# Can you ever get off Metformin?



## rogcal (Apr 28, 2011)

Hi all.

A newbie to the forum but not to diabetes and a simple question that the diabetes nurse really couldn't give a definitive answer too!

If a person has been prescribed metformin (in my case 500mg twice a day), is it possible for them to get back on to a diet control regime.

I'll openly admit that I have little or no willpower and have ignored the warnings given by the nurse over the last year that if I don't reduce my sugar intake substantially, I shall have to go on medication to control my blood sugar.

I'm looking at going on metformin as a massive "wake up call" and I'm going to do what I should have done a year or so again and give up the cake, biscuits and chocolate.

The crazy thing is the rest of my diet is ultra healthy because of a number of other health related issues and for the life of me I cannot explain my reticence to get rid of excess sugar from my diet as I did with other foodstuffs for the other medical issues.

So in a nutshell, if I become a really good boy and dump excess sugar from my diet once and for all and my blood sugar levels fall significantly as a consequence, will my body tolerate/accept my coming off of metformin at some point in the future (say six months)?

Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions that may be forthcoming.


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## C*5_Dodger (Apr 28, 2011)

*Yes, You Can*



rogcal said:


> Hi all.
> 
> A newbie to the forum but not to diabetes and a simple question that the diabetes nurse really couldn't give a definitive answer too!
> 
> ...



Dear rogcal,

I was on Metformin for three years, but then moved to a controlled carb diet. I have been meds-free for the last 14 years. Click *here* to see one method of doing it. BTW - welcome to the forum!

Regards   Dodger


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## everydayupsanddowns (Apr 28, 2011)

Yes.

For some people.

Those who I've seen coming off meds (some on max oral doses and on the point of insulin) have managed it with a combination of cutting carbs (of which sugar is only one and not necessarily the most problematic for your body to cope with), losing weight and increasing regular activity.

Have you come across Jennifers Advice ?


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## AlisonM (Apr 28, 2011)

From all I understand it's not impossible, but it will take a lot of work and determination from you to make it happen. I'm sure one of our members will be along shortly to tell how diet and exercise has worked for them. Welcome in. There's plenty of hints tips and experience gathered in the Links and Recommended Reading sections that you may find helpful in the coming weeks and months.

Being told I was diabetic came as a bolt from the blue for me, I had a very short period of illness beforehand and the shock of it was the spur I needed to change my lifestyle. I did all the things a good Type 2 should, only to discover I'm not in fact a Type 2. I still try to stick to the Low GI diet and get regular exercise though, as they help my keep my numbers down.


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## veganlass (Apr 28, 2011)

recently there was an item on the news about how folks can come of medication once they have lost a lot of weight (usually the obese) due to having a gastric band fitted.

I am determined to not start meds, so I am losing weight. There is no better focus of losing weight as being told you have diabetes.


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## Jj11ones (Aug 28, 2013)

hi alisonM i am new to the site, I am 33 and t2. I am a little confused how do find out that you are t2 or t1.5?? I was diaganosed with PCOS when I was 21 and then Aug 2012 I was told I was t2 diabetic. I am now on 500mg metformin three times a day......I feel i am toooo young to be on meds now but hey ho. I am 12st and lost weight but cant loose any more (I am trying!!) I eat only fresh foods now, eat soya products, seeds, and my only 'saturday' treat is red wine and a big bag of tescos salt and vinegar crisp ummmm. any help and advice wud be grand, cheers


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## Northerner (Aug 28, 2013)

Jj11ones said:


> hi alisonM i am new to the site, I am 33 and t2. I am a little confused how do find out that you are t2 or t1.5?? I was diaganosed with PCOS when I was 21 and then Aug 2012 I was told I was t2 diabetic. I am now on 500mg metformin three times a day......I feel i am toooo young to be on meds now but hey ho. I am 12st and lost weight but cant loose any more (I am trying!!) I eat only fresh foods now, eat soya products, seeds, and my only 'saturday' treat is red wine and a big bag of tescos salt and vinegar crisp ummmm. any help and advice wud be grand, cheers



Are you getting regular exercise? This will really help, both with helpin the medication work and also losing weight  We've had quite a few members who were initially on metformin who have managed to bring their levels under control to the point of no longer needing the medication.

Diagnosis of T1.5 is difficult, especially for GPs who mat have no experience of it (or even heard of it!). Usually, the main indication is that none of the usualy Type 2 oral medications work - as many of them work by encouraging extra insulin production by the pancreas, if the pancreas is incapable of doing this, the meds won't work, so the person will generally move to insulin therapy. There are tests that can be done to establish the type, but, as ever, they are usually deemed too expensive unless there is a clear need for them.


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## SimplesL (Aug 28, 2013)

Yes you can.

I'm on 2 metformin a day (may change in a couple of weeks if next bloods show an increase), I asked this as levels had gone to 6% (old money) I was told they would probably reduce me to 1 a day, but due to family history of heart problems would recommend I stay on 1 as it has been shown to protect the heart. 
Unfortunately my level went up a bit to 6.7% (had infection & needed anti-biotics which push your levels up) so meds stayed the same and since then I've lost my lovely father-in-law at Easter to be followed by my own dad on 3 August, since I've been comfort eating and due to helping to nurse dad(also had T2 & developed kidney failure) over the last 3 weeks of his life it was more of eating when you can & no time for the gym, so will be no surprise to find my levels have increased. Blood test due on Monday.

My older brother's levels had gone up over same period & his metformin has been doubled to get it back down again.

If you lose weight if overweight (I'm not overweight but T2 runs in the family) watch your carbs, exercise sufficiently there is no reason why you shouldn't reduce your metformin or other meds & come off it. But do take advice & weigh up all the pros & cons.

Once you manage to get your levels to come off meds then you need to keep the motivation up to keep levels healthy and hopefully avoid the need to go back onto meds later.

I wish you well in your efforts to get to the stage of not needing meds; but if you have the odd dip in the future when you need meds the main thing is to keep your levels healthy with or without them to avoid the complications my old dad had.

Regards
Lynne


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## rogcal (Aug 28, 2013)

I'm still on meds (Metformin and Gliclazide) and I was taking the Gliclazide at the wrong time of the day i.e in the evening instead of the morning for 12 months before I spotted the error and now that I'm taking them both in the morning my "bloods" have improved considerably.

In the last two years since I last posted I have improved my diet even more i.e. no dairy products, no red meats, loads of fresh fruit and veg, no sweets/buns/cakes etc (my last success), so will asking the diabetic nurse about coming off one of the meds as a precursor to coming off them completely if the bloods look OK.


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## Northerner (Aug 28, 2013)

rogcal said:


> I'm still on meds (Metformin and Gliclazide) and I was taking the Gliclazide at the wrong time of the day i.e in the evening instead of the morning for 12 months before I spotted the error and now that I'm taking them both in the morning my "bloods" have improved considerably.
> 
> In the last two years since I last posted I have improved my diet even more i.e. no dairy products, no red meats, loads of fresh fruit and veg, no sweets/buns/cakes etc (my last success), so will asking the diabetic nurse about coming off one of the meds as a precursor to coming off them completely if the bloods look OK.



Good luck rogcal, hope you can get to reduce the meds, sounds like you've been working hard on it


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## LeeLee (Aug 28, 2013)

I've decided not to ask about coming off metformin for the time being, despite now having an HbA1c bang in the middle of non-diabetic range after losing shedloads of weight.  

I can hear the shouts of WHY ON EARTH NOT from here.  Well, metformin has some protective effects against nasty diseases that run in my family, and I don't suffer too badly from the side-effects.  Whether or not to come off the met is a decision I can defer for the time being, and meanwhile the many prescriptions I have for other stuff remain free.


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## rogcal (Aug 28, 2013)

LeeLee said:


> Well, metformin has some protective effects against nasty diseases that run in my family,.



Yes, a very good reason to stay on them in my opinion.

Metformin has been shown to slow the progression of Prostate Cancer in men who have previously undergone surgery for that condition and perhaps I'll rethink my decision to try and get off them particularly as I'm of a certain age and my father succumbed to the disease, albeit age 98.


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## Mark T (Aug 28, 2013)

I'm in the camp of - if it's not doing harm then why bother coming off them?

Also bear in mind -> Free Prescriptions!


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