Help me please x

[AlaskaRon]

Hi I'm Lisa I'm new here , please please please can anyone help me I have diabetes type 2 was diagnosed approx 7 months ago and was managing it by diet but my nurse put me on metformin approx 8 weeks ago and I've been nothing but ill since feeling sick and constantly practically living on the toilet I'm in there all the time no2 can't spell diareah sorry , as soon as I eat I'm there I can't keep anything in my tummy it's straight out! I can't go out anyware without looking we're the toilet is first I tried to go for a meal today and couldn't even make it home I have been sat crying and breaking my heart all night the pain I'm in too is unbearable, I did contact my nurse wondering if it was the metformin she put me on or is there some other illness I have she said it could be metformin all thou first week I was fine but it hit me by the 2nd /3rd week so she's changed it for metformin slow release I'm still no better I can't go on like this I'm bipolar and it's effecting that now I'm always tired as scared to eat now I lost 12lb in the first week (I am overweight so don't mind the weight loss but that's no way to lose weight by being so ill) please tell me is it the diabetic meds doing this ? My Drs even sending me to the hospital now but that's 3 1/2 months away x

Hi Lisa, I am type 2 as well. I am taking Metformin and Glyburide for my diabetes.

My doctor started me out with 500mg once a day for 2 weeks and then 500mg twice a day for a month, then switched me over to 1,000mg twice a day and now I am on the 1,000mg SR twice a day. I have soft stools but the stomach cramps have gone away. I think the gradual increase helped make the side effects less as intense. the slow release should also help with the side effects. Regular Metformin hits you harder after you take it then the slow release, the SR is a gradual release which should be less intense and help with the side effects.

The primary effect of taking Metformin is that this release of glucose from the liver is lessened, resulting in lower blood sugars. Metformin also works to lower blood sugar in two secondary ways: by increasing your sensitivity to insulin and decreasing the amount of glucose that is absorbed from the food you eat.

Glyburide causes your pancreas to release more insulin into the bloodstream. Metformin reduces the absorption of sugar, reduces the release of stored sugar from the liver, and helps your body's cells use sugar better.

Glyburide and metformin combination is used to treat high blood sugar levels caused by a type of diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) called type 2 diabetes . Normally, after you eat, your pancreas releases insulin to help your body store excess sugar for later use. This process occurs during normal digestion of food.

the combination has worked very well for me. I tried only the metformin for a couple days and was not as nearly as effective as the combination. Metformin works on the liver and Glyburide works on the pancreas.

Sorry if this went long and my not have been much help but I did get over the side effects after a while.

 

[MrsS]

Sorry, still new ish to this. I think the NHS advice will change soon to LCHF for T2s. Had my 6 mthly check 2 weeks ago, and hba1c up from 48 to 51 (which I know isn't terrible) Dr offered me Metformin but I declined and we talked through LCHF. Weirdly she'd attended a seminar the night before about this and how the speaker tore up all the 'eat well' leaflets and gave evidence on the effects of LCHF. BUT I've found this really hard to stick to though and quite pricey but willing to have another go to get the numbers down by next test. Really don't want Metformin...

 

[Art Of Flowers]

What was your blood sugar levels at diagnosis, and what were they when you last saw your diabetes nurse?

Metformin lowers blood sugars a very small amount compared to a LCHF diet. The LCHF diet is about 5 times more effective than Metformin in reducing blood sugar. So, provided you are on a low carb diet, you wont see much difference to your blood sugars if you stop taking Metformin because you are getting severe side effects from taking it.

You need to get a blood glucose meter and test regularly to see how your blood sugars are going. At diagnosis my fasting blood glucoses level was 13.1. Five weeks later it dropped to 9.8 and it drooped further down to 6.2 after a few more weeks after I started the LCHF diet. Most of this drop in blood sugar was due to reducing carbs in my diet rather than Metformin. Since February I have reduced the amount of Metformin I take, but my blood sugars have continued to decline as I have further reduced the amount of carbs I eat.

 

[MrsS]

What was your blood sugar levels at diagnosis, and what were they when you last saw your diabetes nurse?

Metformin lowers blood sugars a very small amount compared to a LCHF diet. The LCHF diet is about 5 times more effective than Metformin in reducing blood sugar. So, provided you are on a low carb diet, you wont see much difference to your blood sugars if you stop taking Metformin because you are getting severe side effects from taking it.

You need to get a blood glucose meter and test regularly to see how your blood sugars are going. At diagnosis my fasting blood glucoses level was 13.1. Five weeks later it dropped to 9.8 and it drooped further down to 6.2 after a few more weeks after I started the LCHF diet. Most of this drop in blood sugar was due to reducing carbs in my diet rather than Metformin. Since February I have reduced the amount of Metformin I take, but my blood sugars have continued to decline as I have further reduced the amount of carbs I eat.

I've never taken Metformin and hopefully won't as will give LCHF another go. Too happy to prescribe pills, but have found LC hard to stick to x

 

[MrsS]

I've never taken Metformin and hopefully won't as will give LCHF another go. Too happy to prescribe pills, but have found LC hard to stick to x

Never had a meter either but thinking of buying one..

 

[Lisaajb16]

Hi thank you my luvlies for all excellent advice I have a update guys I've been referred to hospital to gastro I go in aug and eventually the dr has now taken me off metphormine and put me on glystraside got to say instead of going to the toilet 12 times a day it's more like 2/3 times now , just had bloods done so waiting for results only thing different I'm experiencing is I'm always tired more than usual but just wanted to update how things are going xxx

 

[Lisaajb16]

What was your blood sugar levels at diagnosis, and what were they when you last saw your diabetes nurse?

Metformin lowers blood sugars a very small amount compared to a LCHF diet. The LCHF diet is about 5 times more effective than Metformin in reducing blood sugar. So, provided you are on a low carb diet, you wont see much difference to your blood sugars if you stop taking Metformin because you are getting severe side effects from taking it.

You need to get a blood glucose meter and test regularly to see how your blood sugars are going. At diagnosis my fasting blood glucoses level was 13.1. Five weeks later it dropped to 9.8 and it drooped further down to 6.2 after a few more weeks after I started the LCHF diet. Most of this drop in blood sugar was due to reducing carbs in my diet rather than Metformin. Since February I have reduced the amount of Metformin I take, but my blood sugars have continued to decline as I have further reduced the amount of carbs I eat.

Blood sugars have been 13.8 11.3 7.3 lowest 4.5 the lower reading was when taking glystaside it went from 11.8 to 4.5 then it goes between 7.3 & 5.3 now so I think that's working for me at the minute but there te doing bloods again in 3 weeks time xx