Alternatives to metformin

[Ames37]

Hi, I have had to come off my metformin (doctor agreed) because of the stomach side effects. I was only on one tablet a day and it really messed with my digestive system! Problem is my sugars are rising steadily again.
Can you give me some experiences of other meds that aren’t so harsh on the system?
Thanks

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi, I have had to come off my metformin (doctor agreed) because of the stomach side effects. I was only on one tablet a day and it really messed with my digestive system! Problem is my sugars are rising steadily again.
Can you give me some experiences of other meds that aren’t so harsh on the system?
Thanks

Change what you eat and see if you can avoid medication completely?
Many of us have done exactly that.

Then again what levels are you seeing?

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi, I have had to come off my metformin (doctor agreed) because of the stomach side effects. I was only on one tablet a day and it really messed with my digestive system! Problem is my sugars are rising steadily again.
Can you give me some experiences of other meds that aren’t so harsh on the system?
Thanks

I'm with our biker, avoid side effects by avoiding needing medication. Your blood sugars rise because you're putting stuff in your body it cannot cope with. Don't put it in? Problem gone!

https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html is a bit of a quick-start guide, might help you suss out where things are going wrong.

I know a change in diet isn't for everyone, but... It is the safest way to move forward. Less chances of progression of the disease (you can actually reverse it), complications etc avoided... But it's entirely up to you.

Good luck!
Jo

PS: there are a lot of other medications out there, just be careful you don't get something with metformin in the mix. Gliclazide is an option, but it forces the pancreas to make more insulin, which can eventually wear it out. That'd mean insulin jabs down the line. Just some stuff to consider.

 

[Ames37]

I have massively changed my diet but still running quite high. I’m getting readings between 9 and 11 most of the time on my monitor. I was at 13 to 15 so I am improving!

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I have massively changed my diet but still running quite high. I’m getting readings between 9 and 11 most of the time on my monitor. I was at 13 to 15 so I am improving!

Okay, so... What do you eat and drink on an average day? Maybe there's room for (even more) improvement yet?

 

[Ames37]

There’s definitely room for improvement. It’s trying to get my head around the things I can’t eat! I miss nice stuff!

 

[JoKalsbeek]

There’s definitely room for improvement. It’s trying to get my head around the things I can’t eat! I miss nice stuff!

I rather like what I eat. Once I let go of carbs and sugar, my palette changed. I seem to taste things a little more intensely now, so do enjoy food more thoroughly. And letting go is a lot easier if you find other things to replace the "losses" with.

 

[Ames37]

I know, I just find it hard. I suffer with bad mental health and food was always my comfort so it’s hard to let go.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I know, I just find it hard. I suffer with bad mental health and food was always my comfort so it’s hard to let go.

Yeah... I have more mental health labels than I care to count. Food's been my thing too. Guess it still is, because when things got hard a few weeks back, I had a hard time not munching my way through the day. One thing though.... Low carb makes both depression and anxiety a whole lot better. High blood sugars feed into both. I think 5 years ago i would've been binging. Now... A few clandestine nibbles on things that weren't actually that bad for me.

You do what works for you. If that's meds, it's meds. It's okay not to get on the keto/LCHF/IF bandwagon. I know I feel better for it, mentally and physically, but I also realise it's not for everyone.

 

[Resurgam]

I find that the foods I eat on low carb are tastier than those on a high carb regime. There are lots of ways to replace carbs if you need them, from simple things like cauliflower instead of rice, swede or turnip instead of potato.

 

[Muddling Through]

I find that the foods I eat on low carb are tastier than those on a high carb regime. There are lots of ways to replace carbs if you need them, from simple things like cauliflower instead of rice, swede or turnip instead of potato.

Absolutely - I found cauliflower 'rice' a few months ago - game changer!

 

[Andydragon]

Hi, I have had to come off my metformin (doctor agreed) because of the stomach side effects. I was only on one tablet a day and it really messed with my digestive system! Problem is my sugars are rising steadily again.
Can you give me some experiences of other meds that aren’t so harsh on the system?
Thanks

I agree with the dietary comments others are making but from a different direction, did the doctor try you on slow release metformin at all?

i had stomach issues with regular metformin and am on 2000mg now with minimal side effects for over 10years. (Have had some folate issues but that’s within the last 6 months) Totally understand everyone is different though! I have been pretty lucky with all my meds and minimal side effects

also, has your doctor not suggested what they think you could be on?

 

[Daibell]

Hi. Did your GP offer you Metformin SR which should always be offered if patients have trouble with the vanilla version - it is much kinder. There is no equivalent but there are other tablets which may help. Can you let us know whether you have any excess weight as insulin resistance is the main cause of T2. A low-carb diet will be very important so do what you can to wean yourself off the carbs which we have all eaten too much over the years. Ignore food marketing and make your own choices based on ingredient content on the rear of the food pack - ignore traffic light labelling or calorie/fat content.

 

[HSSS]

Also a single metformin tablet was very unlikely to have made much difference to blood levels. It prevents some liver dumping and might slightly reduce appetite but it’s a very mild drug. Making the dietary changes you can deal with Will probably do more. And as you get used to each step towards low carb the next is easier

 

[Flora123]

There’s definitely room for improvement. It’s trying to get my head around the things I can’t eat! I miss nice stuff!

What sort of nice things do you like/miss? There are many alternative that you can train your palate to accept as the real thing. If I crave something sweet I like an Aldi salted caramel nut bar (or half). Filling and taste a bit like a Snickers. I do gave a good imagination
Halo Top icecream is a good alternative if you crave icecream - although I can’t tolerate this myself. As is 85% dark chocolate. However over time if you try to wean yourself off sweet nice things, you will find you really don’t crave things. For bread, LivLife bread from Waitrose or Ocado and all my family eat these days.

There is a certain amount of willpower required fir early days but the joy you get from a low Hba1c is definitely worth it. Best of luck.

 

[Craigmartin]

Agree with all the opinions on low carb.
I did miss bread and pastry/pies first few week but it soon passed. Can honestly say I've never felt hungry once since started on 50g carb and under a day which I often did whilst eating low/reduced fat high carb.
I did however find original Metformin tablets gave me really bad side effects and even the slow release Sukkarto similarly but seems to be getting less often so hoping may finally have built tolerance?
I do wonder how much of the drop in BS is down to diet and how much the tablets?