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Please may I ask if anyone knows if there is an alternative to Metformin? I have a 73-year-old friend who is a Type 2 and Metformin is making his life a misery. His stomach is constantly upset. I think he takes Gliclazide too but his readings seem constantly too high and I am worried for him.This past week he has had a flu type virus that has sent his readings up to sitting around 23 and I persuaded him those levels were becoming dangerously high, so he did phone for advice and a doctor met him at the out-of-hours clinic at the hospital but promptly sent him home with instructions just to double his Metformin.Now his stomach is so upset he cannot even leave the house.
Personally, I think he'd be better off on insulin now as even on a good day his readings only seem to sit around the 9 mark and I feel he'll be heading for complications if his doctor won't help him get his readings down.His doctor just said there is no alternative to Metformin, so if he can't tolerate it, he cannot give him anything else at all.Full stop.I've told him there must be something else he can take to help.
I think he thinks I'm just a fuss-pot, so what can I do to help? If I had a definite suggestion of an alternative to Metformin, at least that might ease his constantly upset stomach and make his life more bearable.
Personally, I think he'd be better off on insulin now as even on a good day his readings only seem to sit around the 9 mark and I feel he'll be heading for complications if his doctor won't help him get his readings down.His doctor just said there is no alternative to Metformin, so if he can't tolerate it, he cannot give him anything else at all.Full stop.I've told him there must be something else he can take to help.
I think he thinks I'm just a fuss-pot, so what can I do to help? If I had a definite suggestion of an alternative to Metformin, at least that might ease his constantly upset stomach and make his life more bearable.