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The Question
08/25/09 10:17 AM

"Just ate 2 small pieces of candy - first time in 6 wks. About 5 min later I felt awful - dizzy, about to fall asleep at my desk, yuck. Is this normal"
Asked By: txnana  
Category: Type 2

Background Info Hide
T2 diagnosed about 6 weeks ago. Metformin 500 mg 2x day. ALL the yuckiness that goes with metformin -- diarrhea, tummy cramps, nausea. I have been eating low carb and have been faithful with it. Haven't had any sweets except fruit occasionally. BS reading still a little high -- 140s post-prandial 2 hrs, 150s fasting. Yes, fasting is usually higher than post prandial.

Expert Answers (2)

08/26/09 09:31 PM

Dear txnana: If this happens again, immediately check your BG and see where it is. It is possible you are experiencing a hypoglycemic type reaction (dizziness) caused by a release of insulin as soon as your BG started to rise. It is also possible you are simply experiencing hyperglycemia from the sugar without enough insulin being produced to cover it. Whether it is either of these or as Janice suggested, your best "first clue" will be testing your blood sugar. Good luck, and hang in there!
Answered By: Anne Carroll
Accreditations: RN, CDE
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08/25/09 06:54 PM

Dear txnana, What I really find interesting about your question is that you are more focused on how you feel after eating a few grams of carbohydrates versus the side effects of the metformin you are taking. If your symptoms from metformin are really as bad as you are describing, I would ask my doctor to take me off this medication and prescribe a different diabetes medication. Try a drug like amaryl, glipizide, or glyburide or Actos. Eating a couple of small pieces of candy shouldn't make you feel any different than normal. You are most likely thinking some of the metformin side effects are being caused by the candy.
Answered By: Janice Fisher
Accreditations: RD, LD, PHD, CDE, BC-ADM
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Community Answers (3)

08/29/09 09:48 PM

I have been on the same med and same dosage for around 7 to 8 months. Went throught the same side effects as you for about 3 months. Now a rare cramping or gas but very few and far between. Blood ranging from 120 to 110 average a day. But I do have many of the same experences you describe when I eat a candy or other high carb food. No dizziness but the almost wanting to through up hand go ice cold and sometimes just goofy. This can last for as long as half to three quarters of an hour. I have checked both my blood and blood presure more than once when this is happening and they are neither out of my normal range. Ate birthday cake about a month ago and had the sick feeling for better than 24 hours. Most of the time when I see a cookie or something sweet that temps me the memory of the cake keeps me from eating it. A number of people in one of my support teams have the same reaction and they take different meds. Only thing we come up with is a reaction to the sugar when your body is not use to it. Like a non smoker tring to inhale smoke. Body giving you a violent negative rejection.
Answered By: Dunigan
FLAG
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08/26/09 08:19 PM

Your symptoms to Metformin sound very similar to what mine were but I also ended up with hives. I am allergic to Metformin.Maybe you should discuss being put on a different medication with your dr.
Answered By: ritamaria
FLAG
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08/25/09 04:51 PM

Many react to anything like that we dont realize how much sweets can affect us when we havent eaten it for sometime.
Answered By: furball64801
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