Metformin side effects

imperp

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Hi all. Just started metformin 3 days ago and the diarrhoea is awful. Does anyone have any experience of this. I almost feel afraid to eat because of what will follow. Is this something that will go away? If so how long did it take for your body to get used to the drug?
 

Resurgam

Expert
Messages
9,849
Type of diabetes
Type 2 (in remission!)
Treatment type
Diet only
I had the same thing - got so bad that I was sleeping wrapped in towels and did not dare go out of the house after taking the tablet. There were problems with memory, itching, aches and pains, my sense of taste changed.
I never got used to the drug so I threw it away and the statin prescribed with it. The most galling thing was that I never needed it in the first place. After going low carb my numbers went back to normal.
Some people do get over the problems by persevering some go back to the doctor and get the slow release tablets - I would not take it again for a pension, and I find that every temptation to eat something high carb vanishes away if I simply say the magic words 'you might have to take Metformin again'.
 

TriciaWs

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,727
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Having seen the impact on older friends I refused medication, and told my GP I wanted to try low carb first. My blood results were so much better, so with that and the weight loss they were now happy for me to continue.
I was lucky that I diagnosed early and low carb worked quickly, but the evidence is that it helps most if not all people reduce or stop medication.
Have a look at the lowcarbprogram?
 

Pollylocks

Well-Known Member
Messages
525
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Not many.
I had exactly the same problem imperp so I was prescribed the slow release ones [MetforminSR] and was fine with them.
 
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Messages
6,107
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hi all. Just started metformin 3 days ago and the diarrhoea is awful. Does anyone have any experience of this. I almost feel afraid to eat because of what will follow. Is this something that will go away? If so how long did it take for your body to get used to the drug?
You are certainly not alone. There have been many posters saying the same. They usually get the advice to make sure they are given the SR version since it is claimed it is kinder on the stomach. I stopped taking Metformin for a different reason, it took my taste away and everything tasted like burnt plastic. In either case it is for you to decide if you can tolerate it and to advise your DN or doctor of the problem.
 
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Rachox

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
15,808
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I need to redress the balance here. I got a bit of stomach upset for around a week to ten days and now two years on I am still fine on it.
 

Viv19

Well-Known Member
Messages
825
I’ve just seen this thread. I stopped Metformin in February after taking a low dose once a day for about 5 years. I had diarrhea on and off most days, and spent ages trying to work out which foods I was not tolerating. In fact I found that I am lactose intolerant, also vanilla (the real stuff) and pineapple. Go figure. But it was only this year that I finally realised that it was the Metformin that was the main culprit behind my stomach upset.
Now I’ve stopped taking it and am eating low carb, my digestion has calmed down again and I don’t have to arrange my days ‘just in case.’
A rather weird side effect that I haven’t heard anybody mention at all, is that for the years that I took Metformin I have had brittle, splitting, crumbling nails, both hands and feet. I tried everything I could think of to help this with no effect. I took supplements, painted/massaged/used every product. I couldn’t grow any nail past the nail bed.
I talked to my GP about it, she was baffled. This week we both realised that my nails are growing stronger again. Since I stopped taking Metformin!