I,m on metformin 500mg 3 times a day.I think as a previous contributor said the trick is to take them with your meals not before or after.The only side effect i suffer from is tremendous wind from the nether regions and we don,t have a dog to blame it on........!*!*!
Metformin side effects?
- Thread starter mj14
- Start Date
Crimsonclient
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 1,080
- Type of diabetes
- LADA
- Treatment type
- Insulin
I am still trying to work out a regime with diet and metformin that lessens the side effects. I already have IBS/spsatic bowel. The only raw veg I can eat is lettuce, and all veggies have to be cooked until they are very soft. Cannot eat nuts, legumes seeds, anything rough or too fibrous. Bit of a problem that beacuse I used to be a strict vegetarian. Tee hee. I refuse to eat red meat (can't digest that anyway), but I do eat chicken and fish now. Unfortunately the food group that doesn't upset my digestive system is Carbs. I'm also T3 resistant hypothyroid. But the good news is that my cholestorol is fine. I would love to low carb. I tried it for a two weeks and felt a lot better and BG came down.But there is only so long I can eat lettuce, mushy carrots, eggs, fish and chicken for every meal and not go crackers.
The effects of the metformin (SR) have been so bad that my GP has given me loperamide. If I didn't take this, I don't see how I could work. I dread going out, because I have messed myself, and end up home crying my eyes out.
I will not be ground down by this though. I will try taking the metformin mid-meal and see if that helps. Thanks for the advice.
The effects of the metformin (SR) have been so bad that my GP has given me loperamide. If I didn't take this, I don't see how I could work. I dread going out, because I have messed myself, and end up home crying my eyes out.
I will not be ground down by this though. I will try taking the metformin mid-meal and see if that helps. Thanks for the advice.
If you have problems (I did) ask to go on the slow release I'm better on that but not 100%
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Hi there I take three 500 mg of Metformin a day which I do with meals. This is how I was told to take it and I'm sure it is the best way.
The only side-effect that I have suffered is quite a lot of diarrhoea. This was not good, because I didn't really always know when this was going to come. I sometimes felt very weak beforehand and afterwards but felt I had to stay home on those occasions. Anyway, about three weeks ago I finally found some brown bread which I really like. This seems to have settled things and I have not had any problems since. I don't have brown bread every day, and never more than one slice, or two very small ocrusts, but I have been much better since having it.
The bread I like, by the way, is the Sainsburys be good to yourself range and it is the loaf with seeds.
I hope this helps and that you find that the effects of Metformin are not too bad for you.
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The only side-effect that I have suffered is quite a lot of diarrhoea. This was not good, because I didn't really always know when this was going to come. I sometimes felt very weak beforehand and afterwards but felt I had to stay home on those occasions. Anyway, about three weeks ago I finally found some brown bread which I really like. This seems to have settled things and I have not had any problems since. I don't have brown bread every day, and never more than one slice, or two very small ocrusts, but I have been much better since having it.
The bread I like, by the way, is the Sainsburys be good to yourself range and it is the loaf with seeds.
I hope this helps and that you find that the effects of Metformin are not too bad for you.
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My experience of Metformin (Glucophage) standard 500mg over some 10 years has matched most of the comments here but I would like to emphasize the contra indication of its use with CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) especially Stages 3-5 where its use is not recommended in high doses. Problem arises from the fact that CKD is a silent condition and most sufferers are not aware of the condition til very late.and doctors do not investigate until concrete symptoms manifest themselves. In my case swollen lower limbs (oedema) became a serious matter. But it was too late then and this is why I feel that regular blood tests for Creatinine levels be taken in parallel with all other bloods.
When first diagnosed the worst problem for me was the metallic taste in the mouth especially at night and loose bowels. The metallic taste one gets used to but it takes months to disappear.
Recently, because I was taking large doses of Magnesium for leg cramps, and getting fed up with very loose bowels I tried the slow release version of Metformin which alleviated much of the condition. However, inexplicably, my blood sugar levels were averaging 3-4 points above normal which was disconcerting. I have to purchase all of my own medication here in Indonesia and can tell the poster who mentioned the fact that doctors do not offer slow release automatically that it is due to cost and I have to pay 105% more than standard cost for it. Because of this I had to stop buying the slow release as too expensive for me and - lo and behold - the loose bowels are back BUT my sugar levels are down to the levels before taking SR.
When first diagnosed the worst problem for me was the metallic taste in the mouth especially at night and loose bowels. The metallic taste one gets used to but it takes months to disappear.
Recently, because I was taking large doses of Magnesium for leg cramps, and getting fed up with very loose bowels I tried the slow release version of Metformin which alleviated much of the condition. However, inexplicably, my blood sugar levels were averaging 3-4 points above normal which was disconcerting. I have to purchase all of my own medication here in Indonesia and can tell the poster who mentioned the fact that doctors do not offer slow release automatically that it is due to cost and I have to pay 105% more than standard cost for it. Because of this I had to stop buying the slow release as too expensive for me and - lo and behold - the loose bowels are back BUT my sugar levels are down to the levels before taking SR.
Flash56
Newbie
- Messages
- 2
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Insulin
I have been on Metformin SR for over 10 years now together with other medication totaling 14 tablets a day. I have suffered with IBS most of this time with little support from my GP. I started to take Codeine Phosphate for the stomach cramps and found if I took one 30mg tablet with my nighttime medication I no longer suffered in the night. On a bad day I take 2 x 30mg tablets in the day to suppress the situation. I mention this to my GP who is only too happy to prescribe the Codeine Phosphate to take as required
I took metformin and put up with the side affects for 11 years before a nurse advised me to try the slow release version. It is much better. I take 2x 500 mg after breakfast and evening meal. I was told to take them with or straight after food.
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