I've had a good experience with Metformin for the month I have been taking it ( 500x2). It and a modified diet have reduced Bg significantly. I had no significant side effects until tonight, shortly after my 2 hour PP test, when with one severe stomach cramp and about 10 seconds warning, terrible diarrhea. I probably posted a world class time ( for senior citizens) for the 20 metre dash to just make it to the loo. I thought that the gastric issues with Metformin mostly came at the commencement of treatment or following an increase in dose? Can it have this effect with sudden onset well into treatment? The lack of warning of this episode was quite disturbing. I hope it is not indicative of what might happen in the future .
Metformin's Revenge
- Thread starter paul_melb
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carty
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- 3,379
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
I had the same problem about 3 weeks after I started taking met ,but when I was changed to SR met the problem more or less disapeared Now I only have a problem if I eat certain foods eg prawns which I love
CAROL
CAROL
Did you just get a refill? Jenny Ruhl has said that Metformins are not all created equal - even within the same brand. When she hunted around, suspicious that her Metformin wasn't working as usual (she'd been on it for years), she found that the manufacturer had changed, or they'd switched the generic supplier, or something of that order. http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/2011 ... ormin.html
ButtterflyLady
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- Type of diabetes
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- Acceptance of health treatment claims that are not adequately supported by evidence. I dislike it when people sell ineffective and even harmful alternative health products to exploit the desperation of people with chronic illness.
cteld said:
This is a good piece of advice. Doctors often say that switching from a brand-name drug to a generic makes no difference. That's rubbish. I pay the full price for certain drugs because the generic simply does not work for me. Apparently the active ingredient is still the same, but the tabletting aids can be different, which is why they have wierd effects in susceptible people.
With Metformin, switching to SR seems to reduce side effects for most people. Worth a try, and if that doesn't work, ask the doctor for advice.
I've been on it for months and I still get the occasional side effect, fortunately manageable so far.
I changed the chain of chemists that I get my metformin from as the other one kept changing the generic brands that I was getting and I'm sure some were worse on my stomach than others.
During the 5 years I've been on Metformin, I've tried 3 different brands. My GP put me on Glucophage, which I'm on now, but like the others I still get the runs, especially after my breakfast, but I never get the stomach upset or pains.
Helena
Helena
Thanks for the answers and shared experiences. I think I may have overdone fat comsumption with dinner. I have been trying ( with some reservations and reluctance) to increase fat so my diet is not too unbalanced. If it happens again I will go for the SR version.
cheers
paul
cheers
paul
Yes, I think in my case it was an overload of fat ( avocado, bocconcini slalad with an oily dressing and some smoked salmon in one meal). I've never been big on fat ( except for danish pastries) and I think this was too much in one go. It does seem to be trial and error. It will be interesting to follow LittleGrayCat's progess log.
