Is slow release Metformin easier to tolerate than standard?

[Niklovesscanias]

Hi
I'm more than a little new at this, I'm type 2 which I was controlling with diet for years, my blood sugars would never be over 8 or 9 but would go as low as 2.7 on occasion, but at the start of the year I was told to take statins (I am rather too short for my weight ), within 5 months my daily bs readings were up as high as 24 , Hba1C 84 (9.8) and I was totally gutted. I was then told to take Metformin which managed to turn my intestines into some kind of power hose, usually in the middle of the night - deep joy ! I then found you lovely people on here...read all I could that you were discussing, scoured the internet and decided to stop the Statins, stop the Metformin, do some more excercise and adopt a low carb diet cutting meat and fish out too. Today my readings are 62 (7.8). My Diabetic Nurse wants me to take Metformin slow release - 1 tablet a day and to go back on the statins...I'd love your advice please...

 

[Kevin10320]

I tried the normal metformin but I was really ill. Unfortunately I found the slow release had the same effect. I'm now on linigliptine

 

[carty]

My experience with regular metformin was exactly the same as yours (well described !)I went on to the SR and have been fine I wonder why the nurse wants you to go back to statins when they had such a bad effect on your BG s ? Good idea to check out threads on this forum about statin use
CAROL

 

[Niklovesscanias]

I tried the normal metformin but I was really ill. Unfortunately I found the slow release had the same effect. I'm now on linigliptine

Interesting, I thought I might have just been cynical when I said no to the nurse ! She's talked me into trying it for a month and going back to see her then...thanks Kevin

 

[Kevin10320]

 

[Niklovesscanias]

My experience with regular metformin was exactly the same as yours (well described !)I went on to the SR and have been fine I wonder why the nurse wants you to go back to statins when they had such a bad effect on your BG s ? Good idea to check out threads on this forum about statin use
CAROL

Thanks Carol, I will check the statin threads out. I don't understand it either, makes no sense to me at all. The original statin also made my lower legs feel like they were being hit with a large sledgehammer constantly.. I could put up with that if I was getting some benefits...

 

[Deleted member 308541]

I started on Metformin XR 500s, (same as slow release), but they are hard get here in Australia because they are in short supply.

I have been taking the standard version Metformin 500 for the last couple of weeks with no ill effects, although the pharmacist warned me about them.

 

[Jay-Marc]

In rough terms a quarter of the people who are put on Metformin cannot tolerate it because of unmanageable gastric issues. About half of these can tolerate the slow / extended release version whereas the other half can't.

In the UK the slow release costs just over a pound more for a pack of 28. Or for those who like percentages, 68%.

 

[Maggie/Magpie]

Hi,
I was on ordinary Metformin and had bowel issues, I've since been taking slow release and had no problems.
I would recommend the slow release, its certainly worth a try before moving on to any thing else.
Good luck