Metformin

My dr started me on 500mg once a day on metformin since my blood sugars are high. I am in the pre diabetic range. Anyways, I started it this morning and feel awful. Dizzy and nausea. How long does this last? And how long until those of you who were on it were able to stop taking it completely post op? This sucks!

the extended release is much easier on the stomach. I stopped mine immediately after surgery.

Yes, they first few days are very odd as it brings down your blood sugar levels. You should find a drink of milk, perhaps a very small juice or a little snack will help you level out

I am one of the lucky ones I guess.  I was on 1500mg of metformin daily and 4mg of glimiperide daily.  Sugars weren't really that bad, in the 140 -160 range with those meds.  Whilw doing my pre-op diet, my sugars dropped at one point to 74 and a few days later to 84.  I tested several times a day but leary of taking it so I wouldn't "bottom" out with it going to low (which did happen to me around 2010 when I got severly dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea) dropped to 34.  Very scary.  Anyway, I seem to be in a rambling mood and off track a little.  Like I said everything started normalizing just before surgery with the carbs under control and I have not been on any since then.  I have been to my PCP with my glucose monito and she has seen the history and memory and agrees that just keep checking it but stay off the meds for now.  So, hopefully once you have your carbs under control and lose a few pounds, things will get a little more "normalized" for you too.  Keep  close track with the finger sticking though.  Good luck.. Pam

Thanks!! How am I supposed to keep track when I don't do the finger sticking? I was instructed to just take the metformin until surgery and after surgery to cru**** if need be. I have no idea how I'm supposed to monitor this if those were my instructions! 

The doctor didn't inform you of what your glucose level was when prescribing the Metformin?  500mg is sort of a starter dose so I don't suspect that the # was real high.  I would call and ask the doctor (or nurse) to please tell you your numbers so that you will know what your baseline is.  That way, you will be pro active in your medical care as well.  Tell the doctor that you would like to keep track of your glucose and ask him to prescribe a monitor for you unless he would provide one for free.  You can get free monitors w/prescription from several different companies.  I am no doctor but very pro active in my medical care and always questioning everything so that I can/will stay informed.  Afterall, it's my body and I'm the one that has to take care of me.. Good luck  

Thanks for the info! Very helpful and much appreciated!

Hgb A1C can tell the doc how your sugars are.  The extended release metformin is a must to control those symptoms.  I stopped mine during the pre-op diet because I essentially stopped taking in sugar.   It will be no time and I am betting you won't need it.  Talk to your doctor and discuss the plan.  Hope you feel better.

Interesting how differently doctors do treatment...

When I started my pre-op process back in March my blood work revealed a A1C of 7.1. No one advised me of this despite seeing various doctors for my pre-op clearances, and you know they now have that universal computer system where all your info goes to every treating doc you see.

Anyhow, it came to my attention thru my cardiologist when they ran blood work for a new blood pressure med they put me on. I asked my cardiologist what I should do...she said to schedule an appt. w/my PCP. I go to see him & he says usually they run a 2nd & even 3rd A1C to confirm, but since I had lost 30+ lbs & was due for surgery this September he preferred a wait & see approach. He gave me a monitor & instructed me to test 1st thing in AM & 2 hours after eating. He said if I got 3 consecutive reading of 200 or above to schedule an appt. & he would prescribe meds...probably metformin.

I have never tested above 150 & usually below 130. So I don't know if I should be concerned I was not prescribed meds or relieved that I wasn't.

Good luck. this is an interesting journey.

I took 2000mg per day and had to take it with food - I took the extended release, which is better on the tummy.  But I still suffered with it and could never be very far from a bathroom after a few hours of taking it - ugh! 

I went home from the hospital off all diabetes meds including Metformin.  Thank god!