What to take?

[MarkHaZ123]

I have been type 1 diabetic for about a year and a half now but been on Metformin for about 2.5 years.
I always had no issues with Metformin at all but the back end of last year and into this year I noticed that I was stinking all the time. I couldn't stop pumping and it smelling repulsive so ended up in a seperate room from my partner most nights.

I ran out of Metformin for about a week and noticed I managed to stay in my normal bed for the week but started Metformin again and the old issues. Because I'd ran out of meds and knew that the issue was Metformin I decided to just stop taking it there and then. For about 6-8 weeks I have been back to normal but in the last 2-3 weeks Iv noticed when I eat I spike really high after eating anything but come straight back down within no time but this wasn't how it was.
I have also been going to the toilet alot more and have alot more headaches.

I'm at the hospital on Monday for a check up for the first time since January last year understandably.
What would I be able to ask the doctor to maybe take instead? I obviously need something as I hate going to the toilet every 30-60 mins

Thanks

 

[bulkbiker]

I'm presuming that as a T1 you are also taking insulin injections?

 

[EllieM]

I have been type 1 diabetic for about a year and a half now but been on Metformin for about 2.5 years.
I always had no issues with Metformin at all but the back end of last year and into this year I noticed that I was stinking all the time. I couldn't stop pumping and it smelling repulsive so ended up in a seperate room from my partner most nights.

I ran out of Metformin for about a week and noticed I managed to stay in my normal bed for the week but started Metformin again and the old issues. Because I'd ran out of meds and knew that the issue was Metformin I decided to just stop taking it there and then. For about 6-8 weeks I have been back to normal but in the last 2-3 weeks Iv noticed when I eat I spike really high after eating anything but come straight back down within no time but this wasn't how it was.
I have also been going to the toilet alot more and have alot more headaches.

I'm at the hospital on Monday for a check up for the first time since January last year understandably.
What would I be able to ask the doctor to maybe take instead? I obviously need something as I hate going to the toilet every 30-60 mins

Thanks

If you had some initial good weeks without the metformin it suggests to me that the issue with your spikes and needing to go to the toilet aren't necessarily metformin related. (Though have you changed your ratios after stopping metformin? You might need to do that and/or bolus a little earlier...?? Am not a pump user so can only male wild guesses.) Maybe you've just got something simple such as a urinary tract infection....?

In any case your endocrinologist should be able to advise you on what to do. Personally, I'd want to know the cause of your new symptoms rather than just take a metformin alternative. And make sure they know about your metformin symptoms because there are some rare but serious metformin side effects (eg lactic acidosis). Honestly, I would have gone to the doctor earlier about that smell because it suggests something is not right. (Though I appreciate everything is/was messed up because of COVID).

Metformin is a pretty unique drug so I haven't heard of any equivalents. Mostly it's used by T2s (am guessing you had an initial T2 diagnosis ?). But some of its side effects are treatable eg B12 deficiency?

There's no obvious reason for a T1 to need drugs other than insulin, though I know some do find metformin helpful. Hopefully you can adjust your insulin pump so that it helps you with the spikes.

Good luck.

 

[MarkHaZ123]

I'm presuming that as a T1 you are also taking insulin injections?

Yeah that's right I do

 

[MarkHaZ123]

If you had some initial good weeks without the metformin it suggests to me that the issue with your spikes and needing to go to the toilet aren't necessarily metformin related. (Though have you changed your ratios after stopping metformin? You might need to do that and/or bolus a little earlier...?? Am not a pump user so can only male wild guesses.) Maybe you've just got something simple such as a urinary tract infection....?

In any case your endocrinologist should be able to advise you on what to do. Personally, I'd want to know the cause of your new symptoms rather than just take a metformin alternative. And make sure they know about your metformin symptoms because there are some rare but serious metformin side effects (eg lactic acidosis). Honestly, I would have gone to the doctor earlier about that smell because it suggests something is not right. (Though I appreciate everything is/was messed up because of COVID).

Metformin is a pretty unique drug so I haven't heard of any equivalents. Mostly it's used by T2s (am guessing you had an initial T2 diagnosis ?). But some of its side effects are treatable eg B12 deficiency?

There's no obvious reason for a T1 to need drugs other than insulin, though I know some do find metformin helpful. Hopefully you can adjust your insulin pump so that it helps you with the spikes.

Good luck.

Good shout on bolus a little earlier. I will try this. I don't have issues with it coming back down, it's just when I have food it might spike at 18+ but for very little time. Whereas when I was on Metformin it wouldnt spike like that.
My levels of levemire and novarapid seem to be fine, especially my levemire, day time 7 units if working or 9 if not and 16 on a night.
I'm a bathroom fitter so I don't need as much during the day with been active.

It's strange how the farts have stopped twice when stopping Metformin, nothing else has changed at all.

 

[EllieM]

It's strange how the farts have stopped twice when stopping Metformin, nothing else has changed at all.

Metformin is renowned for its gastric effects. If it was just causing farts that is pretty normal for some people. I got the impression from your post that it was doing more than that, so possibly misunderstood. There is a SR slow release dose that some people find easier to tolerate.