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What Causes A Drop In Blood Sugar Levels After Taking Metformin?
Brief Answer:
Needs more information.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
You have recently rising fasting blood sugar.
And you take glimipride 1 mg. And feel symptoms of hypoglycemia.
However, you have not mentioned the actual levels of sugars at that time.
When you take metformin, you feel depressed or anxious.
Do you take glimipride as well when you take metformin?
Have you tried any other medicines?
What are the HbA1C levels?
What were the exact FBS levels in the last few tests?
What were the sugars at other times of the day?
What exactly do you mean by better health?
Please let me know the above information.
Regards.
Needs more information.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
You have recently rising fasting blood sugar.
And you take glimipride 1 mg. And feel symptoms of hypoglycemia.
However, you have not mentioned the actual levels of sugars at that time.
When you take metformin, you feel depressed or anxious.
Do you take glimipride as well when you take metformin?
Have you tried any other medicines?
What are the HbA1C levels?
What were the exact FBS levels in the last few tests?
What were the sugars at other times of the day?
What exactly do you mean by better health?
Please let me know the above information.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Kampana
my diabetes started 5 yrs back when I would eat a lot in evening free time till I slept.A lot of sweets.One day I observed white coatings on my genitals so I consulted Dr and blood test showed diabetes.I started taking glimpride tablets suggested by Dr.But further I went in depression and low B12,iron etc.I stopped medicines at my own decision thinking these new problems as side effects of medicines.I am studying all diabetes articles on diabetes and experimenting on myself since five years and found that all herbal medicines were not useful at all in reducing sugar levels.Only metformin works effectively.But these medicines causes other problems.I have tried only vegetables in the evening but then I cant sleep well and feel hungry whole night.It is necessary to eat two XXXXXXX chapatis to get good sleep.Even only protien food disturbes normal sleep. Nw I am trying light lunch and good dineer but fasting sugars are causing anxiety.I sit whole day in my office on computer but do yoga exercises in the morning which keep me smart all day long. I hope this detail will help you to advise me better.
When I took glimpride in the evening some times I would start sweting and very uncomfortable .As I would be in my office my sugar was not not checked.I made my understanding and I stopped it two years back.I was on BP tablets.I reduced my salt content and my BP remains normal without any medicine since two years.I stopped all medicines nearly one year. My H1bc is came 11.7 one month back.Six months back it was 10.Now I get detail reports on thyrocare system at XXXXXXX My B12 has improved but Iron and vit D are lower.I took metformin without any other medicine.
Better health means hungry in time,sleep well, and do not get tired till 8 o clock in the evening when I leave office.That is why I consider reasonably healthy.I used to feel very tired when my sugars were lower but with higher sugars I feel better.This make things very complex.
In the night I would get up twice for urine.No thirst but I would drink water after urine.During day not very thirsty nor frequent urine. Urine always very clear.Sleep time 10PM to 7 oclock.
I measure sugars in the morning and after working whole day in the night before dinner.
When I took glimpride in the evening some times I would start sweting and very uncomfortable .As I would be in my office my sugar was not not checked.I made my understanding and I stopped it two years back.I was on BP tablets.I reduced my salt content and my BP remains normal without any medicine since two years.I stopped all medicines nearly one year. My H1bc is came 11.7 one month back.Six months back it was 10.Now I get detail reports on thyrocare system at XXXXXXX My B12 has improved but Iron and vit D are lower.I took metformin without any other medicine.
Better health means hungry in time,sleep well, and do not get tired till 8 o clock in the evening when I leave office.That is why I consider reasonably healthy.I used to feel very tired when my sugars were lower but with higher sugars I feel better.This make things very complex.
In the night I would get up twice for urine.No thirst but I would drink water after urine.During day not very thirsty nor frequent urine. Urine always very clear.Sleep time 10PM to 7 oclock.
I measure sugars in the morning and after working whole day in the night before dinner.
Brief Answer:
Suggestions.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for that extensive information. You have still not told me the exact sugar reports that you were getting.
And with the medicine/off medicine that you were taking at the time.
One thing which seems to be obvious is that you have been changing a lot as far as diet and medication pattern is concerned.
This is definitely not advisable. That is because medication and diet are related.
So I would advise a standard regime of diet and exercise. And the medication should be taken on time and as per prescription. Since you have already experimented with most of the alternative medicines and diet patterns, I think you would have made up your mind regarding the diet pattern you are following. And I would recommend sticking to a uniform diet pattern and exercise pattern.
Second, I would suggest buying a glucometer so that sugars can be tested when you have symptoms even if you are in office. Monitoring sugars are necessary to alter the medication regime as needed. Ideally, you need to test FBS, pre-launch and pre-dinner sugars on different days and if you have had a symptom. This is highly recommended.
Third, the symptoms might not be due to absolute hypoglycemia (sugar levels less than 60). It can be due to relative hypoglycemia. Suppose your body is used to sugars of 400. Now if medications reduce sugars to 200, the body may develop symptoms, but it does not mean you have hypoglycemia. In such a case, you need to continue medicines and let the medications do the work as the body adapts to new levels of sugars.
Fourth, while yoga is a good form of exercise, long walks at a comfortable pace are also recommended.
Lastly, I would recommend continuing medications. Metformin has long been the first line medication and I would, therefore, recommend using it. Besides, it is not known to cause hypoglycemia. So it is a safer choice. The exact dose cannot be recommended without complete information on diet and exercise pattern and sugar reports. It is never advisable to change medications based on one set of readings. But with HbA1C ranging 10-11, I would definitely recommend medication. Dietary control and exercise control is not sufficient.
I hope the information helps.
Regards,
Dr. Saumya Mittal, Diabetologist
Suggestions.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for that extensive information. You have still not told me the exact sugar reports that you were getting.
And with the medicine/off medicine that you were taking at the time.
One thing which seems to be obvious is that you have been changing a lot as far as diet and medication pattern is concerned.
This is definitely not advisable. That is because medication and diet are related.
So I would advise a standard regime of diet and exercise. And the medication should be taken on time and as per prescription. Since you have already experimented with most of the alternative medicines and diet patterns, I think you would have made up your mind regarding the diet pattern you are following. And I would recommend sticking to a uniform diet pattern and exercise pattern.
Second, I would suggest buying a glucometer so that sugars can be tested when you have symptoms even if you are in office. Monitoring sugars are necessary to alter the medication regime as needed. Ideally, you need to test FBS, pre-launch and pre-dinner sugars on different days and if you have had a symptom. This is highly recommended.
Third, the symptoms might not be due to absolute hypoglycemia (sugar levels less than 60). It can be due to relative hypoglycemia. Suppose your body is used to sugars of 400. Now if medications reduce sugars to 200, the body may develop symptoms, but it does not mean you have hypoglycemia. In such a case, you need to continue medicines and let the medications do the work as the body adapts to new levels of sugars.
Fourth, while yoga is a good form of exercise, long walks at a comfortable pace are also recommended.
Lastly, I would recommend continuing medications. Metformin has long been the first line medication and I would, therefore, recommend using it. Besides, it is not known to cause hypoglycemia. So it is a safer choice. The exact dose cannot be recommended without complete information on diet and exercise pattern and sugar reports. It is never advisable to change medications based on one set of readings. But with HbA1C ranging 10-11, I would definitely recommend medication. Dietary control and exercise control is not sufficient.
I hope the information helps.
Regards,
Dr. Saumya Mittal, Diabetologist
Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Nagamani Ng
Answered by
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