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Are some brand's Metformin more effective than others?

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Doczoc

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Manchester
Hi I was wondering whether any of you had experienced differences in perrformance of different brands of Metformin? I was quite happily using the APS brand, doing well, then this month I was given Milpharm tablets instead. Apart from having a very violent reaction to alcohol on the weekend (something I never experienced with the APS pills) I feel like my BG levels are increasing. Yesterday I had two oatcakes and cream cheese and got a reading of 7.1 (usually about 5.8 for this meal) and this morning I had some low carb sausages and scambled egg and it went upt to 6.8, again I'm usually in the 5s after this meal. The foods are the same as normal, could it be the different brand?
 
Hi Doczoc,
Have had several brands of metformin over time but never experienced any difference. Have you got an old packet to compare the ingredients? If not, you may find this information on line. Failing either of those why not ask or ring the pharmacy and/or your G.P. to see if they can answer your query. It may be that you have a cold or virus heading your way.
Hope that helps,
Catherine.
 
The only big difference I know of - I'm not an expert by any means so it's a lay persons opinion - is between formulations. Standard release and modified release I mean. But there will be some difference between brands as they have slightly different formulations. To get a license they will have to have been shown to have the same plasma profile as the original 1st brand. How similar they have to be I don't know. Or if it makes any difference to glucose control. I doubt if you'd be able to get a descent comparison on the basis of 2 tests though! Clinical trials are huge!

I do know that for epilepsy meds the difference can be enough to effect seizure control. That is only if your control is on a kifeedge. The NICE guidelines were changed so that it says to stay on one 'brand' all the time. That means those of us who started on Lamictal before it came off license and anyone could produce their own 'brand' of lamotragine are still being prescribed Lamictal not a generic version. Even though it costs a lot more. We had a problem before the GP's surgeries woke up to the change in the NICE guidelines. All the surgeries were told to change the repeat prescriptions for Lamictal to lamotrigine - then the changed and we could ask them to be changed back to Lamictal.
 
Hi Doczoc,
As SilverAndEbony has expleined, there shouldn't be any difference between different brands, so it looks more likely to be an external cause, perhaps less exercise than usual, you have/are getting an infection, etc.
 
I never get the samesuff twice in a row( that's every medicine I have). Sometimes it's long boxes and sometimes square ones. I've never noticed any difference in use. My GP only prescribes generics, so the pharmacy just must get supplieas where ever they are cheaper. Sometimes they come with foreign labels.
 
Hi
As HANDR above I never got the same brand twice from my pharmacy, however about a year ago I experienced very bad diarrhea with a 'new' batch or brand of metformin, (I had been taking metformin for over 7 years at that point), it started when I started the new brand pack and continued until I ceased taking metformin altogether. My GP's said there should be no difference between brands but it was strange that when I stopped taking metformin the diarrhea stopped and started again if I took a tablet. However changing brands again did not stop the diarrhea so perhaps it was just coincidence :?:
 
Thanks for the advice guys, as it happens I crashed for 12 hours last night, maybe some kind of infection then. Qh well. Great help as ever! :D
 
Worth checking the "inactive" ingredients for differences. Lactose for example is NOT inactive if you are lactose intolerant!

I had what appeared to be a duff box of Olmesartan, either that or I had an infection that lasted exactly a month and went away when I opened the new box (may have been badly stored before I got it, this has been known to happen even with insulin occasionally)
 
Hi

Not been on the forum for so long hd to re-register

I have had a bad reaction in the past to a different make of Metformin, I went to my GP as had severe cramps and the runs for a week - he asked if I had changed my diet and then if any of my medication had changed. It turned out that he had had 3 diabetics in during that week with te same symptoms, apparently the different coatings can cause tummy upsets.

when I spoke to the chemist he said he had never heard of this before but agreed to not stock the offending supplier again.

Jacq
 
Thanks Jacq,
That's useful information to know.
 
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