Hi!
I have never been diagnosed with diabetes, but my doctor didn't like my post-prandial glucose measurement of 148. He has put me on Glucophage and I'm wondering if it will cause me problems, since I'm not eating that many carbs. My fertility specialist is telling me that it shouldn't be a problem, but the notice from the pharmacist said that hypoglycemia can result if your diet doesn't contain enough carbs...has anyone experienced this?
Thanks so much!

Lori

Atkins since 1/30/04
297/281/165

__________________
Lori

Atkins since 1/29/04
297/262/165
Pregnant Low-Carber since 5/14/04, due 2/4/05!!

Yes, Lori, you need to monitor this VERY closely!

I'm kind of surprised that he wanted to put you on the Glucophage while you are eating low-carb... MY endocrinologist said, (and I quote):
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I would RATHER NOT put you on Glucophage if you are going to be following Atkins -- and especially if you are trying to get pregnant. I would rather put you on a low dose of birth control and see what happens with the diet and exercise. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
And then he gave me the ultimatum of getting my blood sugars under control and my weight down within 2 months.
Atkins with a VERY low-dose of bc dropped my weight 25 pounds and normalized my hormone levels. And even though I am *officially* Type II diabetic, within 6 months, I had *reversed* my diabetes (cutting my insulin level in half) -- with DIET ALONE.
Of course, I was VERY strict with following Atkins...

If you are, too, then you DEFINITELY need to monitor your blood glucose levels closely and have your doctor check your med levels REGULARLY as they may need to be adjusted as your weight drops and your glucose numbers fall.
BTW, a 2-hour post-prandial reading of 148 is really not *that* bad (not great, but not terrible). And it has a lot to do with what you ate... What had you eaten???
Have you had a string of bad numbers?
Just wondering where his concern lies...

__________________
Summer

Lori, I read your post earlier today while I was at work but wanted to wait to respond after checking some info I had at home.

A postprandial glucose of 145 or lower is considered normal. 200 or higher is considered a diabetic. So you're just over the line and in a kind of gray area. Did your doctor also do a HbA1c blood test? It's a test that will give an average of your blood sugar levels over the last 3 months and it gives a better overall look at your BG (blood glucose) levels.

As far as glucophage causing low blood sugars, here's what my info says:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Until glucophage was introduced, all the available oral glucose-control medications were from the same chemical group called sulfonylureas. These drugs lower blood sugar primarily by causing more of the body's own insulin to be released. glucophage (metformin hydrochloride tablets) lowers the amount of sugar in your blood by helping your body respond better to its own insulin. glucophage does not cause your body to produce more insulin. Therefore, glucophage rarely causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and it doesn't usually cause weight gain. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I found I rarely had low BGs unless I went too long without eating. It's very important that you eat at least a small snack every 2-3 waking hours. You also need to carefully and evenly spread your carbs out throughout the day.

Is your doctor aware that you are low crabbing? S/he should be advising you on how many carbs you should be eating and how much glucophage you need to take.

You might want to read through some of the stickies at the top of this forum. There are some really good links (like the diabetes diet wars) and info.

Good luck to you.

__________________
Always eat your veggies first!
LCE member since March 2002

Oh, you know what? I forgot; Brightlady is right. Glucophage is the one that does NOT cause blood sugar crashes... But my endo STILL did not want to put me on it while I was following Atkins.
Maybe he wanted to see if the diet could do it alone??? I dunno...

__________________
Summer

Thank you so much, Brightlady & Summer, for your timely responses. My doctor is definitely aware that we are doing Atkins, but I don't know how much he knows about its effect. You see, this is my reproductive endocrinologist, not a GP. Any tests that were ordered were limited to those that are infertility-related. He did not do the 3 month test. They had me do the 2 hour GTT fasting, then drinking the orange soda/glucose stuff. I've never had any blood sugar tests other than the regular blood chemistry stuff with annual physicals. This is the first I've known of a potential problem.

I really kicked when he suggested Glucophage, because I thought he was diagnosing Diabetes, but he says he prescribed it to improve "egg-quality", because insulin can effect that? I guess I would also be pre-disposed to gestational Diabetes because of the post-prandial test results? I'm not sure.

He prescribed one 750 mg pill per day for 10 days, then moving to two pills per day. This was to get my body used to the side effects? I took that first pill and spent the next 4 hours with chills and severe stomach cramps...and other unmentionable atrocities. He told me to stay off it a few days, then try again, but with a half-tablet per day. So far, that's been ok.

I generally do eat small amounts throughout the day (old habits, I guess). I was so glad to add nuts back in, as they're easy to stash. That is a very good suggestion.

Blessings to you both!
Lori

297/281/165

__________________
Lori

Atkins since 1/29/04
297/262/165
Pregnant Low-Carber since 5/14/04, due 2/4/05!!

I STILL say he needs to do a HbA1c!

I don't understand why he hasn't suggested it yet. I don't see a GP. I see an endocrinologist who specializes in diabetes and fertility and he ordered the A1c.
And I have type II diabetes and I'm pregnant and so I am currently seeing specialists at a "Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic" and they order the A1c thing regularly.
It gives a MUCH better *picture* of what is going on than a random GTT.
I would defintely question him about this. I'm not going to argue with his reasoning about the Glucophage -- he's the dr., not me -- but I completely disagree if he does not order the A1c after you *failed* a GTT.
That's my .02, for what it's worth.

Summer

Hello Everyone,

I am type 2 and I have a question. For those of you on glucophage, at what levels do you not take your medicine. I took my regular 1000mg dosage one night and woke up the next morning with my bs reading 69. I felt really drained. I notice that when my bs gets below 80 I feel tired. oh, by the way my bs was 123 when I took the glucophage. Lately I've been trying to control my diabetes with diet and exercise. I keep my glucophage handy for when I cheat on my diet. Sometimes I have a sweet craving or I want some chips. Otherwise I eat healthy and at least 5 small meals a day. My morning have been in the 80 and lower 90's without medicine. A few days I checked it around 5pm because I go to the gym around seven and it runs between 110 to 148. It's mostly in the 120 range. I think my body is trying to level out on its own but I just want to stay on track. My last A1c was 6.1. I'm trying to get under control without meds before I try to conceive. Thanks in advance for any tips or advice.

Phelesia,

You really need to be working with your dr to calibrate your antiglycemic meds to your new way of eating. It's perfectly rational to hope to achieve complete control over your blood sugar with diet and exercise, but the transition has to be done carefully.

I can say this much: Using glucophage for an occasional "cheat" is a really bad idea, since this is not equivalent to fast action insulin. It is a drug with a sustained metabolic impact. But please don't take my word for it. Check it out with your dr.

__________________