On metformin 3 yrs sudden problem

[oskanoears]

hi folks after being on metformin for 3 plus years and insulin, I have suddenly developed gastric upset from metformin. Has anyone else has problems this far down the line.. I know a lot of people suffer with it at outset but I never did.
Any stories of if you've had this and what the outcome was would be grately appreciated
Cheers Andy

 

[Brunneria]

Have you just started a new batch of tablets? Or is the pharmacy supplying a different brand of metformin?
Sometimes they change the ingredients a little and that can make a difference.

If things don't settle soon, I suggest you contact the doc and discuss it with him.

The other possibility is that it is nothing to do with metformin, or diabetes. Any chance you have picked up a tummy bug which is causing your problems?

 

[oskanoears]

I thought it could be a bug I had it 3 weeks before going to my doctor, I've then abstained from it this weekend to see if it made any difference.. Sadly this put my fasting read from its usual 4.something to 8.8 so the acid test came today by the reintroduction of it and all gastric issues have returned.. Re the tablet batch; I have the same manufacturer of tablet that I always have.. Others have upset me on the past, it's poss they've changed their formula I guess and I could enquire as to this with my pharmacist.
Cheers Andy

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Are you on ordinary metformin or the slow release version?

If it turns out that your doctor says you need to stop taking metformin, don't panic because you may be able to take another diabetes medication, and if you decide not to, then it is usually possible to control T2 diabetes by changing what you eat. Have you seen the welcome info post that @daisy1 provides?

 

[britishpub]

Hi. I appear to have had a similar issue recently.

I've bored everyone on here saying how I had no side effects from Metformin, and how I can take them whenever even without food.... Blah blah.

Suddenly over the last week or so I have been suffering too. I stopped the Metformin over the weekend and have felt a bit better, so I guess the test as to whether it was the drugs or something else will be if I start taking them again.

I'm hoping it was just a bug.

 

[oskanoears]

Are you on ordinary metformin or the slow release version?

If it turns out that your doctor says you need to stop taking metformin, don't panic because you may be able to take another diabetes medication, and if you decide not to, then it is usually possible to control T2 diabetes by changing what you eat. Have you seen the welcome info post that @daisy1 provides?

Thanks for your input daisy, however my diabetes cannot be diet controlled. I'm on insulin as well anyway and don't fit any std profile for type 2 I.e I'm 11st 10 and 5:11Built like a racing snake And only 36 diagnosed at 32. Abstaining from metformin took my readings from very very stable 4-7s even post prandial to an alarming 17.9 post prandial.

 

[ButtterflyLady]

Thanks for your input daisy, however my diabetes cannot be diet controlled. I'm on insulin as well anyway and don't fit any std profile for type 2 I.e I'm 11st 10 and 5:11Built like a racing snake And only 36 diagnosed at 32. Abstaining from metformin took my readings from very very stable 4-7s even post prandial to an alarming 17.9 post prandial.

When someone clearly has T2, then it should be possible to control it with diet, unless there are unusual medical reasons, but when it's less clear that it's T2, as in your case, then that doesn't apply, IMO. So, it looks like if your doctor agrees with stopping metformin, you will need to adjust your insulin to keep your BGs under control.