I’ve just become a member and I see alot of discussions about Metformin. My doctor put me on glipizide 2.5 mg. when diet didn’t work to get my fasting bg below 146. I feel like the glipizide is making me hungry and fatter, but has helped me get my levels to 100-110 or sometimes lower. I’m wondering if metformin would not have as many side effects as glipizide. My dr. always tries the lowest dose and cheapest meds first to see if they work, which I appreciate, but sometimes prescribes meds that are old and noone uses anymore. (not that glipizide is old) I have no idea the difference between the two but would appreciate any thoughts.
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Hi Kristy,
Metformin helps your body to better use the insulin your pancreas produces. It is basically used for those who are insulin resistant. It does not necessarily “bring down” your blood glucose levels.
Glipizide makes your pancreas produce more insulin, and will bring your blood glucose level down.
That’s the basic gist of it all. Both meds are often used together.
Side effects: Metformin has it’s own set of them, mostly dealing with tummy troubles, for some folks. Though they usually only last about 3 weeks or so.
Cost: at most places now, they are both available at the same low price, since they are generics. At Walmart, a 30 day supply is $4, and a 90 day supply is $10, for either of them.
thank you Melissa, you more than answered my question. I suppose my Dr. does know what she is doing…lol
You’re welcome, Kristy! :0)
I’m taking 1000 mg twice a day of Metformin. It’s been working great for me and my specialist seemed very pleased with the results (my general put me on 500mg twice day when I was diagnosed in Jan of this year). Specialist said that I was doing good but he wanted to double the dose. I’ve been testing really well with it and so far it’s working (pricked fingers crossed).
There is a downside to glipizide - it’s reputed to burn out remaining pancreatic beta cells. If this is correct, a person taking glipizide will eventually end up on insulin.
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And not just on insulin but with a dead pancreas and this combined with insulin resistance is your worst nightmare come true. Because then you will have to be on a hell of a lot of insulin and will gain weight. this is a case were an ounce of prevention is worth a tonne of cure.
Dear Kristy.
The sulphonyl ureas including glipizide are bad news. You have poor control and will gain weight like crazy(very bad). And they may kill your pancreas. It is much preferable to be on insulin. To the insulin you can add metformin for me 2000 mg as day 1500 did nothing. I use it with insulin helps to smooth things out and I can get 2/3 of the readings in the normal range. The only problem metformin makes me super tired I wonder if it poisons the liver a bit to prevent it from spewing out a lot of glucose. Not sure if it helps insulin resistance in my case since the insulin consumption in my case is about the same with or without but results are better so I guess you can for sure that it helps.
I have recently been changed by my doctor from Glipizide 5 mg. to Metformin 500 mg. I am also on Januvia and have been since I was first diagnosed with Type II in September, 2012. So far I do not like the results of the switch.
I did gain a significant amount of weight while on Glipizide, some of which I attribute to a very sedentary lifestyle, but I was able to keep my blood glucose levels under control easily, They would sometimes go a little too low, but I was always able to recognize the condition easily by changes to my vision, changes that would commence when my readings would drop into the low 70s, well above any danger zone. I would then quickly correct it with a few sips of Coca Cola or a couple of Skittles. When it would go higher than I'd like, all I needed to do was eat a little bit of protein, like an egg or a slice of turkey, and it would drop right back down. I averaged only around 101 or so for several months that way. My A1C was well within the normal range for a NON-diabetic.
Since I dropped the Glipizide and went on Metformin, I have had my post-meal blood glucose level shoot above 200 on two separate but brief occasions, something I never even remotely approached while on Glipizide (the highest reading I ever had over nine months on Glipizide was a post-meal 171 once, the second-highest was 155). The highest since the switch was 221, the highest reading since I was first diagnosed. I have seldom been able to get it below 120 during the day since the switch, only getting it lower than that by skipping meals entirely.
On both drugs my blood glucose level would invariably RISE overnight, and my morning "fasting" reading is always higher than my post-dinner reading the night before.
I have experienced no nausea or other digestive woes since moving to Metformin, but my appetite has certainly been lessened somewhat. But I do not like what it has done for my blood sugar levels, which were AVERAGING in the low 100s prior to the switch and, since the switch, have averaged over 137.
I see my doctor again in a week and I'll see what she has to say then. She has something against Glipizide (which was initially prescribed for me by my previous physician) that seems to be more emotionally based than anything else. Perhaps a patient of hers got into trouble with low blood glucose because of it, I don't know.
They really need to find an actual cure for this stupid disease that doesn't require bariatric surgery.
I started out taking Metformin, but it gave me terrible tummy aches, and the runs. I am now taking Glipizide. I have only been taking it for 2 weeks, but so far, have few side effects. I’d say a headache once in a while. My numbers have been so much better, even my fasting number has improved.
The downside for me, is that because I live a very active lifestyle, I have noticed mynumbers dropping swiftly and too low on two occasions now. I’ve been eating low carb for years, and now I find myself having to eat a little more. Long term effects have yet to be seen, obviously. I’ve read that reports about Glipizide killing remaining beta cells is false, but it’s difficult to know what is true and what isn’t about these drugs anymore. This disease is progressive, anyway.
Did you try Metformin ER? Many people find the Extended Release version is more tolerable.
I have to tell you, I am not a fan of the sulfonylurea drugs like Glipizide. And while there are arguments about whether sulfonylureas “burn out” beta cells, the evidence is very strong that these drugs are not “durable.” After an initial improvement they “fail” and they fail at a rate that suggests that after a couple of years you might be worse off than if you didn’t take any medication. Below is a chart from the respected researcher Ralph DeFronzo on studies of of the durability of glycemic control of sulfonylureas.
Durability of glycemic control with sulfonylureas. Summary of studies examining the effect of sulfonylurea treatment versus placebo or versus active comparator on HbA1c in T2DM.
Note that these studies compare treatment against a placebo and pay attention to the curves after 3-4 years. You end up worse than if you just took a placebo.
I personally refuse to take a sulfonylurea. I know some people that have done quite well on them. I just think there are other medications out there that work, are “durable” and over the long-term don’t leave you worse off than you would be taking a sugar pill.
ps. And sulfonylureas can cause hypos particularly when fasting or exercising, almost no other type 2 medications have this problem.
pps. And having GD means that you do have a higher risk of type 1, it would be prudent to ask your doctor to order the appropriate tests. @Melitta has written a very good guide to proper testing and diagnosis of T1.
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Hello, just wondered what your numbers were when diagnosed or what were your fasting glucose and A1C when put on Metformin? I was put on metformin years back and always interested in other’s stories
Nor am I. I used them for years. While I can’t prove it, I am morally certain that I would now retain considerably more working beta cells had I demanded insulin ten years earlier than I did.
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I am planning on talking to my doctor more about possibly switching to insulin. I required insulin 4x daily while I was pregnant with my son, and I had no bad side effects aside from one hypo incident.
I have been reading about Glipizide and am also concerned.
My story is a long story but my doctor just brought up today on the phone me getting testing for MODY, she said she may want to start me on Glipizide. Wondered what got you to this point and how are you doing now? I’ve tried metformin and thinking all my belly issues are because of it
Gosh, you sound like me
$0.02
IMHOP you would be better off with insulin than glipizide. (The world-renowned Joslin Diabetes Center now routinely starts Type 2s on insulin, even if it’s only needed on a temporary basis, long enough to achieve stability. Conceivably they know something.)
The problem with sulfonylureas, as inferred in my earlier comment, is that they may cause your beta cells to burn out that much more quickly. They also come in fixed-size doses, whereas insulin can be tailored more exactly to your current diet and exercise levels, and increased, decreased, or discontinued as needed.
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Interesting. My dad, who is type 2, has been taking glipizide since 1998, when he was diagnosed. He has decent, relatively stable numbers despite not having the cognitive ability or understanding to fully manage his diabetes. I guess he must just be lucky that it’s working for him.
Each physiology behaves individually. In my case it was about 15 years before the glyburide just didn’t work any longer because there weren’t enough beta cells left to stimulate. It’s a little bit like rolling dice. 
I’m seeing an interim doctor on Tuesday, until my request for a new provider is processed (I found obe whose specialty is diabetes.) My plan is to request to be switched to insulin (which I do have some previous experience with using.) I believe they tested me last week for the autoantigens that indicate LADA (Type 1.5) but if they didn’t, I am going to be demanding that be done, also.