwards. If not, most of it is not absorbed and does nothing.
The point of testing is to make sure that your BG stays good. Spread your tests out, so that all periods of the day are covered over the course of a week.

[Joanne]

thanks guys that gives me somestuff to consider... i usally take it with a meal but i thought maybe that wouldn't give me the correct readings as to how my sugar is absorbing after i eat...some of it is so confusing...i should try a alarm thing, somedays i only get one pill in and I am supposed to take 500mg 3 times a day. can't be healthy if I keep missing it.

[DesertDiabetic]

I don't think it makes any difference as far as the effectiveness goes. It does matter when you take because of the side effects it has. Taking with a meal like the drug company recommends helps limit side effects. But, i don't know this for sure.

[Jaclyn]

I haven't had any side effects (yet) and its been over a month. and I always take it before I eat. I make sure my bfast is already made and ready to eat before I take it. Ill get my A1c friday so well see how its been working. (finally get to see a dietician)

Jaclyn

[Phranky]

My endo was explicit with me in regards to when to take it, as does the label on my pill bottle:

"TAKE WITH FOOD"

As mentioned above, to be effective you are to take it with a meal.

I take my 1000mg immediately after breakfast, and my 1000mg evening dose directly after dinner.

Cheers!

[seacomp]

I don't think it makes any difference as far as the effectiveness goes. Sorry but you are wrong. The information is on the package insert for Glucophage (the branded version of metformin) and some (but only some) of the short descriptions of metformin on the net. Taking it with food makes a 50% difference, measured differences.
Why this info is not better displayed, I don't know, since if you take metformin the wrong way, you may think that it does not work, when the problem is that you just are not absorbing it.

[DesertDiabetic]

I take Metformin and it works just fine. I don't always take it with food. If it is not working then I am much better shape than I thought. I am interested where anyone finds where it says the reason for taking with a meal is absorbsion and not just to head off the side effects. I would take it with food all the time if that were the case.

[sydneya]

When I first started taking metformin, I took it right before my meal. If I forgot, I jumped up and took it then thinking I had messed up. When I mentioned this to my doctor he said it was better to take it with the meal or immediately after. When I did this, I didn't have any diahhrea anymore. Anyway, the most advantage is when you take it with a meal, not before. I do forget it quite often at noon and sometimes at dinner. So whoever suggested an alarm--thank you. I'll try that.

[Tigger]

That could explain why I haven't seen any improvement w/my levels. I started it two weeks ago today. I'm on half of a 500mg tablet and only in the morning. I was taking it w/the rest of my morning meds, but before I ate my breakfast. There'd be a maybe ten to fifteen minute gap between taking my meds and then eating.

I'll try taking it while I'm eating tomorrow morning and see what happens.

[Jaclyn]

When I first started taking metformin, I took it right before my meal. If I forgot, I jumped up and took it then thinking I had messed up. When I mentioned this to my doctor he said it was better to take it with the meal or immediately after. When I did this, I didn't have any diahhrea anymore. Anyway, the most advantage is when you take it with a meal, not before. I do forget it quite often at noon and sometimes at dinner. So whoever suggested an alarm--thank you. I'll try that.

I take mine right right before I eat, Dr said that was ok and I believe it is helping me becasue my levels have dropped from 11.0 to 7.9 in just 5 weeks. If I forget a pill I take it immeditly(sp)? with the meal. but my results as I see are great with taking it before a meal. I think (maybe) it might be diffrent for diffrent people seeing we are all diffrent. What works for one might not work for another. I also have never had any stomach problems taking it before meals. But thats just me. I just by what my Dr says. And your welcome for the alarm idea :)


Jaclyn

[seacomp]

From the Glucophage XR product description page:

"Although the extent of metformin absorption (as measured by AUC) from the GLUCOPHAGE XR tablet increased by approximately 50% when given with food, there was no effect of food on Cmax and Tmax of metformin. Both high and low fat meals had the same effect on the pharmacokinetics
of GLUCOPHAGE XR."

from
http://www.bms.com/cgi-bin/anybin.pl?sql=select%20PPI%20from%20TB_PRODUCT_PPI %20where%20PPI_SEQ=86

Most other descriptions of metformin/glucophage indicate "take with meals" but either don't say why, or say to reduce stomach discomfort.

The absorption question is critical, however. When I took the drug, I didn't take it with meals because I didn't have any stomach problems and it was easier to take at a differert time. When I saw this, or something to the same effect in the product insert, I switched how I took the drug and it was much more effective, almost immediately.

[spiketvl]

I had so much trouble with Metfornim when I first started taking it - and it didn't matter what time I took it. I preservered through a rotten two months then when my prescription ran out my chemist gave me a different brand and low and behold no symptoms whatsoever!! She said it sounds like I am allergic to the "filler" in the other brand. I am like this with my pain medication too- if I take the cheaper brand I get such wooziness its aint funny. I wish someone had told me different brands may work better for you when I first started. I told this to my diabetic educator on Friday and she said she would mention it to newbies in the future.

[mg_2204]

when do I take my metformin

I have tried many diff ways. What works for me is I start my meal, maybe have 1/4 of it and then take my meds. I find that Metformin has less unpleasant side effects (gas) this way too.

As for testing, when I'm done with eating I look at the clock and will test roughly 2 hours later.

My other problem is remembering to take my meds.

I had that problem! Taking meds long term does that to you. Sometimes I would be sure I had taken them (and found out I hadn't!) and sometimes I was sure I hadn't (but did ACK!). Get yourself a 'pill organizer'. Very useful!


I have a very busy office job and eating at a regular interval everyday doesn't always work. Somedays it's manageable but not always.
What is an average testing schedule. My sugars are pretty good right now do I have to test three times a day..????

Eating at regular interval everyday when at work is impossible in my case. Therefore I don't have a testing schedule as such. When I've managed to eat I test roughly 2 hours after. I do test when I feel strange or if I have a pounding headache. I was told I could only test 3-4 times a week. But the more I test the more I keep my BG in line. And I try to test at diff times during the day because if I'd test only after eating a meal how would I be able to know if everything's alright let's say in the evening, or before bed?

I hope this has helped you a bit.

The very best to you,