Metformin - 2 months, still side effects

[DisneyGuy]

Hi all

I've been on metformin for 2 months and the diarrhoea has not stopped, I haven't passed solid stools for a while now.

I have a drs appointment booked, but how can I ease it? I spoke to the drs a few weeks back and he said if I can bare it keep going as its the full dose and it will help my bloods.

But it seems to be incredibly bad in the evenings, stomach makes noises, constantly needing the loo, stomach pains.

Tonight I'm feeling that plus increased thirst and headache which I assume is due to some dehydration so I'm drinking more and more and struggling to drink so much!

 

[bulkbiker]

What kind of blood sugar levels are you seeing?

Sounds like you are similar to me with the digestive issues so I stopped taking it and never looked back.

 

[TeddyTottie]

Hi @DisneyGuy, metformin can be very challenging. Are you on the the slow release version? If not, might be worth asking for that. However I spent 3 months on the full dose of metformin and thought I was doing ok, the world only fell out of my bum occasionally, I only awoke up to throw up now and then, but I felt nauseous all the time. I didn’t realise how much of an impact it had until I cut my dose by half and normality was resumed.

And I could do that because I drastically cut my carb consumption. Now I don’t need metformin at all. Have you changed your diet? I think that is the only way to be able to dump the metformin and ultimately that might be the only way for you to find some relief.

 

[Riva_Roxaban]

I've been on metformin for 2 months and the diarrhoea has not stopped, I haven't passed solid stools for a while now.

You should have stopped the Metformin the first week of gut problems, and not waited two months to do something about it.

Stop taking the Metformin and your problem will go away.

 

[Andydragon]

Hi all

I've been on metformin for 2 months and the diarrhoea has not stopped, I haven't passed solid stools for a while now.

I have a drs appointment booked, but how can I ease it? I spoke to the drs a few weeks back and he said if I can bare it keep going as its the full dose and it will help my bloods.

But it seems to be incredibly bad in the evenings, stomach makes noises, constantly needing the loo, stomach pains.

Tonight I'm feeling that plus increased thirst and headache which I assume is due to some dehydration so I'm drinking more and more and struggling to drink so much!

If you are not on the slow release, then that is an option you could explore, it has proven more tolerable for some (It was for me for a very long time)

so me have found probiotics can help with the issues. But for some even If you are on slow release then you tolerance doesn’t come. personally I would be pushing the doctor for an alternative because living your life the way you describe doesn’t sound fun.

Many of the forum have found dietary changes such as low carb allow for improved bloods to the point of not needing. Some do need drugs anyway unfortunately and low carb doesn’t work. If so, maybe drugs but they all have different potential side effects, but depending on the above scenarios, it might be an option

 

[MrsA2]

Many sweeteners can cause these kind of issues.
Some of them don't even have to be declared on labels, so check what you are eating, especially if your problems tend to be after eating.
Some of the worst are the sugar free sweets

 

[Resurgam]

It is almost endearing, the faith that GPs put in the tablets they prescribe - I have not spoken to my GP since I was diagnosed in 2016 and prescribed Metformin and Atorvastatin as I was 'a very bad diabetic', I was told.
Having given up the tablets as I was becoming suicidal, I then was naughty enough to get back to normal numbers on diet alone.
You might be lucky enough to have a reasonable GP who might consider allowing the experiment of low carb eating to see if it can restore normality for you rather than endure the misery of your reaction to Metformin.

 

[EllieM]

@DisneyGuy I had a look at some of your previous postings and see that you are already on the slow release metformin?


Look, 97 is a high starting hba1c, so that's one reason why they've put you straight onto metformin. It works well for many people but some people can't cope with the side effects and frankly you sound to be in that category. Doctors prescribe it because it's really cheap and the side effects are well known and relatively benign (if you can cope with the gastric ones, which it sounds like you can't).

Did you end up buying a glucose testing meter? In your position I'd record my readings before a meal and 2 hours after first bite to see if your body can cope with that level of carbs. A rise of more than 2mmol/L suggests you've had too many.

Plenty of people on here have reduced their levels to normal just by diet but I suspect you may need to go a bit lower than 130g a day. (But the only way to tell is to use your meter). Remember that weight gain is a side effect of T2 diabetes so reducing carbs will probably reduce your weight as well. Weight loss, more exercise and reducing carbs will all help you but I suspect that reducing carbs will ahve the biggest effect.

Good luck.