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Is slow release Metformin easier to tolerate than standard?

N

Niklovesscanias

Newbie
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...
 
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
 
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
 
Kevin10320 said:
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
Click to expand...
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
 
carty said:
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
Click to expand...
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...
 
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.
 
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%.
 
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
 
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