Sorry Metformin AGAIN!!

[BRITGRAN]

After first being prescribed Metformin a few years ago, I developed the usual stomach issues experienced by many, the Doc was sympathetic and changed my medication to the Metformin SR, I continue to occasionally suffer stomach issues when I don't want to leave the house, or i have to rush home to use the bathroom, I spoke to the DN today and told her I want to come off them, she was very nice and explained why I'm on them, I told her I understood why I take them but the side effects are to much and I no longer want to take them, she suggested another tablet I think she said Gliclazide but said I'd probably put on weight, basically it seemed she wanted me to stay on Metformin ! I obviously wasn't happy so she has suggested I see another nurse who is more interested in diabetes than her ? If any of you can help me with dealing with this issue I'd be so grateful, is there an alternative that won't cause bad side effects

 

[paulus1]

its your body. they are there to meet your needs. if you cant take it dont. but you will need to control your bg some how

 

[Alexandra100]

After first being prescribed Metformin a few years ago, I developed the usual stomach issues experienced by many, the Doc was sympathetic and changed my medication to the Metformin SR, I continue to occasionally suffer stomach issues when I don't want to leave the house, or i have to rush home to use the bathroom, I spoke to the DN today and told her I want to come off them, she was very nice and explained why I'm on them, I told her I understood why I take them but the side effects are to much and I no longer want to take them, she suggested another tablet I think she said Gliclazide but said I'd probably put on weight, basically it seemed she wanted me to stay on Metformin ! I obviously wasn't happy so she has suggested I see another nurse who is more interested in diabetes than her ? If any of you can help me with dealing with this issue I'd be so grateful, is there an alternative that won't cause bad side effects

Would you like to share with us some details about your diabetes history, the test results you have had (I presume you have had regular HbA1c tests?) and what you are doing to lower your blood glucose besides taking Metformin? That would make it easier for us to try and help.

 

[Fruitella]

Would your diabetic nurse let you stop the Metformin for a few weeks and see if your stomach problems settle?

 

[BRITGRAN]

Would you like to share with us some details about your diabetes history, the test results you have had (I presume you have had regular HbA1c tests?) and what you are doing to lower your blood glucose besides taking Metformin? That would make it easier for us to try and help.

My previous test results have been acceptable , I take one saxagliptin and two metformin, as this recent test result was higher she said HbA1c was 7.5...... so feels the Saxagliptin needs changing, I am eating low carb, I believe a stricter low carb and exercise regime will be beneficial, I just got the feeling she was trying to put me off stopping the Metformin SR I would like to talk to the new nurse armed with some information regarding alternative medication

 

[BRITGRAN]

Would your diabetic nurse let you stop the Metformin for a few weeks and see if your stomach problems settle?

She seemed to think I need to continue taking it

 

[wiflib]

If you don’t want to take it, don’t. All she can do is advise and recommend based on the guidelines issued by the trust she works with and up to date research but one hpthing she can’t do is dictate to you or allow you, you are the one who does the allowing.

The choice is entirely yours.

 

[Resurgam]

I have found no trouble in keeping my BG levels under control by eating low carb foods - there is a professional carpet cleaner sitting on the landing and if I ever feel that I might eat something I shouldn't I go and look at it for a minute or so.
I really can't see the logic in taking a tablet which prevents us taking exercise in any form - I felt absolutely dreadful all the time I was taking it, but the nurse did not even make a note of it on my file.
As far as I am concerned, whilst I am alive, I will live.

 

[Alexandra100]

I have found no trouble in keeping my BG levels under control by eating low carb foods - there is a professional carpet cleaner sitting on the landing and if I ever feel that I might eat something I shouldn't I go and look at it for a minute or so.
I really can't see the logic in taking a tablet which prevents us taking exercise in any form - I felt absolutely dreadful all the time I was taking it, but the nurse did not even make a note of it on my file.
As far as I am concerned, whilst I am alive, I will live.

Please, what's this about the carpet cleaner? This forum is full of brain strengthening puzzles. I now know how to translate OMAD and of course LCHF, but carpet cleaners??? I give up.

 

[paulus1]

its extremly heavy exercise using commercial cleaning equipment. if they are doing it as aliving they know about sweat

 

[Alexandra100]

My previous test results have been acceptable , I take one saxagliptin and two metformin, as this recent test result was higher she said HbA1c was 7.5...... so feels the Saxagliptin needs changing, I am eating low carb, I believe a stricter low carb and exercise regime will be beneficial, I just got the feeling she was trying to put me off stopping the Metformin SR I would like to talk to the new nurse armed with some information regarding alternative medication

According to Jenny Ruhl (one of my diabetes gurus http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/ ) Metformin is one of the safest and most helpful of the drugs available to help against insulin resistance. Which is not at all to say you should take it, just that as drugs go it may be one of the better alternatives. But people who have taken it could advise you better than I can. JR also suggests proposing a wager to your doctor: give me 3 months to lower my A1c using diet and exercise and if I don't succeed I'll listen to you re medications.

Personally, I started to eat lower carb and home test my bg halfway through August and I have seen a gradual improvement in my results. I am confident that my next A1c test at the beginning of January will show an improvement, I hope a big one. However at the start I had lots of delusions as to the carb content of the foods I was eating eg I thought that peanut butter and celery and many other foods were virtually carb free. I also thought that I could get away with a small reduction in carbs and go on eating the healthy fruit, oats, beans etc I was used to eating, albeit in smaller quantities. Disillusion has been mercifully gradual. I now count the carbs even in eggs, and have reduced down to under 30 carbs per day. But that's just me - others don't need to be so extreme.

You don't say if you are using a meter. Some people certainly do manage to eat low carb and get good A1c results while choosing not to home test. I'm a person who responds well to feedback. I couldn't imagine taking the trouble to monitor everything I eat without the incentive of the next test - and the next little encouragement. Also it is good to be, as you put it, armed with a record of home test results when confronting health professionals. Good luck!

 

[ickihun]

I've been taking for more than 18yrs.
I stop it when too nasty and give a few days then restart on one, then two, then three and fourth. I don't get a problem for a while then when I do I use same logic.
I'm better on metformin than off. So is my weight problem.

My consultant has wrote on my notes.....Metformin until further notice.

 

[AR54]

After first being prescribed Metformin a few years ago, I developed the usual stomach issues experienced by many, the Doc was sympathetic and changed my medication to the Metformin SR, I continue to occasionally suffer stomach issues when I don't want to leave the house, or i have to rush home to use the bathroom, I spoke to the DN today and told her I want to come off them, she was very nice and explained why I'm on them, I told her I understood why I take them but the side effects are to much and I no longer want to take them, she suggested another tablet I think she said Gliclazide but said I'd probably put on weight, basically it seemed she wanted me to stay on Metformin ! I obviously wasn't happy so she has suggested I see another nurse who is more interested in diabetes than her ? If any of you can help me with dealing with this issue I'd be so grateful, is there an alternative that won't cause bad side effects

 

[BRITGRAN]

I've been taking for more than 18yrs.
I stop it when too nasty and give a few days then restart on one, then two, then three and fourth. I don't get a problem for a while then when I do I use same logic.
I'm better on metformin than off. So is my weight problem.

My consultant has wrote on my notes.....Metformin until further notice.

This is something I shall talk to the new nurse about, thank you

 

[BRITGRAN]

According to Jenny Ruhl (one of my diabetes gurus http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/ ) Metformin is one of the safest and most helpful of the drugs available to help against insulin resistance. Which is not at all to say you should take it, just that as drugs go it may be one of the better alternatives. But people who have taken it could advise you better than I can. JR also suggests proposing a wager to your doctor: give me 3 months to lower my A1c using diet and exercise and if I don't succeed I'll listen to you re medications.

Personally, I started to eat lower carb and home test my bg halfway through August and I have seen a gradual improvement in my results. I am confident that my next A1c test at the beginning of January will show an improvement, I hope a big one. However at the start I had lots of delusions as to the carb content of the foods I was eating eg I thought that peanut butter and celery and many other foods were virtually carb free. I also thought that I could get away with a small reduction in carbs and go on eating the healthy fruit, oats, beans etc I was used to eating, albeit in smaller quantities. Disillusion has been mercifully gradual. I now count the carbs even in eggs, and have reduced down to under 30 carbs per day. But that's just me - others don't need to be so extreme.

You don't say if you are using a meter. Some people certainly do manage to eat low carb and get good A1c results while choosing not to home test. I'm a person who responds well to feedback. I couldn't imagine taking the trouble to monitor everything I eat without the incentive of the next test - and the next little encouragement. Also it is good to be, as you put it, armed with a record of home test results when confronting health professionals. Good luck!

This is very helpful cause I understand the need to take my medication so maybe knuckling down and using it in conjunction with better carb control and exercise is the answer, I confess to also being delusional about the carb content in the food I have been eating, in the last few weeks i have tested more often and have received quite a shock as foods I thought were healthy have been raising my BG quite high, so right now it's test test test ! It might be silly but I'm going to stop taking the Metformin for a few days and test regularly to see what happens

 

[Alexandra100]

This is very helpful cause I understand the need to take my medication so maybe knuckling down and using it in conjunction with better carb control and exercise is the answer, I confess to also being delusional about the carb content in the food I have been eating, in the last few weeks i have tested more often and have received quite a shock as foods I thought were healthy have been raising my BG quite high, so right now it's test test test ! It might be silly but I'm going to stop taking the Metformin for a few days and test regularly to see what happens

That doesn't sound at all silly to me, rather scientific. In a way, troublesome as this diabetes is, I do find it fascinating to be conducting my own experiments on ME! Especially with all the info from other researchers on here. And some reactions are absolutely individual, so we'll never know if we don't test. There was an experiment in Israel with 2 diabetics where they ate in turn a biscuit and a banana. The banana raised the bg of one but not the other, and for the biscuit it was the other way round.

I may have got this wrong, but my understanding is that the main benefit of Metformin is that it allows the taker to eat a few more carbs without raising the bg, while suppressing appetite, which helps weight loss. So maybe if you rreally don't want to keep on taking it, that might motivate you to sacrifice a few more carbs and (if you want to lose weight) calories, which would get you to the same result.

 

[Alexandra100]

its extremly heavy exercise using commercial cleaning equipment. if they are doing it as aliving they know about sweat

So if they can exercise so hard all day long you should be able to bring yourself to do it from time to time, is that the idea? Like me compulsively reading books about people climbing Everest?

 

[Resurgam]

Please, what's this about the carpet cleaner? This forum is full of brain strengthening puzzles. I now know how to translate OMAD and of course LCHF, but carpet cleaners??? I give up.

The consequences of taking Metformin were very severe for me. I was so ill, could not stagger fast enough to get to the bathroom in time.

 

[Pinkorchid]

After first being prescribed Metformin a few years ago, I developed the usual stomach issues experienced by many, the Doc was sympathetic and changed my medication to the Metformin SR, I continue to occasionally suffer stomach issues when I don't want to leave the house, or i have to rush home to use the bathroom, I spoke to the DN today and told her I want to come off them, she was very nice and explained why I'm on them, I told her I understood why I take them but the side effects are to much and I no longer want to take them, she suggested another tablet I think she said Gliclazide but said I'd probably put on weight, basically it seemed she wanted me to stay on Metformin ! I obviously wasn't happy so she has suggested I see another nurse who is more interested in diabetes than her ? If any of you can help me with dealing with this issue I'd be so grateful, is there an alternative that won't cause bad side effects

We are not really in a position to say if you should or should not take Metformin. All we can say is a lot of members here choose not to take it and that is their choice just as it will be your choice to take it or not

 

[BRITGRAN]

We are not really in a position to say if you should or should not take Metformin. All we can say is a lot of members here choose not to take it and that is their choice just as it will be your choice to take it or not

I'm not actually asking if I should take it or not , I'm asking if anyone knows of an alternative to Metformin SR , so far I have had some good advice on what to talk to a new DN about