Hello!

I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia [fasting blood sugar was 42]over a year ago by an endocrinologist I now see regularly. She called this Type II Diabetes, put me on glucophlage, and I feel a lot better; I did immediately.

1. she said my sudden change in blood sugar [BS]was due to my hysterectomy and all the changes that go with that

2. I have had many people question me about being on glucophlage, even other doctors! They don't understand why someone with high or low BS can take the same med, nor do I....the endoc says it just keeps my BS more stabilized?

Can anyone shed light on this for me?

Thank you!

......2. I have had many people question me about being on glucophlage, even other doctors! They don't understand why someone with high or low BS can take the same med, nor do I....the endoc says it just keeps my BS more stabilized?

Can anyone shed light on this for me?

Thank you![/FONT]

It sounds sort of counter-intuitive. But this is how I suspect it works .... one of the actions of Glucophage is to cut back the amount of glucose the liver produces. If your counter-regulatory system isn't working properly, the effect is that your blood sugar after meals won't rise so high. Which reduces the chances of a hypoglycemic reaction (caused by a weak phase 1 insulin response) some hours later. The result is that blood sugars become more stable, and hypoglycemia is curtailed.

I have also found that metformin works for me, in spite of the fact that I am a long-time Type 1 diabetic with no insulin resistance. The mechanism is somewhat different, in that my liver keeps on producing glucose after I start eating because of the time it takes for injected insulin to reach the liver/pancreas (in the presence of insulin, the production of glucagon is shut down, stopping the release of glycogen by the liver). Metformin limits this source of glucose, reducing post-prandial glycemic excursions.

For a T1 to use metformin is also unusual and I also get strange looks from doctors and pharmacists!

Cheers,

Mark ;)

Thank you Mark! The glcoplage does seem to work...so I say, whatever works!