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Hi and can you help?

Ribann50

Member
Messages
8
Hello all, I'm new to the forum.
I was diagnosed T2 some 14 months ago and did dally on a forum elsewhere briefly when first diagnosed. It was helpful, but its good to see an area devoted to type 2s.

Forgive me for starting out on a less than tasteful note but I'm beginning to despair. Can I talk bowel movements for a moment? :sick:
I was originally on 4 x Metformin a day but persistent horrible diarrhoea caused too many problems and I was put onto SR Metformin. This improved things considerably; not perfect but much, much more tolerable. Many months later suddenly the problems I experienced on the normal Metformin are back. For the last week I have been struggling, glad that I am at least at home (being off work after a foot op in December). I'm now feeling completely drained and thoroughly fed up.

Has anyone else experienced this on SR Metformin and, if so, what did you do about it?
I'm just off to buy some slimline ginger ale, I have found it helpful if I have had stomach upsets in the past.

Help
 
Hello and welcome here. You will find we discuss anything and everything on here, there is no embarrassment.
It sounds like you are one of those who do not tolerate Metformin well. It is probably best to go and see the doc. and see what else he/she has to offer, there are lots of alternatives that work in a different way.

H
 
I'm on the ordinary metformin and find that if I eat wheat the stomach problems are back. My suggestion would be to have a trial of cutting out wheat and see if it helps.
 
Oh I can so sympathise with you. I am also on Metformin same as you. I asked my doctor for SR last summer and he prescribed it but I found it made no difference. I am having terrible problems with bowels at the moment having near accidents when out which is scary. Luckily most of them happen at home but it is making me a bit paraniod about going out. When I mention it to my doctor he just says that Metformin is the best medication for me but does not give me help in solving my problem. I have already been to the loo four times this morning, hope it calms down now and I can go out shopping !! Sorry I am not much help with a soloution to the problem.
 
I also meant to ask others on the forum, have they found having to go to the loo so much makes them loose weight, I am loosing weight without trying and wondered if this could be the cause.
 
Before cutting out the wheat, I used to get lots of undigested food - average time from one end to the other was about 12 hours (sorry if TMI), I think this sort of thing can cause vitamin and mineral deficiencies. It probably does cause weight loss if the food doesn't hang around for too long. I always weigh less if I've had an 'attack' by accidentally eating wheat.
 
Hi, I did have the same as you, I found that I have to take my SR Metformin at the same time as food and I get less problems, if I wait till an hour after I have eaten (or more) I am in for an upset tummy the next day. By reducing my BGs I have managed to reduce my Metformin dose to 2 x 500mg a day (from 4 x 500mg). This helped immensely, I don't have anything like the problems I had before on 4. If you can get your numbers down you might be able to request this reduction in dosage to help.

No embarassment here, we talk about allsorts!!
 
Hi again folks
Thanks so much for the responses. It's reassuring to hear that I am not alone in this, not for you I know. Cosy, your problems sound so familiar and yes, it has made me lose weight. I'm pleased about the weight loss but not the best way to go about it.

I do worry that it interferes with vitamin absorption and know for a fact that it interferes with the absorption of other medication (I won't explain how I know, that would definitely be TMI. I'll leave it to your imagination :shock: ). I think that's why I feel so drained.

I'm on 2 x 750mg SRs a day and pretty much always take the tabs with food, but it doesn't seem to make much difference. I will look into the wheat thing just in case, that hadn't crossed my mind. And Fraddycat…I'm working on it

Thanks again all,
Ribann
 
I have never thought about the wheat thing must see if it affects me more. This is what I am worried about not absobing vitamins and minerals, I have tried to loose weight for years with no success and now I feel it is falling off whithout me trying, is a bit worring. I feel I eat and it just comes out the other end so to speak. I am due back at doctor on Wednesday and am hoping that my blood sugar readings have come down and I may be able to cut some of me medication, he has cut out one of my blood pressure tablets recently so that is a start.
 
Ribann50 said:
Many months later suddenly the problems I experienced on the normal Metformin are back. For the last week I have been struggling,
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome to the forum, there are other drugs that can cause the same problems and I wonder if you have changed any other meds recently that my have caused this current problem as it is usual for this type of thing to reduce in frequency and urgency with time not the reverse as seems to have happened to you.

I may be wrong of course but I just wonder if something else could be responsible. If there are no other factors involved then I would go and see my doctor and ask about alternatives if I were you as there are a range of other drugs available for treating T2 diabetes.
 
Hi. Although Metformin SR is the best drug if you are overweight and hence insulin resistant (it also reduces liver output of glycogen)there are some other options. Gliclazide is commonly prescribed although it is best if your pancreas needs a prod. Sitagliptin can help reduce spikes. The 'glitazones' can help improve insulin sensitivity although they are becoming less popular due to some side effects. Sadly a small proportion of people do have problems with Met even the SR version.
 
Hello again
I suppose every drug has side effects of some sort.
I did take a different brand of painkiller which might have sparked something off, I have found before that different brands can have different effects. I still don't feel entirely "safe" but things are a little calmer today. Perhaps it was just a blip and will go as quickly as it came, but if not I will pop back to the doctor.

Cosy, I hope things go well on Wednesday.
Ribann
 
The best food to help your situation would be Flaxseed, wither milled or in oil form.
It'a a Diaabetic super food!
 
tree-peony said:
for me, the Metformin SR side effects stopped when I stopped eating lettuce!
Click to expand...

That is bizarre!

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