I really tried but I can’t get my BS down enough with diet. With diet my Triglycerides and HDL (97) are great, but BS isn’t. I tried Berberine, which worked great, but it tore up my insides and made me extremely lethargic. So, on to Metformin.
I probably wouldn’t even consider Metformin if not for Richard Morris.
Are there different brands of Metformin? Are any of them more gentle but still effective?
Please, give me your 2 cents on this drug.
Thank you, 
I’m glad that you are doing what you need to do to keep your blood sugar’s in check. I think the better you can manage blood glucose the better outcome you’ll have, medication or not it’s very important use the tools you need to use.
I’ve never been on Metformin but I would definitely use it in the future if diet alone would not get me to where I needed to go
Kathleen,
Don’t feel bad, it is one of the most prescribed medications out there and therefore we have a lot of information about how safe it is. There are studies going on right now to determine whether it may have anti-cancer benefits even if you don’t have high blood sugar so I wouldn’t hesitate to start it if necessary.
Brands: there is a brand name but I would stick with generic as it has been out forever and will be just as good and less expensive. There is however an extended release version that is once daily or a regular version that is twice daily. In general the extended release is better tolerated and minimizes the most common side effect (diarrhea) as far as I’ve read there is no difference in effectiveness between the extended vs immediate release.
Good luck!
There are different manufacturers of metformin, both brand name, which I believe is Glucophage, and generic. There are also standard and extended release versions. Specific medication nothwithstanding, some people find that they respond better to regular or sustained release, or prefer once daily or multiple daily doses. Then between brands of generics, some people (myself included) find some brands perform better than others. While they are technically supposed to be identical and have the same amounts of drug per pill, there is a small variance allowed (between 3 and 10% depending on your source) between the generic and brand name. There’s also an allowed variation in the pharmacokinetics and distribution in the body, called “area under the curve”, between the original and the generic, but again, this is supposed to be within a few percentage points.
One more thing to consider is that some folks try a med and say they don’t like it, but later we find out that it’s not the med, but the timing. For instance, some people find they aren’t benefiting from (or are suffering too many side effects from) a new med. Upon investigation, we find that the person has been taking it with other things like food or vitamins that prevent or overly enhance its absorption, or they’re taking it with other meds that actually prevent it being eliminated from the body and amounts of the drug climb above therapeutic levels.
tl;dr: There are lots of options, so if one isn’t quite working for you, don’t be afraid to ask your doc to try a different brand or release type.
I agree with the others. There is no shame in needing medication. many meds are over used, misused and over prescribed. But not all of them. They are there for a very good reason and that is to be used by those that need them. I think you are doing the right thing. x
@richard I’m sure that you’ll attest to how Metformin is akin to a necessary part of your BS management regime. I would see that medication as a ‘tool’ to your overall management. Why not have a trial, for a period of time, which @richard did do, both on Metformin and off it, to see how your Hb1Ac measures go? There is no weakness in this decision, by seeing it as part of the management ‘tool’ kit, and trial it, you’ll be in a better place to evalaute (with numbers / and wellbeing) it’s effectiveness.
I think of my metformin as a longevity medication! I gladly take it.
I take the extended release formula for two reasons: easier on the insides, and I forget to take twice a day meds.
I took Metformin for a while and I would also recommend the extended release version. It took me a while to adjust to taking it (digestive issues are a common see effect) but it is worth persevering as my symptoms settled after several weeks and then I felt fine. I did read somewhere that Berberine works in a similar way but it may be that Metformin causes you less distress. Good luck- I hope you get your glucose down to where you want it.
If you have stomach issues, such as IBS, you do not want to take Metformin. I took that for all of two weeks, years ago, and it messed with my IBS so bad. I went back and read the side-effects (here). So choose wisely. As others said, no shame in taking medication, if you need it. <3
I’m just curious as to what levels one would consider taking Metformin?
I’ve been struggling to get my fasting BG below the 100-110 range but I’m pretty sure those levels aren’t medication worthy so I haven’t discussed it with my doc.
That I understand. But at what level? Diabetic only or is chronically prediabetic high enough to be concerned?
Your Hgb A1C might be totally normal or might be fairly high in the prediabetic range with the fasting blood glucose values you have. That would determine treatment. I think that anyone who has ever had an A1C in the prediabetic range should at least minimize carbs. Some doctors might also consider recommending metformin, which is fairly benign and has some other benefits,. If it’s chronically iin the prediabetic range, or you just want to be proactive, a glucose tolerance test would be helpful. Google “Kraft test diabetes in-situ” before asking your doctor for that. You might want insulin measurements added to it.
Ask for an extended release version and start with the lowest possible dose. Here are some tips to reduce side effects (the worst, most urgent diarrhea you’ve ever experienced!):
The other oral diabetic meds have some really big safety concerns, so it’s worth the effort to be able to take Metformin.
Some people never have a side effect. My tiny (85 lb) 16 year old tolerates 1000 mg ER and has never had a side effect.
A lot of docs in So Cal also take Metformin for anti-Aging, as I understand it!
This is very helpful, Jan! I am genetically pre-disposed so it may be a matter of when and not if for me. Or for my teen. Karen P
Nothing wrong with metformin I think, but did you consider nigella sativa? It worked wonders for me.
ME TOO…I don’t check my glucose levels that often maybe once or twice a week but lately they have been horrible around 200 (and over) so i’m going to take metaformin starting today, just to see if it can bring it down closer to the 100 range…i didn’t really take it earlier (when it was prescribed) because i wanted to see what i could do with diet alone and i was doing pretty good for a few years but i think it’s time to take it for a month… or so and just see. if i remember right it depletes a certain vitamin…so you may want to take a supplement (i think it was one of the b vitamins)
did you take it as an oil in capsules or the seeds? just wondering i have both but have not been taking it consistently to know if it does/did anything…what kind of dosage were you taking?
One thing about Metformin that you may not be able to avoid. Depends upon your Pharmacy. One of the manufacturers make Metformin pills that smell really, really bad. Almost stomach turningly bad. If you google search Metformin smell you can find out which manufacturer, but as I said your Pharmacy probably uses a particular company for their source.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/diabetes/18498
I have tried leaving the lid off for days and it helps but I wonder if it affects the strength of the part.
Zydus is my latest batch mfg (CVS) and they don’t smell nearly as bad as previous ones (maybe Rite Aid has a different source)?
I will note I have been taking Metformin for 13+ years. Some stomach effects, but not too bad.
One final thing, I stop taking Metformin when I am doing extended fasts since I don’t need them after about 3-4 days.