September 14, 2005
Remember that the information presented here is not intended to replace the care of your own doctor. Before making any changes in the management of your own illness, you should consult your physician or other qualified medical professionals.
Question
- If you are going to take a glucose test, how long in advance of the test should you stop taking metformin [brand name: Glucophage]?
- How long does it stay in your system?
- If you have glucose levels in the 80-100 mg/dL [4.4-5.6 mmol/L] range, will taking Glucophage lower it even further?
Answer
- There's no reason I can think of to stop Glucophage before doing blood glucose testing.
- The duration of the blood-glucose lowering effect depends on whether you are taking the original formulation, or the long-lasting formulation. Your physician or pharmacist should be able to give you exact details.
- Metformin is unlikely to lower blood sugar levels below normal, unless you are also on other diabetes medications.
