Huang Lian Su is Berberine HCL....

My brand name is from China, but I'm sure it is the same ingredients. Eddie is doing really well with it...

Nancy, if you're hovering around 100 to 110, it will get you into the 80s' or 90s', depends on your activity level and carb levels.

I'm at 100-150 carbs and very active all day long... I average between 85 and 95 almost all the time, with a few lower readings. After meals I used to go to 150-160, but since on Berberine HCL, my after meal numbers stay under 125 and sometimes as low as 100...

I will warn you though.... After a couple of months, you may have a little gastric upset. I took it almost 6 months straight before noticing an upset, stopped for 3 1/2 weeks and got back on it and doing ok. I will rotate 2on/1off from now on....

Bitter melon works nicely also. I used it while I was off of the berberine. I will be trying Aloe Vera, Fenugreek Seed and Banaba leaf extract in the future on my off time from the berberine, but only one of them at a time and I will test their effectiveness.

I never hypoed on Berberine, but I also don't take anything else to lower blood sugar, except gymnema sylvestre... I've taken berberine when my blood glucose was as low as 80 and never had a problem... Somehow it just doesn't cause hypos for me. I do think Eddie is right, if you're taking something else, such as metformin, watch for hypos....

Also, I used another herb and have used it for about 2 or so years now.. It is made under the name brand D-Care and can be bought on the internet. It is called D-Care Sugar Blocker, but it is really Gymnema Sylvestre. I take that 2 or 3 times each day. If I eat too many of the wrong carbs, I take as many as 4 of the Sugar Blockers. The Gymnema has "no" known side affects.

The Huang Lian Su/Berberine is not sold for diabetes control. It is sold to control diarrhea. I've read research of things that are possible by taking it and I'm living proof that it works if taken in a sufficient dose for a period of time. Herbs are not a quick fix and some results will take a while to realize. Your blood glucose will probably come down within a few hours though....

Other benefits of Berberine is this: Helps with weight loss (32 pound loss since on it in March), lowers cholesterol (down to 135 from well over 200) and triglycerides (down to 95 from over 400) and lowers blood pressure (down to 120/65 from 135/85)...

Good luck with it Nancy! I take 500mg 2 times daily and sometimes 3 times daily. Eddie is having success with it at 400mg 3 times daily.

If you've not seen my before/after photos, check them out (a picture is worth a 1,000 words)... I just posted a really unusual photo today..