• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

im an idiot!

kazlincs

Well-Known Member
Messages
135
Location
lincolnshire
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
the doc put me on Metformin last week.. i thought he said one tablet (500mg) once a day with evening meal..
but the packet says THREE at the same time once a day!! is this normal?! does anyone else have 3 tabs? (1500mg) a day in one go?!
it seems alot to take in one go! and they are like flipping horse pills!
 
Hi @kazlincs

It's likely that you were told to take one a day for the first week, two a day for the second week and three a day from the third week onwards. It's unusual to take three in one go, I used to take 2000mg a day, but this was two in the morning and two in the evening. It's possible that you're supposed to take one at each mealtime? You can check with your dispensing pharmacy if you're unsure, they should be able to help.

Hope this helps!
 
thanks.. it definately says three tablets once a day! typical that i notice these things on a friday night.. with the docs shut til monday! lol
i think i may take 2 tables tomorrow..
my doc defo didnt say to take one tab then 2 then three..!
i didnt hear three mentioned at all! lol
ah well, i guess it will sort itself out soon! ill take 2 of them tomorrow.. im sure it wont hurt to take 2 tabs a day for the next few days at least..
 
Some people find that they get 'gastric problems' with Metformin, it may be better to take them one, then two, then three to build up a tolerance to them. I'm not a doctor but this is what most people are told to do, your pharmacist will be able to help if you're unsure.

Good luck!
 
to be honest, im not impressed with my G.P anyway, so i'm contacting them monday to ask if the 3 tabs is correct.. if it is.. then i am going to do it gradually.. no matter what he says! i would rather make sure my body doesnt mess up in that way, as i cant afford to lose work due to 'illness' that can be possibly avoided!
 
Unimpressive GPs is a recurring theme on the forum, the good ones are few and far between.

You wouldn't necessarily need time off work, if you weren't too far from a toilet....... If you do get the 'gastric problems' (I didn't), you can ask your GP for Metformin Slow Release (SR), it's a little kinder on the stomach.

Are you newly diagnosed?
 
i was diagnosed 7 yrs ago, but recently put on the slow release metformin..
i also suffer from IBS, so i already have a dodgy tummy at times!
my worry is that i work in retail, and can be with one customer for an hour or more at times! so getting to the loo quick could be a
major problem! so that does scare me quite a bit!! lol
im sure i will find out on monday what the dosage is.. and like i said before.. i think i will take 2 tabs tomorrow night, which will be exactly a week after i started them!
 
If you're already on the slow release you should be ok.

And yes I can see that rushing off to the loo could be an issue!
 

Is your Metformin marked SR or MR? If it is, it's the slow release version, which is more expensive, but can be kinder to your tummy. As I understand it, with the SR/MR versions the full days dose can be taken at one time.

I have never taken any meds, so what I don't know is whether you need to work to, via one tablet then two tablets a day to the full dose, but someone else would know that.
 

..lol that made me laugh, most of us have been there!

If you're on the slow release metformin kazlincs, they shouldn't upset your stomach....I have seen in here that some take three at once but even so, if the directions on the box are different from what you've been told, then better get it checked on Monday...
 
When I was on SR Metformin, I used to take 2 1000 mg tablets once a day. I went back to regular metformin because they were too slow for my system.

I would still build the SR ones up slowly over a couple of weeks. Wheat was the trigger for my IBS, I gave that up and went low carb and mostly my stomach behaves itself.
 
I would definately check with surgery, it could be the pharmacy made a mistake with the script. I take 2 tablets 2 times a day.
 
chris lowe said:
I would definately check with surgery, it could be the pharmacy made a mistake with the script. I take 2 tablets 2 times a day.
Click to expand...
ps Your are not an idiot, but sometimes other people make us think we are a bit simple minded if not totally brain dead!
 
loving some of the replies im getting! great to see we all have a sense of humour about things! lol
i have just taken 2 metformin (literally 5 mins ago) and we will see what happens this week.
im going for bloods on monday to check for coeliac disease, i dont think im that.. just wheat intolerant.. not allergic!
i just LOVE carbs!! what do you people eat without carbs?!! im fussy eater.. there arent many veg i like..
peas.. raw carrots (not cooked! yuk!) sweetcorn.. peppers, mushrooms and onions.. that about it for me!
ive just bought some wheat free pasta.. but i love rice, bread and potatoes.. and i know the wheat free bread is awful! lol
 
I am on the normally tablets and yes you will need to slowly up them. I couldnt leave the toilet for a while but it does get better. I have cut back on carbs slowly but yes its hard. I don't eat pasta or potatoes now. But still have rice but smaller amounts. I have changed to brown bread so I don't eat some much of it (love freshly baked white bread major weekness so I don't buy it ) doing that I have lost a stone in 2 weeks and my sugar levels have been mostly in normal range. My gp has advised me if I continue the way I am I could be off my tablets by end of year.
 
wow! a STONE?!! awesome! i could do with losing that! and more! lol
my fave bread is morrisons own made fresh tiger bread!!

maybe you could try the corn pasta? im not sure what the difference is in carbs though.. i dont really understand the carbs thing.. do we look at how much carbs there are in a product? or how much 'of which sugars'..?! or both?! and what is the limit on carbs, say per 100g?

basmati rice is meant to be better than long grain rice.. im not sure if thats just general health wise.. or from a diabetic point of view?
 
Yep a stone. Just another 4 more and I will be happy.

I look at both per portion and make sure they under 10g. Might not be a good idea in long term but working ok now. Best of reading up on it. Other people on here follow the low carb high fat diet and say it works for them. But you should really look in to it first to see if it suits you. Well take care kazlincs. And no your not a idiot. X
 
haha! Thank you for saying that! I did feel like one for a while there! lol
i really hope you get to your goal weight, but im thinking you most definately WILL manage it! you seem very determined!
and thank you for your advice take care and i hope to hear about your weightloss in the future! x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…