Advice despratly needed about metformin -please help need to make a decision by tomorrow morning

[mummytopebs]

I am 31 weeks pregnant and got prescribed metfromin on Friday for gestational diabetes as my blood sugars have started to climb. When i got home i read the leaflet and it said not to take in pregnancy and to take insulin instead.

I have spoke to my diabetic nurse thsi morning who said that it is not licensed in pregnancy, I have also been looking on the internet and have found that it hasent been approved in pregnancy by the manufacturers of the tablet. Anyway the nurse said if i am not happy taking it then i could start insulin tomorrow. About an hour later a different nurse rang back trying to persuade me to take the metformin instead of the insulin as it was safe.

Now i am really confused, I had pre-eclampsia with my last pregnancy then diabetes with this pregnancy and also 2 miscarriages last year so dont know if i want to risk taking an unlicensed drug!

Any advice? Or is anyone else on this drug or on insulin and found ok?

Please help i am very confused and i am sure its not doing my blood pressure any good stressing about it x

I've been on metformin with 4 pregnancies. I was on it before becoming pg and kept on it until 12 weeks then onto insulin.

I'd much rather keep taking the pills rather than injecting insulin so if your Dr is happy for you to be on the pills I'd stick with them. Tis no fun with the needles. (but if you do end up on insulin it's a really tiny needle and wont be as bad as you think!)

Thanks for the reply butterball that is the general gist i get off the internet that you take it to 12 weeks then swap to insulin. That is one of the reasons i am concerned about taking it now in the 3rd trimester, why do some doctors think you should swap at 12? Its all very confusingx

How does the insulin make you feel? And do you know if this can affect the baby?

You don't actually have to be on it to 12 weeks but my consultant believed it reduced the risk of m/c so would keep me on it until after the dating scan, and I think a lot of doctors feel the same.

You should speak to your doctor about why metformin for you and not insulin. I'm really not sure about the difference in choice at that late stage. Don't speak to a midwife or nurse - try to get your actual consultant if you can and get them to explain it.

The insulin doesn't make you 'feel' anyway in particular. If it's doing its job well then you'll just feel normal. It's when your sugar levels are high or low that you'll feel crap. Your baby wont be affected unless you keep having lots of high blood sugar levels (have they given you a wee machine thingy to check yours?). Though now you are on medication and being checked you and bubs should be fine, so try not to worry to much. (Ha! Asking a pg woman not to worry is insane. )

I had GDM with first pg and was told at the time that insulin was the standard treatment during pregnancy as it doesn't cross the placenta, whereas tablets can.

Stayed diabetic since and have been advised to stay on insulin instead of tablets throughout breast feeding and subsequent pregnancy as it is the safest treatment.

I would definitely question this and why they are suggesting metformin instead of insulin.

Insulin is safe in pregnancy - it's used routinely in existing diabetics as well as gestational diabetes. There are no worries there at all - it is much safer than having high blood sugar, so don't be put off using it at all.

Thanks for the replies ladies x I have got a machine and have been testing for about 4 weeks but now am getting readings of around 9-11 after meals so they decided it was time for medication. I am definitly going towards the insulin (at least it is licensed). It actually says on the diabetes website that the producers of metformin dont deem it safe in pregnancy!!

I have made an appointment with my own gp at 5pm to get his opinion but so far i am definitly swaying away from the drug and towards insulin