metformin

[Monique]

This is my first post so I hope I have put it in the right place!
I'm type 2 and have been muddling along OK on slow release metformin for 3 years. However 2 months ago i started feeling really awful - bloated, upset bowel, stomach pain and extreme exhaustion. I just cant find the energy to do much at all. Spoke to my nurse about it today and mentioned that 2 months ago the chemist didn't give me my usual Glucophage but gave me Bolamyn. When I asked him about it he said it was exactly the same but cheaper and he couldn't afford to give me Glucophage. The nurse seems to think that this change in manufacturer could be behind my problems and got me a new prescription stating it must be Glucophage. I'm praying that I'll start feeling better soon. Has anyone else had a problem like this?

 

[viv1969]

The Chemist can't afford to give you Glucophage? Don't they recoup thier funds throught the prescription channels? If I'm missing the plot can someone please tell me?

I hope going back onto your regular meds sorts out your recent problems Monique.

 

[cugila]

Hi Monique.

Having done a check on your tablets I found that both Glucophage and Bolamyn cost exactly the same £3.20 net for 28 tabs to the NHS.

I would advise you to use a different Pharmacist in future, this seems very strange behaviour. They should prescribe what is on your prescription, not something different. Let's hope that cures your problem, if not see your GP.

 

[Monique]

I thought it was very strange too. I questioned him as politely as I could and told him that lloyds down the road gave it to me and his answer was that Lloyd's are a big chain and can afford it but as an independant chemist he couldn't. Anyway I now have my Glucophage and for the first time in 2 months I woke up today without a stomach ache. My prescriptions in future will always say Glucophage rather than just metformin. Has anyone else had a problem with a cheaper or a change of make of Metformin?

 

[sachin]

Hi all,

Just started taking these. Please tell me they don't cause any sexual problems.

Sachin

 

[cugila]

Hi Sachin.

Here are the known side effects of Metformin.
Side-effects anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea (usually transient), abdominal pain, taste disturbance, rarely lactic acidosis (withdraw treatment), decreased vitamin-B12 absorption, erythema, pruritus and urticaria; hepatitis also reported

 

[inwales]

I do hope you complain about that chemist for making you ill

 

[Monique]

Well I don't suppose it's his fault and I expect many people take this make of metformin. Apparently because my prescription said metformin he can give me any make he likes, so now it will say Glucophage and that is what he'll have to give me although I will probably use Lloyds pharmacy instead. Bolamyn is supposed to be the same. He was adamant that it was no different. My nurse was very sure it was the cause of my stomach problems. My stomach seems to have settled straight away but I still feel exhausted and have been sleeping much of today. I'm going on holiday on Monday so I hope I feel more energetic by then.

 

[croftmanor]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh now i will have to check my meds when i get home, i thought my tablets were all the same they are just branded "Metformin" and i dont think they have anything else written on them, will have to check and see if they are anything different
I still cant seem to get over the noisy tummy probs they give me, so wonder if a different brand would help?
Crofty

 

[hanadr]

My GP always prescribes generics anyway.

 

[oojimmyfllip]

I have been advised by my GP that my type 2 is getting worse and recently prescribed metformin, which made me vomit within 4 hours and diaroea followed for the next 6 hours, I am now told by the Gp that there are no more oral options available and I will have to go on to insulin.

my father had been prescribed metformin 500mg he also took only one which made him vomit to.
he has now been put on slow release metformin and is getting on fine.

any abdominal pain, vomiting or diaroea contact your GP.

in the Uk if you have diabeties all your prescriptions are free, so cant really understand the cost issue with your pharmacy, sounds like your GP's practice is pulling a fast one and changinging your drug prescription for a cheaper product, I had this with an anti-acid drug some time ago and the substitute put me in hospital all because the local patient care trust told the practice to save money.
if this is happenning your GP practice won't tell you they will just change the product and hope when you get to the chemist you have run out of the product so you will try the new one without arguement.

I threatened to take the pct to court and got my old drugs prescribed again. they even tried to tell me they wern't made any more but I had a box with the company name on it, looked it up online and contacted the company and the drug was in stock. all this hassle to save 2 pence a pack of 20 tablets. unfortunately this was before I had diabeties so I couldn't pull the free prescription card out of the pack.

I hope you get it sorted out soon.

regards nigel. :wink:

 

[cugila]

Hi Nigel.

What does your GP mean, no more options ?

There are at least 3, Metformin SR, Bolamyn SR and Glucophage SR ?

The GP should also consider a Sulfonylurea as an option for first-line glucose-lowering therapy if:
• the person is not overweight
• the person does not tolerate metformin (or it is contraindicated)

There are many options so don't just accept that you have to go on Insulin.

 

[Monique]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh now i will have to check my meds when i get home, i thought my tablets were all the same they are just branded "Metformin" and i dont think they have anything else written on them, will have to check and see if they are anything different
I still cant seem to get over the noisy tummy probs they give me, so wonder if a different brand would help?
Crofty

I wouldn't worry about the brand of your metformin, no doubt many take it without any problems and if you are fine on it that's OK. The Glucophage gives me some belching now and again but not the awful pain and upset bowel I was getting with Bolamyn. My query was if anyone noticed a difference if they changed brands.

Nigel I would ask for a second opinion before you accept insulin.

 

[oojimmyfllip]

cugila,

I take oral anticoagulants to thin my blood down so this limits the drugs I can take which dont make me bleed to death.

metformin a gliclazide were the only two that were safe options without going over to insulin which is also safe.

I also take lots of other medication for pain, I have had 23 cases of DVT's in my legs (and never been on an airplane :lol: )
I have also had five blood clots on my left lung, I am on high dose anticoagulants, (dindevan) for life, to risky to even have a minor operation without cutting down anticoagulants which is quite dangerous in my case. I recently stopped my anticoagulants for 1 day whilst in hospital was give low molecular weight heparin intravenously to substitute the pills and had a hernia operation in my stomach fully awake and the surgeon and I were telling each other jokes, although he did ask me to stop laughing whilst he sewed me up again.

a general anasthetic probably would have caused more blood clots and could have been life threatenning.

hope this info helps.

regards Nigel.

 

[cugila]

Hi Nigel.

Thanks for that extra information. As stated before there are other options, despite the Warfarin.

In my view you need a referral to a specialist because of all the complications. Get a second opinion.

 

[oojimmyfllip]

cugila

thanks for that by the way I dont take warfarin, I take a more agressive anticoagulant I worked out severely allergic to warfarin which incidentially is known as (maravan) not dindevan or phenindione which is what I take now.

I will however go to the hospital diabeties clinic which provide a much better service than my GP practice they are brilliant.

p.s sorry to hijack this thread Monique but I am desperate for help. I think personally that you should keep an eye on what is on your prescriptions don't assume that your GP practice will not try to save money by changing your drugs it has happened to a lot of people. the problem is if they have given you a generic brand it may contain something else that has upset you as my anti-acid pills did, it is possiable.

best wishes Nigel.

 

[Bluenosesol]

Hi Monique.

Having done a check on your tablets I found that both Glucophage and Bolamyn cost exactly the same £3.20 net for 28 tabs to the NHS.

I would advise you to use a different Pharmacist in future, this seems very strange behaviour. They should prescribe what is on your prescription, not something different. Let's hope that cures your problem, if not see your GP.

Ken,

I was in Spain earlier this month and realised I had mixed up my allapurinol (for gout) with my Metformin and was 6 pills short to take me to the end of my holiday. I went into a local pharmacist to see if he could conjure me up 6 x 500m tablets. He said that in Spain Metformin only comes in packets of multiples of 50 and the dose is 850m.
When I told him I wasnt prepared to buy 50 pills for the sake of 6, he replied "why cant you afford 1 euro 85 cents!!". No prescription required (not necessarily a good thing) and apparently a hell of a lot cheaper than in the UK!!.

I have also now taken 3 different brands of Metformin with no issues.

Regards Steve.

 

[Monique]

Don't worry Nigel it's not a problem and I hope you get sorted.
In fairness to my GP surgery they have changed my prescription to say Glucophage and in the past the chemist has always given it to me. I think he said the patent had ended and so now he can give me any metformin as long as my prescription doesn't specify Glucophage. My nurse seemed to think there could be something slightly different about it that has made me feel so unwell. I hope she is right as the exhaustion I have had for 2 months is debilitating. They have offered me the chance of Byetta to help me with better control and also weight issues (probably not helping my energy). I put loads on while taking Actos and had so many hypos and extreme hunger that I came off it. This forum is helping me a lot and giving me plenty to think about. I need to change my diet even more and am considering low carbing. I did the Atkins diet several years ago before the diabetes and lost lots of weight and felt really well on it. It was all the bad publicity that made me stop. So maybe this is what I need to be doing again. I just need to read all the posts about it here.

 

[oojimmyflip]

Monique,

the akins diet may be far to agressive now that you have diabeties, I was warned off it by a dietician who said it might cause problems with my sugar levels.

if you are worried about your weight ask your GP to refer you to a dietician at your local hospitial and he/she will go over your diet with you advising you as you go.

lastly it is hard to loose weight I cut most carbs out of diet all together for six months and lost five stone. snacking can be your worst enemny no crisps no biscuits no sweets if your serious about weight loss. you will give up the treats.

I cut my daily intake of food by 50% and still felt full. just smaller meals . I dont get much excersize because of the high amount of bloodclots I have had in my legs and because of this it is all to easy to get depressed and in a rut about it, I think it is all about having the right mindset really Join a new club doing something you like and get involved big time this changed my life and such a dramatic change helped my weight loss.

good luck.

Nigel. :wink:

 

[Monique]

Hi Nigel - Oh I have been to the hospital dietician several times and eventually lost quite a bit of weight using orlastat and a low fat diet prescribed for me by the doc. I didn't actually find the hospital dietician all that helpful. I came unstuck when i started taking Actos as I was just ravenous all the time and had hypos every day. I do excercise a lot and swim almost daily and it was those bouts of excercise that were really difficult to manage. Anyway my nurse thinks a period of Akins type eating might help me as she has other patients who have done very well on it. I am off on a holiday soon so am not going to make any big changes until I get back. Another option that has been suggested by my nurse is to take Byetta so i'm giving that thought too. My sugar levels on metformin are not very high but we want to get them to the recommended levels as she says I am so young LOL. I love that I am 56!!