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Just started taking metformin - keep falling asleep!

K

kaazoom

Active Member
Messages
41
Hi everyone,

My latest blood test showed that my diet wasn't doing enough to control my diabetes, so on tuesday I saw my doctor and was prescribed metformin. She also wanted me to start taking a statin, but only after I've seen how things go with the metformin, as I have M.E which can make you more sensitive to drugs. I have noticed I keep falling asleep a lot during the day and I've had much more muscle an joint pain since starting to take metformin.

Although I have M.E I haven't had problems with falling to sleep during the day before and pain has been mostly more of a dull aching like you get when you have flu. This pain is worse, although not unbearable. Is it more usual to be sleepy and have muscle/joint pain when starting to take this drug? Of course this might not be a side effect at all. It could just be my M.E flaring.

Paul
 
Tiredness is quite common when starting to take metformin, some people compare it to a mild case of flu, not sure about the muscle ache as I never experienced that symptom mine related primarily with tiredness, nausea and dirrhea, the tiredness passed in a week the dirrhea never really went away.

After a year I changed to the slow release version of meformin, glucophage with this i have virtually no symptoms at all. if after a couple of weeks things dont improve it may be worth trying glucophage

If you find that the muscle pain becomes severe i would speak to your gp, metformin has been known in rare cases to cause lactic acedosis

Warning signs of lactic acidosis include fast and shallow breathing, diarrhea, severe muscle aches, cramping, unusual weakness or tiredness, or feeling cold.

As i say it is quite rare though
 
Thank you that is helpful. Some of the muscle pain is probably due to my M.E , and the fact M.E tends to make you more sensitive to medication. I'll give it a week or so and see if things settle down.

Paul
 
Hi
Just wonder how your sugar levels are, because if they are high you can feel extremely tired and Lethargic, but also low sugar count could give the same effect. But i'm not sure about the pain you are getting. Ring your GP for advice or a diabetic nurse if you have one.
Hope all goes well
Tracey
 
I got used to the Metformin after a while. My bood sugar levels were high when hb1ac test was done recently - 7.9 . But I had been getting readings of 13+ two hours after meals.

I have now finally started to deal with my levels and i'm on a low carb diet. Since I started it 2 weeks ago my BG has dropped to about 6.6 2 hours after eating, and I have lost half a stone
 
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