Diabetic Diarrhoea

pau1200 said:

now I am trying to get things back under control should I change the metformin?

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You need to discuss this with your GP.

I agree with @Riva_Roxaban to consult your GP just to rule out other reasons for your diarrhoea. However just one thing to check, if you have only had one meal today did you take any dose of Metformin on an empty stomach?

I am on slow release Metformin and still get diarrhoea on low carb diet. It has been so bad that I choose to reduce my Metformin , but I would of course recommend checking with your go before following my example.

pau1200 said:

I will check with my Gp if I ever get an appointment, the occasional diarrhoea is something I have had since starting metformin, was really bad on normal but tolerable on SR. I will keep an eye on it but it’s good to hear other people suffer too.
I took my medication just after I ate my omelette so I wouldn’t say empty but just eaten.

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I was exactly the same. Started off on normal metformin building up to 4 tablets a day. From 2 tablets i had violent stomach upsets. They switched me to Sukkarto SR and built up to the full 4 a day. Still had fairly regular bouts of the squits which as a driver just couldn't be maintained. The DN told me to drop down to 2 a day then build up again. This went on for over a year and never was truly remedied. Whole days lost as chained to the house due to this. They changed me to 1 x Sukkarto a day combined with 1 injection a week of trulicity. Haven't had a dose of the yellow screamers since so maybe ask if you are suitable for that or a similar med? It seems many tolerate met/SR just fine but the ones of us who don't have a very tough path. Good luck.

I’m on SR and it has exactly the same result as normal Metformin for me. I find I can usually tolerate 2 tabs a day, but 4 give me awful problems. Low carb does seem to make it worse.

Is the brand Sukkarto? I had problems with that as the coating doesn't always dissolve consistently - since registering this with the GP and changing to other generic brands (not any by Morningside though) the problem has disappeared completely.

I’ve been on Metformin 10 years and I still get the problems. For me brand doesn’t matter, but low carb makes it worse.

pau1200 said:

Yes it’s sukkarto, always been that stuff since I have been on it. My doctor is a little useless in some ways as he says that it can’t be the tablets as the side effects would have gone by now. It’s not a constant thing and I can go weeks between suffering and then all of a sudden I suffer. It tends to happen just after eating 9/10 and with 30 minutes of finishing. Thinking about it I suffer more on a Sunday, I always skip breakfast in a Sunday. It then takes a few days to settle down before being back to normal.

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Honestly, ditching Sukkarto for other brands has completely resolved my issues. Erratic diarrhea is very unpleasant. It has a shellac coating which is the culprit.

1970clea said:

Is the brand Sukkarto? I had problems with that as the coating doesn't always dissolve consistently - since registering this with the GP and changing to other generic brands (not any by Morningside though) the problem has disappeared completely.

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I had this problem too. The enteric coating they use on Sukkarto is shellac, which is a varnish, Most Metformins use cellulose as the retardant. I had problems because I was also using a PPI med that reduced my stomach acid, so the Sukkarto came out exactly as it went in. Changed back to standard Metformin and was ok even on max dose (4 tabs). Had the occasional CB event (confined to bathroom) about once a month so not too bad.

pau1200 said:

Ok bit if an update, I’m seeing much better blood sugar control and getting readings into the 6s so happy with that.

I am still suffering with diarrhoea but struggling with my doctor. I spoke to him about it and he said it wouldn’t be the sukkurto and will change the medication but he does advise it. I’ve told him it’s the meds because if a I miss a few doses I don’t suffer and when I go back on them I get the diarrhoea. He believes if it was the sukkurto it wouldn’t come and go but reading on here that’s exactly how it can be. Any ideas, do I just live with it

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Force the issue with your doctor - there are many other brands he can prescribe. Why is he so adamant that it has to be this one? Kickback perhaps??

1970clea said:

Force the issue with your doctor - there are many other brands he can prescribe. Why is he so adamant that it has to be this one? Kickback perhaps??

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Sukkarto is a generic version of Metformin so is cheaper since it is 'off licence' and not patented. It is a copy.

pau1200 said:

Sorry for this post but I have been in slow release metformin for 3 years and still suffer the occasional bout of sudden diarrhoea.
I am just wondering could the change in diet, reduced intake and low carb have made my stomach unsettle and caused the slow release metformin to act up again.
Secondly does anyone else still suffer from ongoing occasional diarrhoea even when in slow release metformin, now I am trying to get things back under control should I change the metformin?

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Firstly, poor you, sympathise as I had this gut problem more or less all my life (now 68) but it is SO much better after I took charge of a pre-diabetic diagnosis (with zero help and no metformin from GP but that may have been a benefit!) started a very low carb diet (30g a day and NO bread/potatoes/pasta/rice/processed food), low calorie intake (1200 per day for a 5’5” female….I would be a barrel on the Gov’s 2000cal) mostly of green leafy veg, salad, full fat dairy, nuts, berries, limited meat, pulses. This, plus exercise (walking, Fitscript on YouTube) led to 10kg weight loss, healthy Blood Pressure and HbA1c 38. The BIGGEST benefit for me was that my gut function was transformed as well….couldn’t believe it. Early on I became a little constipated but then that resolved and it’s like I was a child again with regular, predictable motions.

Now, this isn’t scientific, but one thing that has occurred to me is that my gut may have been sensitive to the Gluten in bread as, if I ever have a sandwich (because there is nothing else available!), then my guts get ‘loose’ again…picnics are now a bowl of salad for that reason.

Lastly, as you can see from the forum, everyone is different, has different likes/dislikes but what we all need is encouragement to discover the best way forward. Kicking the sugar habit, if you have one, is really important and I would include in that ALL processed food, as if you look at the labels, most of it has added sugar and salt. Best of luck in your quest.

I was put on normal metformin with bad bowel results, was eventually put onto SR metformin for 2 yrs. I missed many days of work due to the medication, the worst was on holiday in Paris, which was ruined. The Dr referred me to a dietician who told me I wasn't keeping a true record of my eating habits, as SR didn't give me extremely loose bowels! Eventually my wonderful diabetic nurse told me to come off all medication for 3 wks whilst I went on holiday. everything was perfect, then I went back on the SR... every bit as bad. So I was put onto Glimepiride 1mg with main meal and I have never looked back. it is now in my medical notes NEVER to be given metformin of any sort again.

On a technicality, the SR version is the standard release version sometimes called Sustained Release. The extended release or delayed release versions are XR or ER. There is no IR (Immediate Release) version of this medication.

The orginal Metformin med was patented as Glucophage and was commonly called Goat's Rue because of the effect it had on that animal after eating rhe French Lilac, which is ths source of the medication. No wonder some call it Metfartin.

It is available as a herbal remedy
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-160/goats-rue