richard tapken
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- Type of diabetes
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- Tablets (oral)
are there any bad things about taking metaformin
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metaformin
- Thread starter richard tapken
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Resurgam
Master
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- 10,201
- Type of diabetes
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- Diet only
There can be - read the leaflet that comes with them.
After weeks of near misses and incontinence and feeling that life was not worth living I gave up on them, along with the statin I was prescribed. I was using walking poles by then.
Now I am giving dancing lessons, so it has worn off, just about, but I need to take a hot bath after any long walks or the lessons or I get the pains back.
After weeks of near misses and incontinence and feeling that life was not worth living I gave up on them, along with the statin I was prescribed. I was using walking poles by then.
Now I am giving dancing lessons, so it has worn off, just about, but I need to take a hot bath after any long walks or the lessons or I get the pains back.
Guzzler
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- Poor grammar, bullying and drunks.
Hello and welcome.
Metformin has the unfortunate effect on toilet issues for some folks. For a lot of people this goes away after a few days, for others it is a case of stopping the tablets and for some, like myself, there are no side effects at all.
Metformin in the long term can affect the absorption of vit B12 but this should be monitored. It is considered a safe drug and has been used as a first treatment for T2 Diabetes for decades.
Tagging @daisy1 who will post a welcome pack for you.
May I ask if you are testing your blood glucose levels at home? If not I would advise that you get yourself a glucometer and start.
Metformin has the unfortunate effect on toilet issues for some folks. For a lot of people this goes away after a few days, for others it is a case of stopping the tablets and for some, like myself, there are no side effects at all.
Metformin in the long term can affect the absorption of vit B12 but this should be monitored. It is considered a safe drug and has been used as a first treatment for T2 Diabetes for decades.
Tagging @daisy1 who will post a welcome pack for you.
May I ask if you are testing your blood glucose levels at home? If not I would advise that you get yourself a glucometer and start.
britishpub
Well-Known Member
Assuming you are one of the huge majority who won’t suffer side effects then the answer is generally no.
Metformin is a mild drug that is supposed to have a positive effect on a number of conditions, including Diabetes.
daisyduck
Well-Known Member
Lots of people take Metformin happily with no problems.
Unfortunately I'm not one of them. Headache, nausea and bowel problems made me give them up after persevering for 11 weeks
Unfortunately I'm not one of them. Headache, nausea and bowel problems made me give them up after persevering for 11 weeks
SockFiddler
Well-Known Member
Metformin, happily for some, comes in lots of different forms and guises and people who can tolerate it report - after a time - that it works well for them. It's not a scary, heavy-action drug like others that you can be prescribed (though any medication needs to be taken seriously), but there can be some associated unpleasantness that makes it intolerable for some.
(11 weeks, @daisyduck ?! I managed just 3 days!)
(11 weeks, @daisyduck ?! I managed just 3 days!)
daisy1
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@richard tapken
Hello Richard and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
Hello Richard and welcome to the Forum
Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask as many questions as you want and someone will be able to help.BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 235,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.
Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. Most of these are free.
- Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
- Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.
daisyduck
Well-Known Member
I was told it would settle down ! I did give it a good try, but it just wasn't for me
D
Deleted member 308541
Guest
I have had no problems with both quick acting and extended release Metformin, in the eighteen months I have been taking them.
