Metformin

[sparkyman]

Taking Metformin for years has killed my kidneys at the last blood test it was down to only 14%, function left even though I stopped taking them five years ago but the Dr said the damage was already done you take a pill to cure one thing and it causes another one you just can't win

 

[EllieM]

Hi @sparkyman and welcome to the forums.

I'm very sorry that you have kidney damage but am surprised that it was caused by the metformin, rather than by diabetes, which I know can cause kidney damage. Did your doctor say the damage was caused by the metformin specifically?

What medication are you on now?

Lots of virtual hugs.

 

[localgirl]

Taking Metformin for years has killed my kidneys at the last blood test it was down to only 14%, function left even though I stopped taking them five years ago but the Dr said the damage was already done you take a pill to cure one thing and it causes another one you just can't win

I stopped taking any form of metfomin for a number of reasons. The 1000mg horse tablets were getting stuck in my throat. After years of complaining the Dr's finally put me on the foul tasting powder form (why didn't they do that earlier¿) I couldn't take that either. So after a lot of research I found BERBERINE from British Supplements and switch to that . I never felt that the tablet form did anything for me and I'm not satisfied at with my diabetic nurse, they don't go deep enough into any problems I may have. I've told the DR2/drs I Take berberine and she just accepted that but didn't expand on it. I'm due soon for my AC1TEST but don't hold out for anything good as I have other health complaints that take over. Very depressing and I'm getting nowhere with my surgery so contemplating moving.
I take natural supplements to help as I firmly believe the other drugs are not working. In the last 10 years my bloods have been the same. I have the printouts still .

 

[Superseeder]

I too was told that my kidney damage was medication induced and Metformin was pointed to as the likely cause. The GP who prescribed my medication when I found out I had diabetes simply increased the dosage of my tablets every time my sugar levels were high and it wasn't until I changed surgeries that I found out that the dosage she had prescribed was 3000mg. Which I now understand is way above the recommended dosage. This triggered my renal failure and last week I was started on dialysis.

 

[MissMuffett]

I stopped taking any form of metfomin for a number of reasons. The 1000mg horse tablets were getting stuck in my throat. After years of complaining the Dr's finally put me on the foul tasting powder form (why didn't they do that earlier¿) I couldn't take that either. So after a lot of research I found BERBERINE from British Supplements and switch to that . I never felt that the tablet form did anything for me and I'm not satisfied at with my diabetic nurse, they don't go deep enough into any problems I may have. I've told the DR2/drs I Take berberine and she just accepted that but didn't expand on it. I'm due soon for my AC1TEST but don't hold out for anything good as I have other health complaints that take over. Very depressing and I'm getting nowhere with my surgery so contemplating moving.
I take natural supplements to help as I firmly believe the other drugs are not working. In the last 10 years my bloods have been the same.

I’m interested in the berberine, I might order some. Do you check your FBG? What are your usual readings? Do you think the berberine has helped? Sorry for all the questions

 

[DevJen]

Taking Metformin for years has killed my kidneys at the last blood test it was down to only 14%, function left even though I stopped taking them five years ago but the Dr said the damage was already done you take a pill to cure one thing and it causes another one you just can't win

Hello, I was on Metformin for 18 months and I complained after 4 months I was getting headaches and stomach, I was told my body would get use to them. Then after a year, I started having pain in my back, to be told I may have kidney problems. So I looked up the leaflet that came with the tablets and yes this could be a side effect. I rang the Diabetic nurse, who told me, it isn't the Metformin and was I looking for other medical problems, I said no. She said to get rid of the problem and to help take another tablet, which meant I was then on 1500mg, which I wasn't happy about taking, as they were hard to take, but I thought, well she is the nurse she should know what she is doing. Within 3 months my kidneys got worse and my feet started to hurt when I walked, with sting, burning and cramping and at night it was worse. I rang the nurse again and she told me, I was looking for medical problems that were not there and nothing to do with tablets, so I got angry with her and said I am not taking them anymore, she shouted you can't, at that point, I put the phone down. This was back in June 2020. I stay off any medication until I had a blood test last August and found my diabetes had got high, so I insisted I have a different Diabetic nurse and she put me on Gliclazide 80mg x2 a day, they seem to be OK, but I have been suffering a lot with my feet and was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy in June, and I told it could have been Metformin that caused this. Metformin like many tablets are designed to be taken for 6 months upto a year, so that a person also changes their lifestyle to bring their sugar back to normal, not to be taken so you can carry on the way we were, so I was informed by a very friend Pharmacy. I am slowly control my diabetes and I have gone onto a low carb diet which has helped, my hb1 has gone from 126 to 66 in 6 months, but my feet will not recover fully, unfortunately.

 

[p11carb]

Taking Metformin for years has killed my kidneys at the last blood test it was down to only 14%, function left even though I stopped taking them five years ago but the Dr said the damage was already done you take a pill to cure one thing and it causes another one you just can't win

Am not familiar with “14% kidneys “ ? What test is that? I have had eGFR 59 mL/min and creatinine 109umol/L in June. These are my worst readings. Have been on 500mg Metformin about 20 years and was put up to 1000 couple of years ago because hbA1c went up to 53 mmol. Am now stopped carbs.
Always something new to explore.

 

[p11carb]

I too was told that my kidney damage was medication induced and Metformin was pointed to as the likely cause. The GP who prescribed my medication when I found out I had diabetes simply increased the dosage of my tablets every time my sugar levels were high and it wasn't until I changed surgeries that I found out that the dosage she had prescribed was 3000mg. Which I now understand is way above the recommended dosage. This triggered my renal failure and last week I was started on dialysis.

I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like it came unexpectedly?
I understand there’s 5 stages of kidney chronic disease with 5 being dialysis when it’s worse.

 

[Tony Shropshire]

Am not familiar with “14% kidneys “ ? What test is that? I have had eGFR 59 mL/min and creatinine 109umol/L in June. These are my worst readings. Have been on 500mg Metformin about 20 years and was put up to 1000 couple of years ago because hbA1c went up to 53 mmol. Am now stopped carbs.
Always something new to explore.

I take 1000 of Metforman and 40 of Glliclazide per day. Now I'm worried. Ive been taking the metformin for years but the Glic only about 2.

 

[avisb]

I stopped taking any form of metfomin for a number of reasons. The 1000mg horse tablets were getting stuck in my throat. After years of complaining the Dr's finally put me on the foul tasting powder form (why didn't they do that earlier¿) I couldn't take that either. So after a lot of research I found BERBERINE from British Supplements and switch to that . I never felt that the tablet form did anything for me and I'm not satisfied at with my diabetic nurse, they don't go deep enough into any problems I may have. I've told the DR2/drs I Take berberine and she just accepted that but didn't expand on it. I'm due soon for my AC1TEST but don't hold out for anything good as I have other health complaints that take over. Very depressing and I'm getting nowhere with my surgery so contemplating moving.
I take natural supplements to help as I firmly believe the other drugs are not working. In the last 10 years my bloods have been the same. I have the printouts still .

It's interesting to hear you are taking Berberine supplements instead of Metformin (have I read that correctly?). What's dosage do you take? I have been using it for a few weeks but alongside my other medication.

 

[lovinglife]

Hello, I was on Metformin for 18 months and I complained after 4 months I was getting headaches and stomach, I was told my body would get use to them. Then after a year, I started having pain in my back, to be told I may have kidney problems. So I looked up the leaflet that came with the tablets and yes this could be a side effect. I rang the Diabetic nurse, who told me, it isn't the Metformin and was I looking for other medical problems, I said no. She said to get rid of the problem and to help take another tablet, which meant I was then on 1500mg, which I wasn't happy about taking, as they were hard to take, but I thought, well she is the nurse she should know what she is doing. Within 3 months my kidneys got worse and my feet started to hurt when I walked, with sting, burning and cramping and at night it was worse. I rang the nurse again and she told me, I was looking for medical problems that were not there and nothing to do with tablets, so I got angry with her and said I am not taking them anymore, she shouted you can't, at that point, I put the phone down. This was back in June 2020. I stay off any medication until I had a blood test last August and found my diabetes had got high, so I insisted I have a different Diabetic nurse and she put me on Gliclazide 80mg x2 a day, they seem to be OK, but I have been suffering a lot with my feet and was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy in June, and I told it could have been Metformin that caused this. Metformin like many tablets are designed to be taken for 6 months upto a year, so that a person also changes their lifestyle to bring their sugar back to normal, not to be taken so you can carry on the way we were, so I was informed by a very friend Pharmacy. I am slowly control my diabetes and I have gone onto a low carb diet which has helped, my hb1 has gone from 126 to 66 in 6 months, but my feet will not recover fully, unfortunately.

Sorry to hear you’ve had such bad experiences, sounds like you’ve had a lot to deal with.

I’ve been on Metformin since diagnosis 14 years ago and have had no problems with it. I know it’s a well documented fact that it can cause tummy upsets and I fully acknowledge I’m one of the lucky ones.

You make a few claims that I’m curious about as I’ve never heard or read anything about these things and Metformin

If you have kidney disease then metformin isn’t recommended as it’s the kidneys that deal with the drug so if your kidneys aren’t working as they should then you could become ill with lactic acidosis which in itself is very rare but possible, but I can’t find in the leaflet or online anything to say it causes kidney damage in healthy kidneys - do you have a link as I’m interested to read about this.

Also do you have a link to the information that Metformin causes peripheral neuropathy, I’ve never heard or seen this claim anywhere, please could you post a link to your claim as peripheral neuropathy is usually linked to running high blood sugars.

As to it being a short term drug that just isn’t correct, Metformin is a long term if not for life drug, it can deplete B12 levels over time and this is a well known side effect, it also reported to have protective properties for the heart in both those with a healthy heart and those with heart problems and can protect against some cancers , again do you have a link to it being recommended for short term use only as I can’t find any evidence to support what you say

A link to how Metformin can be a good drug in some instances
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-metformin-a-wonder-drug-202109222605