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Metformin alternatives!!!

T

Tyrone1980

Newbie
Messages
1
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi! Thank you for reading this post. I'm new to the site and wondered if any of you know of a different medication that's as good as metformin but smaller? I'm currently on glucophage and find it difficult to take reliably a) it tastes disgusting I feel sick every time I take it, have been sick several times too which I guess only makes it worse psychologically. b) I work shift work and often eat at completely different times of the day and often don't have the facilities to make the solution. I'm looking at going back on tablet medication but metformin is such a big tablet it makes me gag. I guess my question is: can I get metformin in smaller tablets (don't mind taking a few rather than one big one. Is it possible to get tastless metformin or is there anything as effective but with out these issues.

Regards
Tyrone1980
 
hi, you get use to them pretty quickly, I can take all my tablets at one time now. 4 metformin, 2 capsules and a little statin
the only tip is to get them wet in your mouth before you swollow
 
The slow release versions of Metformin do tend to be quite big, due to the mechanism used to deliver the drug over a prolonged period. However, I have noticed that the size varies quite considerably between brands. The biggest I have encountered are Glucient SR, which seem vast; but this month they've sent me Metabet SR which are the smallest I've had, and are not much bigger than a 500mg Paracetamol caplet: a bit shorter in fact but also a bit thicker. You could ask your doctor to specify those to see if you can manage to swallow them.

I'm fortunate in that I can manage any size of tablet, but I know what its like for you as my wife has big problems swallowing even small ones.
She uses a technique she was taught: it sounds impossibly silly, but it works! : squeeze your ear lobe hard between finger and thumb as you swallow, and you'll find it helps a lot.
 
Marvin said:
The slow release versions of Metformin do tend to be quite big, due to the mechanism used to deliver the drug over a prolonged period. However, I have noticed that the size varies quite considerably between brands. The biggest I have encountered are Glucient SR, which seem vast; but this month they've sent me Metabet SR which are the smallest I've had, and are not much bigger than a 500mg Paracetamol caplet: a bit shorter in fact but also a bit thicker. You could ask your doctor to specify those to see if you can manage to swallow them.

I'm fortunate in that I can manage any size of tablet, but I know what its like for you as my wife has big problems swallowing even small ones.
She uses a technique she was taught: it sounds impossibly silly, but it works! : squeeze your ear lobe hard between finger and thumb as you swallow, and you'll find it helps a lot.
Click to expand...
At least Metformin SR is capsule shaped and i find them much easier to swallow than round tablets.
 
Tyrone1980 said:
Hi! Thank you for reading this post. I'm new to the site and wondered if any of you know of a different medication that's as good as metformin but smaller? I'm currently on glucophage and find it difficult to take reliably a) it tastes disgusting I feel sick every time I take it, have been sick several times too which I guess only makes it worse psychologically. b) I work shift work and often eat at completely different times of the day and often don't have the facilities to make the solution. I'm looking at going back on tablet medication but metformin is such a big tablet it makes me gag. I guess my question is: can I get metformin in smaller tablets (don't mind taking a few rather than one big one. Is it possible to get tastless metformin or is there anything as effective but with out these issues.

Regards
Tyrone1980
Click to expand...
Try swallowing them down with a glass of water and a straw. You should find it easier drinking through a straw.
 
Metformin is derived from Goat's Rue.
I am also, taking an extract called Vitex
 
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