Metformin and back pain

Hi Ian.

Like you, I was diagnosed with T2 in December 2012 and experienced kidney/lumber pain on a loading dose of 500mg twice daily. My doctor acknowledged the pain (I had unknowingly had diabetes long enough to damage red blood cells and kidneys) but advised persevering with the tablets.

I am now on 3x500mg daily and have some residual kidney/lumber pain but certainly not what it was in the first few weeks. I did take some paracetamol that took the edge off.

My doctors told me that the first 3 months would be the hardest as the body re-worked itself, adjusting to the metformin and low-carb diet. I have to say that I feel better now than I have in the last few years, so stick it out if you can and good luck.

Regards,

jim

HI Ian and welcome to the forum, I have been on metformin now for around 4 years and suffered some stomach cramps and bad wind to begin with that eased after a few weeks and disappeared completely after a couple of months.

I cant say I ever had back pain due to it although I have suffered from lower back pain for many years due to degenerative arthritis following an injury. The stomach pains I experienced were very different to the back pain I get. Could your back pain be very bad stomach cramps?

It might be worth asking your doctor to try you on the slow release (SR) version of Metformin which many find kinder.

Hi Ian/others,

Not had any problems with Metformin since diagnosed Type 2 (2010) but back in October this year, due to an error in communication, I stopped taking Metformin (1700mg) and started taking Pioglitazone only.

Mon 23/12, I recommenced taking Metformin (1700mg) and within a few days I too have had kidney(?)/low back pains over the Xmas period.
Notably worse when outside in cold so have increased water intake and hopefully it resolves itself in a few days or will contact Dr. for advice.

Jake

Hello. So I'm 3 weeks in to being diagnosed with type 2 and have been taking Metformin but last week the back/kidney pain was so bad that I could not do anything. So now I have stopped taking them and the pain is subsiding. I'm going to take them again soon to see if it is definitely the Metformin causing the pain. Does anyone know if it is muscular or kidney pain? And why is this not a recognised problem?

I had back flank pain of a morning for a bit, guess week, and I wasnt sure if it was the met or the statin when I started ..anyway it went and hasn't come back.

http://www.google.com/m?hl=en&gl=au...ser-goto&action=devloc&q=metformin+flank+pain

So stoppped the Metformin and back ache subsided... went to the Docs who carried a blood test to check kidney function. Everything came back OK so started back on the Metformin back pain came back but lessened over time (or I'm just able to ignore it more!). Another thing I've noticed is bouts of feeling really angry.... a sort of over whelming sense of everything is annoying me. A quick search around the web confirms that this is found in other people. Hopefully this will subside too.

Can metformin cause back pain with stomach pain my stomach have settled a bit but back pain is really painful burning sting pain that doesn't settle with painkillers iam worried that it might be my kidney

That's what it felt like for me but over the months it has totally gone. I don't think the back pain is a recognised issue with Metformin but there seems to be enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that it should be.

Marshmellow said:

Can metformin cause back pain with stomach pain my stomach have settled a bit but back pain is really painful burning sting pain that doesn't settle with painkillers iam worried that it might be my kidney

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I'd suggest you see your doctor about it.

Teddy74 said:

Hi everyone. I was diagnosed diabetic in December 2012 after years of being 'pre-diabetic'. The doctor started having me take Metformin at 500mg twice a day. The usual gastro distress occurred and no biggie. But I started having horrible horrible lower back pain about a week after starting Metformin. I told the doctors but I get no relief from them. They dismiss my pain. I've even done an experiment and stopped Metformin for a couple days. No surprise, the pain stopped! I went back on and pain so harsh I can barely walk.

Has anyone experienced a similar problem? If so, what were you able to do to resolve the pain? Were your doctors baffled like mine? If they figured out the issue, what was it?

Thank you for your advice!

Ian :? :|

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I get most debilitating lower back pain (left side) in the obliques/rotator muscles, within 1-3 months of taking Metformin.

The pain is so severe that I can no longer stand or sit and have to be in bed. Even in bed, movement is restricted to one position. The pain does not respond to strong pain killers like Myospaz Forte. On the other hand, the pain goes away - so completely as if it never occured - within 3 to 5 days of stopping Metformin.

I was diagnosed in September 2007. I had HbA1C of 11.6, Fasting Sugar 280 mg/dl and PP Sugar 470 mg/dl at that time. After initial 6 months of medication and lifestyle management, I have mostly been in control of my diabetes by losing weight, diet control and regular exercise. (Mostly maintaining HbA1C of 5.25 to 6 and Fasting and PP both under 100 mg/dl, checked every three months) Therefore, I have not had to take Metformin regularly.

In these 9 years, I have had to go back on to Metformin 7-8 times whenever my lifestyle management slipped, but this cycle of Pain and Pain-disappearance on stopping it has happened every time. My Doctors - I have had 4 different doctors since I have been moving cities - do not accept the connection. However, there is DEFINITELY an connection between Metformin and Back Pain, possibly affecting an extremely low %age of diabetics. I can say that since I have had same experiences 100% of the times in 9 years and you are reporting the same.

I always take SR version. The pain occurs irrespective of the dosage. I have been on 1 gm SR twice a day; 1 gm SR once a day; 500 mg SR twice a day; 500 mg SR once a day. The time it takes to develop the pain differs from within one month of starting the medicine to 3 months. The pain disappearance time on stopping the medicine has ranged between 3 to 7 days max.

BTW, I have never experienced increased gas or diarrhoea due to Metformin, which many people report. I wonder if there is a connection there.

@debbiek - thought you might be interested in reading the posts on this Thread re: Metformin and Back Pain.

I thought it was my kidneys - having heard that kidney stones were very painful I thought it might be that, but it seemed odd that it was both sides at the same time - I stopped taking the tablets mid December and the pain stopped, best Christmas present I ever had.

Liam1955 said:

@debbiek - thought you might be interested in reading the posts on this Thread re: Metformin and Back Pain.

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thanks for that Liam

Teddy74 said:

Hi everyone. I was diagnosed diabetic in December 2012 after years of being 'pre-diabetic'. The doctor started having me take Metformin at 500mg twice a day. The usual gastro distress occurred and no biggie. But I started having horrible horrible lower back pain about a week after starting Metformin. I told the doctors but I get no relief from them. They dismiss my pain. I've even done an experiment and stopped Metformin for a couple days. No surprise, the pain stopped! I went back on and pain so harsh I can barely walk.

Has anyone experienced a similar problem? If so, what were you able to do to resolve the pain? Were your doctors baffled like mine? If they figured out the issue, what was it?

Thank you for your advice!

Ian :? :|

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Hi, Since starting taking Metformin in January this year I have been experiencing unbearable lower back/abdominal aches, not every day but probably three times a week. It always starts around the time I wake up and lasts for a few hours. If I'm in bed I can hardly move and even staying still is painful. I was fearing the worst regarding Kidney issues and have been trying to convince my Doctor that I need to see him about it. He suggests its my bed| but reading these comments I can see its a general problem with users.

I am newly diagnosed with type 2 . Don't know my readings as doctor didn't tell me . I'm on 500mg of metformin one a day. after about 2 weeks on them started getting dull pain around the right side kidney area . I am gonna ask doc about it when i go back in 2 weeks to see him.

Hi I have started metformin 500 mg, but had terrible headaches and stomach problems.
So they started me on slow release sukkata 500mg,
But after a week I have terrible lower back pain on both sides even in bed ,
Should I stop taking them .
As the pain is constant .

I have lower back pain too , if anyone still reads this thread . Can you please back how the pain evolved ?

I found this

https://www.drugs.com/sfx/metformin-side-effects.html

It mentions “lower back or side pain” as “more common” side effects .

Hi there! I’m out of work since mid September last year as I have a terrible lower back pain. Now it’s getting worse most especially when in bed. After reading the thread I’m thinking to stop metformin to see if it helps. Anyone should enlighten me from your experience as I’ve been told that sugar level will increase if I’ll stop with no replacement drug. Thanx.