Metformin - taking daily dose all at once?

[PepperTed]

I was prescribed metformin about a week ago, so still learning about it.

I'm really struggling to take the four pills spread out throughout the day. Firstly, I am AWFUL at remembering pills (never forgot an injection in 15 years, though!) and second, I sometimes only have two meals a day and I don't want to take them on an empty stomach.

A diabetes nurse told me today I can take two at once, with a meal, but now it occurs to me that taking four all at once would be even easier. Even I can remember once a day, and I can have them with my main meal when there's a good amount of food in my stomach.

Does anybody do this? Is there any disadvantage to taking them all at once?

I had an upset stomach on the first day of taking them, but that quickly disappeared and I have no other side effects.

 

[cold ethyl]

I'd not take them four at once. You run risk of lactic acidosis and I would imagine your stomach would rebel at them too. Two twice a day is doable or ask for the slow release version which would be 2 once a day with evening meal at the full dose.

 

[Kat100]

I suggest and agree with asking for a slow release version ...and take with meals ...

 

[PepperTed]

I was afraid that would be the answer! 4 all at once did seem like a bit much.

I feel bad asking for the slow release version because it's so much more expensive. If I was having horrible side effects I'd feel justified, but my poor memory with pill-taking is a problem I can control with some effort.

I've set up reminders on Outlook for when I'm at work, so 15 minutes after my breakfast and lunch times it will flash up "PILL" at me. Hopefully that will help me remember to take two with one of those meals, and in the evening my family are tasked with reminding me to take two after dinner. Perhaps for weekends I can get my husband to set an alarm on his phone at lunch time as well.

 

[cold ethyl]

I don't think it's much more expensive and tbh if it helps you actually take the correct dose then I'd be asking if you could have it.

 

[Daibell]

The SR version is not much more expensive so do ask for it. You can take it much more flexibly as it works slowly. The leaflet gives guidance on what you can take and when

 

[Scouser58]

Hello PepperTed, yes a bad memory is a pest to deal with. I have to put my tablets out each night, by my bed 3 little cups, with different tablets in each one to be taken at different times. then after all they have been taken just before tea, I have to start again with the next lot, with the metformin being taken after my meal.....I have a DORO phone and it has an alarm setting that can be used for multiple prompts during the day, and the alarm goes off each morning at 9.30am, to make sure I am 'with it'

Please don't rely on anybody else, and get a plan going, for yourself, you are in control of the condition, good luck, ttfn from Karen.

 

[Alison5]

I was prescribed metformin about a week ago, so still learning about it.

I'm really struggling to take the four pills spread out throughout the day. Firstly, I am AWFUL at remembering pills (never forgot an injection in 15 years, though!) and second, I sometimes only have two meals a day and I don't want to take them on an empty stomach.

A diabetes nurse told me today I can take two at once, with a meal, but now it occurs to me that taking four all at once would be even easier. Even I can remember once a day, and I can have them with my main meal when there's a good amount of food in my stomach.

Does anybody do this? Is there any disadvantage to taking them all at once?

I had an upset stomach on the first day of taking them, but that quickly disappeared and I have no other side effects.

I've set alarms on my mobile to remind me to take mine, I take 1 with breakfast and 1 with dinner at night.

 

[JohnEGreen]

I have used in the past a pill dispenser that was marked for daily dosage with a compartment for each part of the day so you just load them with a compete days pills and take the pills from each compartment in turn Mine had enough compartments for a full weeks doses.

 

[Resurgam]

Just to alert you - I was taking Metformin and a statin together so I don't know what did what to me - but my memory was badly affected by a single tablet of each daily for five weeks - so much so that my husband stopped taking the statin he was on - as if both of us had got into the same state it would have meant huge changes in our lives. I did not realize anything was seriously wrong until I did all the shopping for Christmas 2016 TWICE - and left the first lot in the back of the car.

 

[Ajax]

I ✻habitually✻ take my Metformin doses after I've brushed my teeth ..after breakfast ..and after my evening meal.

Low tech ..but effective.

 

[ickihun]

I have them in the kitchen so meal and metformin. Or i bag with insulin for when eating out.
Memory by association.

Off metformin at mo but will try it again after an examination on my back. I haven't missed the windy problem. Adding weight thou.