Fasting Insulin Levels Going UP While on Metformin
Greetings,
I just had a few questions and wondered if anyone else has had experience with this. I just received bloodwork back from my Dr. It indicates that my fasting insulin is way way higher than it was before starting the metformin. Does anyone know what this could mean and if it is a product of the metformin? My Dr. doesn't think it has anything to do with the drug, however the metformin should be lowering it. Its significantly higher. My weight has dropped 35lbs since starting metformin and I no longer have brown patches of skin indicating insulin resistance. Everything else says that it should be down and yet its way way UP. Indicating that i'm more insulin resistant than when I first started. Doesn't make sense to me.. Anyone have any insight?
Well, there is a possibility that if you used toothpaste, gum, exercised or ate/drank (besides water) before a fasting test it could be skewed. There are also other things like other medications (the pill, some thyroid or BP meds) or herbs that can affect Insulin results.
Another factor is how long you have been on met. If you have been on it less than 6 months, the drug may not be built up enough in your system to have reached levels high enough to help your hormones. Especially those of us with stubborn hormones, it can take time to really get the drug working. For me, my labs took a miniscule drop after 5 months on the drug, an even littler drop 5 months after that and were still 2x times normal a year later. It wasn't until I got my diet (IR DIET) and exercise consistent that my labs finally dropped big time and became normal again. So how long you've been on the drug, and if you're doing other things (like eating to control insulin and exercising which improves insulin) will be factors too.
It also may depend on what your dose is. If you are below the medical minimum of 1500 mg, it may not be high enough to correct your insulin. So in that case I would discuss it with your Dr.
And I will say this. Fasting insulin tests are NOTORIOUS for being inaccurate (Scary, isn't it?!). So my Dr told me when he gets wacko results he always continues as is for another 6-12 weeks and then tests again.
Hope the info helps!
__________________ Christy
33 yrs, 1 precious hubby, 2 miracle kids, At Goal Wt for 4 yrs, Trygly's down 445 pts, Free Androgen down from 20 to 2, 3 half 'thons ran, 2 mtns hiked, 1 crazy run in the Rockies, 4 forest trail races, profiled in 2 magazines...1 woman determined to kick PCOS butt!
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After a year of being on 1500 mgs of met, my insulin level did the same thing as yours did. It went from 25 to 36 but I had lost about 15 pounds. My dr said he had seen that before and that it's obviously doing something if I lost weight without dieting and some of my symptoms were better. I was increased to 2000 mgs in August 2003 and in Feb 2004 my insulin was back down to 25 which is still too high but much, much better. HTH .
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If your doc would run an HBA1C test (which shows the average blood sugar over 3 months), you would have a better picture of what Met is doing for you. Many people have higher fasting bs's but very normal sugars at other times of the day. That is because the liver manufactures glucose overnight to make up for the glycogen that is depleted during the overnight fast. Some find an improvement in fasting blood sugars when they take Met at night before bedtime. So if you aren't on the Met ER (extended release) already, you might talk to your doc about switching you over to that so you can take it all at night. Just a thought.
One other thing: If your fasting blood sugar is high, it is important that you eat breakfast (I know it sounds counterintuitive, but eating will actually bring the bs level down; if you do not eat breakfast, your blood sugar will continue to rise all morning). A high protein breakfast is best in this case, because any starchy carbs you eat may cause more of a spike in your bs/insulin levels (if your bs is high to begin with in the morning).
Linda
__________________ dx pcos 1984, type II diabetes 2001, also hypertension
Met 2000mg since 2001, started Glucophage XR 4/22/04, then switched to Met ER 6/04; also: multi, Vit. C, Vit. E, B12/folic acid combo, fish oil & borage oil combo, garlic capsules, cinnamon, Vitex, calcium with magnesium/zinc, biotin, CoQ10, selenium,iron
Other meds: Verapamil and Altace(for blood pressure)
Started laser hair removal 7/29/03, completed 3/04 (it works!)
UAE for fibroid 3/24/03 and 3/16/04
Thank you for all the help. Its greatly appreciated. All of the reasons posted make sense to me. I will have to get my dr. to run the HBA1C test and see what happens. I am exercising regularly, and have changed my diet to the IR plan. The weight is coming off slowly, I just saw that high number and freaked a little bit! Thank you again.
Fasting Insulin Levels Going UP While on Metformin 
