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Is Metformin damaging your quality of life, or killing you?

A

alicia kerr

Member
Hi
I've recently had to stop taking Metformin after 18 years, as an increase from one twice a day to 2 twice a day, caused such severe symptoms. I basically started to retain fluid, yet had constant diarrhoea. I gained around 5 kilos of fluid over a very short space of time and stopped passing urine.
Since stopping the Metformin, I've lost the fluid, but also the daily abdominal pain and discomfort i'd had for 18 years and had investigated on numerous occasions. My blood sugars on diet and exercise are lower than on medication, though its too early to say if this will be sustained.
I have a feeling i'm not alone with my symptoms. Metformin may be cheap to prescribe, but I suggest the ultimate cost to the NHS, is phenomenal. The cost of investigations for abdominal and other physical symptoms, let alone the mental health of victims of side effects, must be staggering.
I suggest anyone taking this pernicious drug and have the symptoms I've described should see their GP or diabetic specialist. I use the word pernicious because long term use could necessitate vitamin B12 injections, increase the need for antacids such as Omeprazole, which may in turn deplete magnesium levels, causing a whole host of other problems.
Am I alone?
 
I’m sure you’re not alone, however I take Metformin and so far after an initial week of intestinal symptoms I tolerate it very well now. I think individuals have to decide for themselves, having weighed up the pros and cons, whether Metformin is for them. If they feel it’s of benefit and are aware of possible side effects they might get then why not? I hope you continue to feel well.
 
I was lucky, I had none of the classic side effects of Metformin. Being wheelchair bound if I had had the gastric upset that many people report I would have had to move into the bathroom. It would not have taken long before I would have given up taking the drug. May I ask if you ever connected the drug to your symptoms? If yes, why not give it up?

I was on a drug in the past that after roughly six years started to make me retain fluid, once I made the connection I stopped taking it and referred the problem to my GP. Coincidentally, the drug had been found to raise the risk of stroke soon after and I was switched to a lesser effective drug but it is considered safer. I now find that the second drug raises bg and I am trying to lower the dosage with a view to stopping it altogether. Ultimately, I am responsible for my own health, I will never again be party to blind faith when it comes to pharmaceuticals of any description. We live and learn as I am sure you do.

I hope your health has not been permanently damaged and that you continue to improve. Best wishes.

Edited to add.
The drug in question was Etoricoxib, now only prescribed under the direction of a Consultant.
 
I've been taking it now for nearly three years. 1g once a day after dinner. No side effects at all. I am taking the slow release version though. There seems to be some empirical link between the types at least from reading this site.
Glenn
 
I could never tolerate Metformin, I really suffered while I was on it. And I took it for couple of years and honestly, my sugar was always high regardless the medication. Until last three years when I switched to Amaryl then it’s a miracle drug to me besides Alogliptin. My sugar haven’t been this stable in a long time.
 
 
 
I agree that people should continue to use Metformin if they are not having side effects, but often people are ignorant as to what those side effects might be and put their symptoms down to something else, as I did for 18 years! I am gluten, chilli, mushrooms, seafoods, vinegar and rum and recently lactose intolerant, all developing over the last 18 years. I have never associated any of them with Metformin. I will be reintroducing these things into my diet after a rest period, to test my theory that they are all related to my medication, especially as my often debilitating painful abdominal cramps, followed by urge diarrhoea have stopped completely since stopping the medication.
Quality of life is important and no one should put up with side effects without exploring alternatives and having the knowledge to give an informed consent.
 
Perhaps slow release is a better choice. It must be more expensive as I don't know many people on it. I'm really glad its working for you.
 
I'm glad you've found a way out, and are getting better, hang on in there.

I hate Metformin. I took it for about three months, and it gave me severe breathlessness and chest pains. Like you, I had a few extra investigations, an ECG, lung function tests, etc. There were a couple of occasions where I was unsure if I would survive the night, but more importantly, I didn't care.

Pernicious. Agreed. Absolute poison to me.

The thing is, because so many tolerate it so well, when these unusual and debilitating side effects occur the drug itself is rarely questioned, even when the symptoms come on very suddenly with great severity.
 
 
 
Ive never had my HbA1cs measured as frequently as many on here, perhaps because of the length of time i've been on meds. Its been mainly 6month or a year. Ive found such a length of time between readings, meant I ignored the results and monitored using my testing strips. Ive fluctuated wildly between 45-116mmol/. My weight has fluctuated also between 58-60kg depending on how much fluid I retained.
I'm now 57kg and my readings are between 37.7-73.2mmols, depending mainly on how active Ive been and the extent of pre-satiation at meal times.
Does everyone have regular lab tests?
 
alicia kerr said:
Perhaps slow release is a better choice. It must be more expensive as I don't know many people on it. I'm really glad its working for you.
Click to expand...
I believe that these days the slow release form of Metformin is not much dearer than the ordinary. I think GP's instructions are to start people off on the basic and then move them to extended if they are having problems. Sadly, the majority of people probably don't ask to change. I wanted Metformin to help with post prandial bgs, but at the same time I like to take it during a meal to avoid digestive troubles, so it was most probably kicking in too late to be any use at that meal. I asked to change to the extended release and at the same time asked to change to the brand Glucophage, as Dr Bernstein says this may be up to twice as effective as the generic. My GP demurred a bit, but then I think he saw that even Glucophage was not very much more expensive, so he humoured me. I increased at the same time from 1500mg to 2g AND to Glucophage XR, so I can't say which change has been the more effective. Certainly my readings are now consistently much lower, which is what counts.
 
I was losing the will to live on Metformin and a statin, started and stopped at the same time after five weeks of dreadful side effects.
I have been urged to restart them whenever I saw anyone involved in my care, diabetes education people and nurses - but the last time I asked if no record of the state I got into was put into my notes, and it had not been - I said it should be recorded and reported, but was told that as I was taking two tablets it was not possible, as it was not clear which one was the problem.
I would bring it up with my doctor but I have not seen him since diagnosis.
 
Hi. Anyone suffering with standard Metformin should be offered the SR (Slow Release) version by the GP. In my opinion any GP who doesn't do that is incompetent as it is only a bit more expensive and many of us are on it. The GP should not 'give' the patient side effects unnecessarily. I was lucky as my GP prescribed the SR version from Day 1.
 
I have infertility problems if not on metformin.
Now not wanting anymore metformin induced pregnancies I was sterilised as I gain so much from metformin treatment.
I'm on a break from it as I'm new to ibs and wanted to be able to distinguish between ibs and tummy problems from metformin taking.
I'm hoping to return to its benefits, to my body, after approx. 22yrs of taking it.
My 2 sons wouldnt have been conceived without it.
I'm sorry it doesn't benefit everyone since it has brought me huge joy in my life.
 
alicia kerr said:
Am I alone?
Click to expand...

No.

But I don't think that the negative experiences of a few people who have an intolerance to Metformin should mean that the drug itself should be characterised as "pernicious"

Many thousands of people Worldwide are prescribed Metformin daily, and get huge benefits from taking the drug, and the ultimate cost to the NHS would certainly be phenomenal if lots of newly diagnosed T2D were "frightened" into refusing the drug by the very vocal but also very few people who do suffer unfortunate side affects.
 
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