September 20, 2004
Pills for Diabetes, Type 2
Question from India:
Without any medication, my post-meal blood sugar is about 165 mg/dl [9.2 mmol/L]. One doctor recommended that I take 500 mg of metformin, twice a day, while another has said I do not need it. I am 44 years old, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, and weigh 101 kilograms (222 pounds). The only symptom I have is an occasional high blood pressure reading. If I eat a diet including rice, potatoes and sweets, I often have sugar in my urine. What do you recommend?
Answer:
Post-meal blood sugar elevations are a reason for treating patients with medication. Two-hour sugars over 140 mg/dl [7.8 mmol/L] are too high. If you had an A1c to evaluate, you might be able to determine more clearly whether the medication is needed. My feeling is that the levels are probably too high and require treatment with metformin.
JTL
