Kristahlyn

Okay people... I'm having problems with my metformin. The Doctor diagnosed me with Pcos about 2 months ago or so... and she put me on 2-500 mgs a day. I was doing well for a while and then all of a sudden my blood sugar is fluctuating in huge amts. I checked my sugar about 2 days ago (my boyfriend's mom gave me one of her old glucometers so I could keep tabs on it) it was 50 so I checked it again...not a minute later because it freaked me out and it was 80 something. Okay, that's only the start of it... I thought it was the meter because it was fluctuating so much but we checked it comparing it to hers and it was only 3 points off. I checked it the next day and it was 59 so I checked it again, not even 10 seconds later and it was at 61... so it was kinda low that day... really low compared to my normal but it stayed within a small range. It's been a couple of days since I checked it because I have no strips left but I used one of hers today after eating and it was 183. What am I doing wrong?? Is it supposed to fluctuate that much? Do I just need to be put on a certain diet or what? Because it seems like if I eat normally (like I always have, a little here and there) my sugar is in the 50s and 60s. Then I try to get it up a little and eat some bread or some malto meal (I had maltomeal tonight when it went up to 183) it goes sky high! I checked it again about an hour later, after I had taken my meds and it had gone down to 118.
If anyone has any kind of info on this whatsoever, it would really help me. my follow-up isn't for another month and a half.

If it helps any, I'm also taking levoxyl for low thyroid and lisinopril for high blood pressure, and a calcium pill once a day because she told me to take it.

Erica in IL

The fluctuations are from a combination of the Met and food. The Met will lower your glucose levels because that's what it's designed to do. Readings after eating meals, especially high carb ones like Malt-o-Meal, will raise your glucose levels. Going up to 183 is not out of line for right after a high carb meal. Plus with eating sugars you'll get a quick rise in glucose with a crash later, which could be why your levels are going down into the 50's. Your post did not indicate any exercise, but that will also make your levels go lower.

The idea is to keep your levels between 70 and 140, which can be done by balancing your protein with complex carbs. Cut out white starches like potatoes, pasta, white rice, table sugar, junk food, etc. Substituting whole wheat pasta and brown rice will help. A good book to help with this is The Insulin-Resistance Diet by Cheryle R Hart MD and Mary Kay Grossman RD.

Hang in there, it does get better!

__________________
PCOS dx'd 3/21/07

Insullin Resistance Diet, multivitamin, B-Complex.