Does anyone else have have side effects of Metformin

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lyndsaychocolate

Member
Messages
8
Hi

i am a type 2 diabetic although i am on insulin as after a pancreatic scan my consultant told me my pancreas has packed up altogether practically and i make little or no insulin at all.

the trouble is i am insulin resistant as well. i have been taking as i explained tothe experts forum 2000 mg ordinary metformin tablets a day and then after terrible side effects after a very long time on them was given long acting metformin tablets but my doctor not my consultant dropped them to just one 500 mg table last thing at night.

the effects i get on metformin are the same as i have read here to some extent. i found that having them with food in the middle of eating stopped the tummy troubles and trots but if i did not eat enough boy i suffered for it.

what is worrying me is that my tastebuds have alterered beyond all recognition and i just dont want to eat my appetite has almost gone. the only thing i can eat at the moment is porridge or cereal. its driving my famly mad as i cant make up my mind what to have in the evening after a long days work. i used to love pasta and garlic i cant stand it now and cant stand evening washing my daughters bowl out after her as she loves it and the smell makes me physically sick. i have a metalic taste in my mouth and most things taste of washing up liquid even though i rinse all my dishes etc.

is there an alternative to metformin can one take something else instead of this tablet that reduces insulin resistants as well....my doctor told me there is not but i just cant simply believe that and feel that since i went to the consultant she has taken less and less interest in me and my diabetis.

i look forward to reading if anyone else has had the same side effects.....i also get depressed which i never did before i took them, my legs ache all the time and i cant seem to sleep a night through either. Get awful thrush and stuff as my sugar is constantly 12 or 16 no matter if i dont eat anything at all.....help!

kind regards
Lyndsay
 
Patch

Patch

Well-Known Member
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I had an answer drafted for you - but I deleted it for fear of offending you. I'd hoped someone would word it better than me, but no-one has, so here goes:

If you're not hungry, don't eat. There's a lot to be said for intermittent fasting, and a day without eating might do you good, as well as bring your appetite back. You need to ask yourself if you're eating because you like eating, or eating because you're hungry.

Eating porridge and cereal is VERY BAD for most T2s (like me). If that is all you are eating, that is why your numbers are 12+. You've got to get these numbers down.

A metallic taste in the mouth is usually an indication of some kind of mineral deficiency. Maybe you could get tested for this.

You should avoid pasta - like porridge and cereal, this is not good for most T2s.

You should take these complaints to your GP. It does seem odd that you are only on Metformin, when you say that your pancreas has completely packed up. (Metformin increases your sensitivity to
the insulin your pancreas is producing - so if it is producing NONE, what is the metformin doing?)

I hope this helps - but I would DEFINITELY go to your GP if I was you.
 
H

hanadr

Expert
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As Patch has said, if your pancreas has packed up completely, You need insulin and Metformin alone will not help you.
A diet high in starch will make the situation worse.
I know zinc deficiency causes a metallic taste in the mouth, but you need a doctor to get you tested for minerals.
In yyyour position, I would ask to see a specialist.
Should you find yourself feeling very ill and with high blood sugars, I would go to A&E immediately.
 
K

Knapweed

Active Member
Messages
27
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I read your post several days ago but did not have a chance to reply.
I was in the unfortunate position to suffer from depression before I was identified as a Type 2 diabetic.
The reason for me wanting to reply is that I loved cooking and eating but with the advent of my depression I didn't enjoy anything, I would start a meal and after two or three mouthfuls I would give up eating because I couldn't be bothered. I also has disturbed sleep resulting from my deprression. I was off work and medication helped my depression.
I moved house, changed doctor and with the new practice, and the blood tests that you get when you join a new practice, I was diagnosed as Type 2 diabetic.
Having done some reading, I could have had high blood sugar for a long time which may have contributed to my depression. I also suffered with thrush type infection (yes, even a bloke) which had it's own effects. As soon as I was diagnosed and got my blood sugar under control I improved on all these fronts.
I'm on metformin,follow a low carb diet and test regularly. My blood sugar is usually in the 5.4 - 6.5 mmol/L range occasionally creeping up to 7.4.
I do feel a lot of empathy with you but controlling your blood sugar is paramount and under control may contribute to lifting your mood. I do think discussing the depression with your doctor would be advisable because I'm sure they are all inter-linked. Hope your health care help is as good as mine.
Hope this helps and wish you well.
Ken
 
L

lyndsaychocolate

Member
Messages
8
Hi

Thanks for all your comments very much appreciated even the frank ones which i appreciate.

you misunderstand me though, sorry it was my fault the way i worded it. i am taking insulin as well as metformin and have been on metformin for a couple of years on and off as my doctor kept persisting that i use this.

i have since talked to a diabetic specialist nurse and she said the side effects i am getting are very common with metformin and that i should not be on it at all. The metallic taste apparently is due to the metformin as well she says.

i am seeing my specialist consultant in November and will discuss stuff with her. i only eat small amounts as well not huge amounts. if i went without food and took insulin i would go into a hypo so i dont think i could not eat anything at all....

Lyndsay
 
L

lyndsaychocolate

Member
Messages
8
By the way why is porridge bad for you?

My diabetic nurse said that porridge was extremely good for diabetics because it was slow release into the blood stream and they tell you to eat carbohydrates....i dont understand as i have seen this as being bad before can anyone help.

i have had no help with diet advice at all ever.....i am at long last going to see a dietician in November as well. i dont really understand what food is good for diabetics apart from the obvious no sugar at all.

would be grateful for any feedback. thanks.
 
C

cugila

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Porridge MAY be bad for you. Without testing at 1, 2 and 3 hrs YOU will not know if it is good or bad.

I cannot tolerate the amount of carbs in Porridge at all as it shoots my Bg levels up, despite being slow release. After 3 hrs my levels are still in the clouds !!

Test and see.
 
C

cugila

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Ooops ! :)
Should have also said, test just before eating the Porridge as well.
 
K

kevin261168

Newbie
Messages
1
yes i did yr doctor can change yr tablets they made me sick bad sore head could not keep my food down 2 go 2 yr doctor get them changed hope this helps u kevin
 
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Geoffo

Member
Messages
8
Personally I find that putting on just 6 pounds in weight renders Metformin ineffective!! Watch your weight - this is probably the most important thing for Type 2's that are not on insulin.

I agree with earlier postings about porridge, pasta - add bread, cereals, fruit, cakes, potatoes, root veg to that list. They all make levels shoot up. The odd fasting is cool - but keep taking the metformin whilst you do so.

Good breakfasts - kippers or bacon (no fat) & scrambled eggs. No toast! Good dinners - steak/chicken/fish + lots of green veg (no spuds or roots). It sounds hard, but well worth it.

There is also some truth about combinations of foods. I can have a Little Chef (sorry) Olympic Breakfast every now & then (bacon, chips, mushrooms, sausages, tomatoes, fried eggs, toast) - with little effect (Metformin 1000mg morning, ditto evening) - but the same portion of chips on their own will make my levels sky-high.

Everyone is different. BMI makes a huge difference. Exercise makes a huge difference - when nobody is around try some energetic dancing to the radio/tv - good fun, and works!

Test often & take control - you'll be able to work out what works for you. But don't tempt fate with regular high carb food - it's a phsycological thing as much as anything else. Don't become too self-obsessive - worry & stress will raise your blood sugar levels.

As regards the trots with Metformin - remember that many sweeteners (not just in "diabetic" foods) have that effect - steer well clear. Food labelling - it's the carb content that is vital, and the ingredients. The nearer the top of the list - the higher the amount. Sugar content can be calculated in many ways - and can often be misleading. If the product contains fructose, corn syrup, malt syrup, sugar, lactose, gluclose - and the sugar content is stated as 4mg per 100, then it's probably wrong! And carbs end up as sugar anyway.

I can't comment on the insulin & metformin regime though.
 
T

thatch

Newbie
Messages
1
You say that you are insulin resistant. Why not ask your doctor for an alternative? My brother, who is Type 2 and lives in North Essex, is an HGV driver. He feared going on insulin because it means automatically losing your HGV licence. His doctor has put him on some new type of injection - not insulin - taken once a day at any time (same time every day), with or without food and because it's not insulin he keeps his licence. He also has to take Metformin. So, pester your GP. There are alternatives available.
 
Kansenji

Kansenji

Well-Known Member
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76
Type of diabetes
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As you can see from my signature below, I am administering high doses of insulin. I was also put on slow release Metformin but was taken off it as it was suspected (along with Aspirin) of causing stomach & duodenal inflammation (bleeding). That led to me having a Gastroscopy in which biopsies were taken. Twelve hours later I was rushed to hospital, losing large amounts of blood from both ends of me; the biopsy sites had continued to bleed copiously and I very nearly died. I received a large blood transfusion & surgery to stop the bleeding. My Metformin and prescribed daily Aspirin were both stopped.

Some months later, a hospital consultant insisted I should try the Metformin again; this was increased to four tablets per day. I suffered extremely bad diarrhea, which other medications were unable to control. The Metformin also triggered major heartbeat problems and also Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver); my GP stopped the Metformin again & said "your body obviously cannot tolerate Metformin". Within ten days, ALL three problems had disappeared!

I recently had an "urgent" appointment with another consultant. Whilst at the hospital, a blood glucose reading was taken (three hours after breakfast) and it read 27.6mmols. I was immediately put on Pioglitazone tablets, in addition to the Insulin; this has had the effect of stabilising my blood glucose. I have follow-up appointments soon.
 
W

willowhisper

Member
Messages
8
Hi,

Metformin almost always gives you 'the bloat'. You should *NEVER* take it without food. You should not really drink alcohol on Metformin and never ever on an empty stomach with or without Metformin. The bad metal taste should go after a few weeks. Also, *very important* is to *NEVER* get dehydrated while using Metformin. You must always drink a good amount during the day. Tht is vital. If not, you run a serious risk of increasing your chances of some very nasty and dangerous side effects... and even lactic acidosis.

Metformin is one of the best treatments for insulin resistance. It is also the medication with the least harmful side effects (unless you are very unlcuky and cannot tolerate them at all).
I take 3 tabs a day and nothing else. Maybe you should record what you eat. Perhaps certain foods can make Metformin's wind producing abilities afr worse. Try to avoid mixing starches and proteins too much. As above..less carbs is far better. Eat porridge is small amounts. It's very good for cleaning arteries and lowering LDL Cholesterol. Try to loose weight.../sigh...it's hard! But never give up. If your side effects do not subside after all this...then tell the doc to change your meds OR ELSE!

For me, I have very painful aches when I try to do any exerices. This improves when I drink more. Especially at night... BUT never 100% goes away. It's very hard for me to exercise and I am only 73kilo's, so I can exercise.

Metformin does decrease your appetite and it is one of it's benefits. My T2 Diabetes really has me wanting to eat way too much. I was going to lower my dose with Dr's consent, because my HBA1C is 4.2-4.7 and in the 'excellent' according to my Dr...but my hunger and control went sky high. I think T2 Diabetes is another name for food addicts. If you are addicted to a substance you cannot control the desire for it. Seriously though, I think the insulin imbalance causes appetite issues BIG TIME. I believe it's a circle. Fat=insulin resistance.. =hunger= FAT!

/sigh
HUGS and never give up... things will improve!
 
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