• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Metformin,,,, Never again

Maggiesotherhalf

Maggiesotherhalf

Newbie
Messages
1
Location
Bristol
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
As my wife is type 1 we had a double appointment to see the nurse specialist last Wednesday.

As my blood sugars weren't good she suggested that I take oral medication as well as insulin
I'm type 2.

I explained that Metformin didn't suit me in the past, so what did the Doctor prescribe, yep you've guessed it
Metformin (slow release).

2 days I took them for, they knocked me for six, as well as feeling dizzy/faint, I was getting bad chest pains,
I have 1 blocked and 1 diseased artery.

I'm just wondering if the Doctor bothered to read my notes before the prescription was written up.

Honestly we are better using our local pharmacy for advise as the pharmacist is himself diabetic.

Oh well it's back to the Doctors I suppose.

Rant Over.
 
Hi Maggie, if its any help, I also had the same reaction to Metformin but after about a week the side effects wore off and I'm fine with it now, I take 500mg twice a day.
 
Adverse effects of Metformin are gastrointestinal like metallic taste, nausea vomitting.
To decrease these adverse effects always take it with meal.
 
Pramod85 said:
Adverse effects of Metformin are gastrointestinal like metallic taste, nausea vomitting.
To decrease these adverse effects always take it with meal.
Click to expand...
I'd like to add.
OP must choose the right meal. Even with a meal upset tum can occur.
I've taken metformin for decades off and on due to medical advice. The key is to eat the right food, with or without metformin. None diabetics get upset tum if eating the wrong food for their digestive system.
Choose your food correctly and kiss goodbye to upset tum.
 
Maggiesotherhalf said:
As my wife is type 1 we had a double appointment to see the nurse specialist last Wednesday.

As my blood sugars weren't good she suggested that I take oral medication as well as insulin
I'm type 2.

I explained that Metformin didn't suit me in the past, so what did the Doctor prescribe, yep you've guessed it
Metformin (slow release).

2 days I took them for, they knocked me for six, as well as feeling dizzy/faint, I was getting bad chest pains,
I have 1 blocked and 1 diseased artery.

I'm just wondering if the Doctor bothered to read my notes before the prescription was written up.

Honestly we are better using our local pharmacy for advise as the pharmacist is himself diabetic.

Oh well it's back to the Doctors I suppose.

Rant Over.
Click to expand...
How are you getting on with just 1 twice a day metformin (slow release)?
 
I suffered the worst time of my life on metformin. I could not leave sight of the loo for the 2 months I was on it and even then I did not get there in time !!
Tried all different ways of taking it even changing to slow release made no difference just instant diarrhea!! I couldn't leave the house in case of accidents!
Got my life back when I saw consultant at hospital and he changed me onto vildagliptin and I got my life back . My medical records now have allergic to metformin written on them thank god !!
 
connie104 said:
I suffered the worst time of my life on metformin. I could not leave sight of the loo for the 2 months I was on it and even then I did not get there in time !!
Tried all different ways of taking it even changing to slow release made no difference just instant diarrhea!! I couldn't leave the house in case of accidents!
Got my life back when I saw consultant at hospital and he changed me onto vildagliptin and I got my life back . My medical records now have allergic to metformin written on them thank god !!
Click to expand...
I hope your liver didn' t show any adverse effect? When I had fatty liver I couldn't tolerate metformin. Since metformin needs a healthy liver I'd be tempted to ask for a liver scan just to put my mind at rest!
 
ickihun said:
I hope your liver didn' t show any adverse effect? When I had fatty liver I couldn't tolerate metformin. Since metformin needs a healthy liver I'd be tempted to ask for a liver scan just to put my mind at rest!
Click to expand...

Yes my liver is fine as I had all the tests as my husband has hepatitis C which he got from being ill when working in India from we believe infect needles. He is awaiting the new treatment which clears it up with a 3 month course of tablets but of course very expensive so is on the list and hopefully should be in the next year or so .
 
ickihun said:
I'd like to add.
The key is to eat the right food, with or without metformin. None diabetics get upset tum if eating the wrong food for their digestive system.
Choose your food correctly and kiss goodbye to upset tum.
Click to expand...

Problem is what settles my stomach (whether on or off Meformin) is some nice plain carbs... like a piece of toast... But my blood sugar levels then skyrocket... so to keep them from going ballistic I need to stay on a low carb diet.

~ Doctor to patient: I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you are not a hypochondriac.
 
I had a really bad reaction to Metformin.I was taking it for 2 or 3 months it didn't make any difference to my blood sugar.I started getting severe pain in the right hand side of my back,like a kidney pain.Then the right side of my right leg went weak .also the back of my right leg went weak.I found that i could not climb the slightest step with my right leg.Then my right knee started collapsing without any warning ,as if the power had been switched off ,very alarming!I stopped taking the Metformin.Within 24 hours the back pain cleared completly.My right side of my leg began to recover.But it was a long time before i the strength back in my legs.I told the practice nurse about it.She wasn't the slightest bit interested.
 
david1241 said:
I had a really bad reaction to Metformin.I was taking it for 2 or 3 months it didn't make any difference to my blood sugar.I started getting severe pain in the right hand side of my back,like a kidney pain.Then the right side of my right leg went weak .also the back of my right leg went weak.I found that i could not climb the slightest step with my right leg.Then my right knee started collapsing without any warning ,as if the power had been switched off ,very alarming!I stopped taking the Metformin.Within 24 hours the back pain cleared completly.My right side of my leg began to recover.But it was a long time before i the strength back in my legs.I told the practice nurse about it.She wasn't the slightest bit interested.
Click to expand...
That is interesting as your symptoms are mine but I have fatty liver. Do you?
Metformin does work with the liver.
Do you drink alcohol with metformin? I don't but used to 10yrs ago.
 
ickihun the fact that you also have a fatty liver interests me. When I was diagnosed my DN nurse was going to put me on Metformin even though I have a fatty liver. (she knew that I had it) It was the fact that at the time I had IBS so bad that if I ate anything I couldn't leave the house so she was going prescribe something else.
 
Back
Top