Type 2 and Metformin side affects.

chocks63

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
What medicine is good a alternative to metformin. I have horrendous side affects:

1. Diarrhoea
2. Nausea
3. lack of appettite
4. fatigue (in bed afer 8:30pm)
5. gas and Bloatness.
6. Mouth ulcers.

I have been on metformin for 6 weeks now. 500g slow release daily. Its not getting any easier infact might be worse.
I heard Forxiga is a good alternative ?

Paul.
 

kitedoc

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Hi @chocks63, I could not find a drug which has the same action as Metformin.
Googling Forxiga, it shows it is a totally different drug.
Only your doctor or perhaps DSN can advise you on what to do.
 

PatsyB

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I take forxiga with metformin it deff not the same sort of medication
 
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bulkbiker

BANNED
Messages
19,576
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
What medicine is good a alternative to metformin. I have horrendous side affects:

1. Diarrhoea
2. Nausea
3. lack of appettite
4. fatigue (in bed afer 8:30pm)
5. gas and Bloatness.
6. Mouth ulcers.

I have been on metformin for 6 weeks now. 500g slow release daily. Its not getting any easier infact might be worse.
I heard Forxiga is a good alternative ?

Paul.
Have you thought about dietary changes instead of medication?
I had similar side effects to you so the metformin went in the bin after 3 weeks of what you described. I cut carbs down to an absolute minimum and never looked back.
I'll tag @daisy1 as this is your first post and say hi and welcome to the forum.
 

SimonCrox

Well-Known Member
Messages
317
Sounds like you have given the metformin a fair trial (small dose, modified release) and it is upsetting you. I would go with either something from the SGLT-2 class like dapagliflozin, canagliflozin or empagliflozin or something from the gliptin class linagliptin sitagliptin etc.
With the SGLT-2s, there is probably not a lot of difference between them cos the trials are all slightly different, but empagliflozin has an effect to protect against heart attack and stroke; you need normal renal function for these to work, but they will help weight, blood pressure and glucose levels, and not make hypo
The gliptins are older and will also help glucose levels and probably weight and not make hypo; they probably do not avoid heart attacks etc . Linagliptin can be taken whatever renal function and we have a lot of experience with sitagliptin which also looks safe and may go generic soon
These would be preferable to a sulphonylurea which does not protect against heart attack or stroke, causes weight gain and causes hypos, but cos they are old drugs, they are cheap.
One could consider pioglitazone which does not cause hypos, and avoids heart attack and stroke if one has had these before, but the weight gain is bothersome and there are other questions about this drug, but it is cheap now.
As Bulkbiker above said, we are assuming that you have tried diet and exercise and not getting where you want to be.
Best wishes
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
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Tablets (oral)
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Cruelty towards animals.
@chocks63

Hello Paul and welcome to the Forum :) Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Ask as many questions as you need to and someone will help.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

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
Reduce your 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
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)
  • Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)
  • Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
  • 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

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.
 

chocks63

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi @chocks63, I could not find a drug which has the same action as Metformin.
Googling Forxiga, it shows it is a totally different drug.
Only your doctor or perhaps DSN can advise you on what to do.
Thank you for your reply seeing doctor tomorrow.
 
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chocks63

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Sounds like you have given the metformin a fair trial (small dose, modified release) and it is upsetting you. I would go with either something from the SGLT-2 class like dapagliflozin, canagliflozin or empagliflozin or something from the gliptin class linagliptin sitagliptin etc.
With the SGLT-2s, there is probably not a lot of difference between them cos the trials are all slightly different, but empagliflozin has an effect to protect against heart attack and stroke; you need normal renal function for these to work, but they will help weight, blood pressure and glucose levels, and not make hypo
The gliptins are older and will also help glucose levels and probably weight and not make hypo; they probably do not avoid heart attacks etc . Linagliptin can be taken whatever renal function and we have a lot of experience with sitagliptin which also looks safe and may go generic soon
These would be preferable to a sulphonylurea which does not protect against heart attack or stroke, causes weight gain and causes hypos, but cos they are old drugs, they are cheap.
One could consider pioglitazone which does not cause hypos, and avoids heart attack and stroke if one has had these before, but the weight gain is bothersome and there are other questions about this drug, but it is cheap now.
As Bulkbiker above said, we are assuming that you have tried diet and exercise and not getting where you want to be.
Best wishes

I was looking at dapagliflozin as possibility, seeing doctor tomorrow. They are 18 meds for Type 2. One must work for me lol.
Thanks for the reply, very interesting read :)
 
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chocks63

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Have you thought about dietary changes instead of medication?
I had similar side effects to you so the metformin went in the bin after 3 weeks of what you described. I cut carbs down to an absolute minimum and never looked back.
I'll tag @daisy1 as this is your first post and say hi and welcome to the forum.
I did the blood sugar diet last year. (DR Moseley). Got my sugar levels normal. 12 months later back to square one. I find it hard to do the maintainance level for life.
 
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Jay-Marc

Well-Known Member
Messages
218
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
About 1 in 8 people can't tolerate Metformin in any form from adverse gastric side affects alone. There are no other drugs available in the same class; there used to be but these were all withdrawn in the UK because of higher incidents of lactic acidosis than metformin (and all shared the gastric issues anyway).
 

chocks63

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I take forxiga with metformin it deff not the same sort of medication
Dapagliflozin (forxiga) can be taken by its own according to N.I.C.E
hopefully seeing doctor tomorrow t have a chat.
Metformin feels like a poison to my body.
thanks :)
 
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chocks63

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
About 1 in 8 people can't tolerate Metformin in any form from adverse gastric side affects alone. There are no other drugs available in the same class; there used to be but these were all withdrawn in the UK because of higher incidents of lactic acidosis than metformin (and all shared the gastric issues anyway).

going to try SGLT-2 class like dapagliflozin, canagliflozin or empagliflozin.
 
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Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,850
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I too had dreadful side effects from Metformin.
Fortunately I can't see any need to take it, my doctor just wrote out the prescription for statin and Metformin, no advice at all - but I went straight back to low carb eating - after 6 months I was at the top edge of the normal range, hope to go lower eventually, but after 5 weeks I was so unwell I just stopped taking it, I was getting normal BG levels according to my meter, so thought that was good enough. I just checked my levels to be sure that I am still doing well - 5.7mmol/l, looks OK to me. I ate 50 gm of carbs a day to get BG down to normal, but am trying 40 gm for a while to try to lose weight.
 

chocks63

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I too had dreadful side effects from Metformin.
Fortunately I can't see any need to take it, my doctor just wrote out the prescription for statin and Metformin, no advice at all - but I went straight back to low carb eating - after 6 months I was at the top edge of the normal range, hope to go lower eventually, but after 5 weeks I was so unwell I just stopped taking it, I was getting normal BG levels according to my meter, so thought that was good enough. I just checked my levels to be sure that I am still doing well - 5.7mmol/l, looks OK to me. I ate 50 gm of carbs a day to get BG down to normal, but am trying 40 gm for a while to try to lose weight.

Well done for getting your bloods back to normal. 50 gm of carbs is too low for long periods or life style changes. Need to be around 150 gms of carbs. normal person without diabetes is said to be 250gms would be the norm of healthy adult.
its very confusing what to do. But if works for you...why not :)
 
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kitedoc

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Hi @chocks63, The recommended carbs for a non-diabetic or diabetic are you quote them are rather outdated.
Not saying that people should not have those number of carbs but that the science behind it has moved on and that some of the higher carb diets are proposed by authorities who are sponsored by food companies, particularly ones that make breakfast cereals.
And where does your quote about 50 g carbs per day as not maintainable or compatible with life style change? It is a choice that some, but not all, take.
Of course, the food companies and those they sponsor will try to debunk low carb but it does have a place according to research.
As an extreme example, you might like to think about how Eskimos have survived for centuries as a race on their particular diet..
 

PatsyB

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,956
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes
Dapagliflozin (forxiga) can be taken by its own according to N.I.C.E
hopefully seeing doctor tomorrow t have a chat.
Metformin feels like a poison to my body.
thanks :)
Metformin doe not suit everyone unfortunately but am sure the Doctor will find an alternative for you
 

Krystyna23040

Expert
Messages
7,068
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
Well done for getting your bloods back to normal. 50 gm of carbs is too low for long periods or life style changes. Need to be around 150 gms of carbs. normal person without diabetes is said to be 250gms would be the norm of healthy adult.
its very confusing what to do. But if works for you...why not :)

I agree absolutely with what @kitedoc has said about carbs. I was a T2 on Novarapid and Lantus insulin but am now on no meds or insulin since I started eating to my meter. My meter draws the line at 20g carbs - over that and I have truly spectacular blood sugars which can go as high as almost 30.

So at 20g carbs I eat a very healthy low carb diet which is totally sustainable. To reach 150g carbs I would need to add starchy carbs like pasta, rice or potatoes -which to me now are so bland and tasteless. I would never swap my spiralised courgette for rice - even my husband prefers it to rice and pasta.
 
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PatsyB

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,956
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Diabetes
Not had side effects from taking Metformin and been on it for long time how ever looking at your side effects I have had Nausea over last few days and thought it was a bug going around it could be from taking metformin will se ehow ti goes
 

chocks63

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
What medicine is good a alternative to metformin. I have horrendous side affects:

1. Diarrhoea
2. Nausea
3. lack of appettite
4. fatigue (in bed afer 8:30pm)
5. gas and Bloatness.
6. Mouth ulcers.

I have been on metformin for 6 weeks now. 500g slow release daily. Its not getting any easier infact might be worse.
I heard Forxiga is a good alternative ?

Paul.
Doctor has put me on 30mg MR once daily for 3 months then review.
See how it goes ? Thank the lord I off metformin :)