Hi guys,

Couple of questions on behalf of my mother... And please forgive me if this is in the wrong forum (or community altogether!)

6 months or so ago, she was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes and has since been taking Metformin 500g x2 per day (one in the morning and one just after dinner in the evenings at about 19.30).

She's found herself waking up to urinate several times in the middle of the night since being prescribed the Metformin and wants to know if this is a common/expected effect of taking this?

As a result, research and some recommendations suggest she might see better results with either Metformin Extended Release or Metformin Modified Release.

Appreciate all your help guys!

Thanks in advance,

Mike

Her doctor should first check for other reasons for too frequent urination. Also she could monitor liquid consumption after dinner. Metformin generally does not cause this. 'Course it doesn't cause GERD for most people either, which is why I don't take it.

I'm on a lower dose and do find that it causes me to wake up to relieve myself. I am also on a low carb diet and that affects the frequency too, so not sure which came first. As I continue in ketosis my body has to increase my urinary output to deal with those ketones that are being released. Drink more in the am's and limit the after 7 drinks should help. But don't stop drinking! Its needed to flush out toxins...

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses.

I'll advise it could just be a result of increased fluid consumption at night before bed. Sounds logical!!

FYI, are blood tests reported the following:
WAS NOW
Lipids 6.4 6.2
HBA1C 50 45
Urea 54
B12 1000
Serum cholesterol 7.3 6..2
Weight 47.3 43
Height 5ft 5ft
BMI 20 18.5


On another note, what is the difference if any between:
- Metformin Sustained Release
- Metformin Extended Release
- Metformin Modified Release (what she has been prescribed)

And what dosage of the MR do you think she should be on? As mentioned previously she is currently on 100mg (500mg x2) of normal Metformin per day, but has just been prescribed Metformin Modified Release (whatever that is!?) at a dosage of 500mg twice a day.

So my question is, why has my Doc prescribed the same dosage for the time-release Metformin as the normal Metformin?

Any ideaS?

Cheers,

Mike

I never heard of the urination problem--you can ask the pharmaccist.

Dosages should be the same. Is she getting a therapuetic dose? Does she track her blood sugars? I saw my morning FBG come down nicely on just 1000 mg of ER (500 twice daily) but that's a pretty low dose. Most people are therapuetic at 1500 or above.

I can't tell any effect on my post prandial BG's because I already eat so low carb that they were not a problem to begin with. But the morning fasting BG's were up there until I went on Met. And my A1C came down from 5.8 to 5.2 (US).

So do you recommend she test her blood sugar levels while on Metformin ER ~ dosage of 500mg x2 p/d and then also trial at 1000mg x1 p/d?

We aren't physicians and therefore are not your best resource to say what she should or should not be taking. All we can offer is what we have experienced and since we each respond so differently to this disease you really SHOULD ask the doctor. Please don't base her treatment on what you get from us, but rather use it to discuss your concerns with her doc in a better informed way.

As CalGal says, you should have her check in with her doctor, but I always like to know what's happening to my body, so I do check blood sugars to see what's going on. This allows me to communicate with my doctor and collaborate with the doctor on the proper dosage.

Personally I would like to be on a higher dosage of Met than I'm on (for weightloss and PCOS symptom control), but by tracking my blood sugars I know it's giving me the medically desired effect and I can understand why my doctor is reluctant to increase the dose.

I think of tracking blood sugars as a way to be involved in my own care, not to supersede physician input.

Not sure about everyone else but I've found my Nhs doctor here in the UK terribly behind when it comes to diabetes type 2.

He and the Surrey classes I attend advise we eat biscuits and other sugar rich foods to stabilise bg.

Basically everything I'm told completely contradicts everything I've researched on the net and from books etc..

So it's difficult to trust completely the doctors advice.

One of the ways to cope with this, is to look to your doctor for specific evaluations. What are the most common causes of frequent and or urgent urination. Rule the causes out, from the most common to the least common. And remember the doctor has to estimate probabilities when he does this. It is often only after a correct diagnosis is established that all the symptom become clear, in retrospect. If you doctor acts like an absolutist with his early estimates he/she is doing a rush job or being arrogant.