Gestational Diabetes and medication

For those ladies who have gestational diabetes and are taking medication, like metformin...whats the maximum dosage you can go up to before it becomes necessary to take insulin injections?
​My doctor VERY RELUCTANTLY prescribed me metformin 500mg twice a day (before dinner and before breakfast) because my fasting numbers are higher than they should be and so are the breakfast numbers based on what im eating. 
​The doctor was really mean and gave me a lot of attitude for wanting to take pills instead of metformin! I ahve needle phobia and i dont need more reasons to stress out during this pregnancy! I just want to be sure of the maximum allowed dosage in case she refuses to up my dosage if needed, just so that ill take insulin.
​Also, did the metformin combined with diet and exercise work to control fasting and breakfast numbers? My fasting numbers are always between 6-7. 
​Any insight will be greatly appreciated! Also if anyone has any tips on how to deal with difficult doctors..tht wud b great! 
196 views • 1 upvote • 20 comments

COMMENT (20)

Sh

Posted at
How high are your levels for you to be on insulin? 

Ha

Hajra • Apr 12, 2015
Im takin pills for now..

Ha

Hajra • Apr 12, 2015
Bt my doc was adamant!

Ha

Hajra • Apr 12, 2015
My fasting levels were consistently above 6.0 bt below 7.0...i personally dnt think thts high enuf for insulin.

Ha

Posted at
For those who take metformin to lower fasting blood sugar levels...when do u take the pill? Before or after dinner or before bedtime?

As

Ashley • Apr 11, 2015
I take mine two hours after dinner(after checking my after dinner sugar) with my night time insulin.

As

Ashley • Apr 11, 2015
I take mine two

Ju

Just Me • Apr 10, 2015
I take one 500mg tablet after each meal 3x a day. Then take insulin before bed x

E

Posted at
I'm titrating on metformin at the moment (increasing by 500mg each week until I'm on 1000mg morning and night). I'm also on 4 units of insulin each morning. This is the 3rd time I've had GD and my bloods were out of target already at 5 weeks!

Na

Posted at
I was on 850mg twice a day. 

Na

Nancy • Apr 9, 2015
I was never officially diagnosed with diabetes until this week. I'm 28w on Saturday. They have me on a monitored diet at the moment. I go back on the 15th to see what they say.

Ha

Hajra • Apr 9, 2015
Did u have to take insulin? And did it work throughout pregnancy?

As

Posted at
I currently (this week) take 1,000 mg of metformin at night; with 49 units of Levemir insulin.Breakfast I take 4units of humalog (sliding scale increase if my number is higher)Lunch and dinner 12 units humalog also with sliding scale.Metformin alone did not work for me. Each day it's getting harder and harder to keep my numbers under. I hated needles as well, but I had to over come that quick considering all the finger pricks and shots a day. 

As

Ashley • Apr 9, 2015
I prick my fingers a total of six times a day and inject with insulin 4 times a day.

Ha

Hajra • Apr 9, 2015
So how many times a day do you have to inject urself?

Hp

Posted at
I also wanted to try out metformin before going straight to insulin injections. My doctor was very very reluctant as well to give me the pills.Unfortunately, the pills did not work for me either and I ended up with insulin injections 2 needles, twice a day.  They really weren't as bad as I expected if you do end up having to go that route.

Ha

Hajra • Apr 9, 2015
:( sorry to hear tht..were ur sugar levels really high? And wht times did u have to take the injections?

Ju

Posted at
I have gestational diabetes and was diagnosed at 27 weeks (now 37weeks) and been on 1500mg Metformin a day (3 tablets a day) since a week after I got diagnosed and been on insulin for 6 weeks as well as metformin. 

Ju

Just Me • Apr 8, 2015
Also I have a massive needle thing so I get hubby to inject my insulin in my backside no way could I see it be done or do it my self

An

Posted at
I'm type 2 diabetic and am currently 13 week and I take the same dosage you do on the metformin but it's not good for your baby for have the high numbers... If you do the flex pens insulins honestly the needle are not that big at all because I had a needle problem too