Metformin and back pain

[Low351]

@Monchito Hiya! My Doctor recently upped my dose to 2 x 850mg and the core backpain started like crazy. I'd had a little bit of it on the lower dose which I believe was 2 x 500mg but it went away after two weeks. This time it continued for a month until I finally decided to cut my pills in two and take 2 x 425mg a day, then it went away. I am planning to talk to my doctor about this, I have to make another appointment for a sugar test soon. The home kit has been showing me the same numbers regardless of Metformin doses, about 9-10 mmol/L in the morning. I've taken steps to lose weight and last time I was down around the 240lb level he told me I was no longer diabetic, then I went on happy pills that brought me up to 260lbs and my sugars went up. I'm current at 255lbs and going down hopefully that will help. But I digress, I simply wanted to corroborate what everyone is saying here, that Metformin can cause near debilitating back and stomach pain, obliques etc, I call it core debilitation.

 

[JtodaC]

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 :? :|

I also started experiencing very bad pain in my mid back area, a little way down from both shoulder blades. This all started about a week after starting 500MG Metformin. I can hardly stand the pain. Nothing stops it either. Heat makes it hurt more, cold makes it hurt even more than heat. I told my PCP that I had issues with it a year ago and stopped talking it. I was tired of feeling sick, but this time no feeling sick, only a terrible pain across my entire back. I think I am going to stop taking it like you did, to see if that is what the issue is. I suspect it is from reading your post and the other posts addressing the back pain issue. I found your post very useful. Thank you for it

 

[Uncle Fred]

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.

Hi,
I am new to the forum so still finding my way round. I note that your post is several years old but I thought that I should add this nonetheless:
From the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

If you manage your type 2 diabetes with a medicine classified as a DPP-4 inhibitor, the FDA has issued a warning that the medication may cause severe joint pain.
The warning applies to the following medications, which are available under different brand names alone or combined with other diabetes medicines like metformin:

 

[Sugarhigh 2]

I am newly diagnosed after being pre-diabetic a while. Was put on the extended release metformin after regular metformin wasn’t cuttin it for my blood sugar. Have experienced dull low back pain and nausea since. First few days were really bad nausea/diarrhea which has now lessened after 6 days but still have low back pain also that never goes away. I was worried about it being a kidney issue and had it checked at the doctor with no negative results. Doctor seemed confused about the back pain so it seems maybe most doctors don’t relate it to the metformin or are unaware it actually is a side effect. With online search I did find several lists of side effects that listed nausea AND low back pain as more common symptoms. My doctor said not to worry since they ruled out kidney issue(note the pain feels like muscle aches all over lower back- lower than my kidney)and said side effects of metformin do go away over time as your body gets used to it. Crossing fingers, but glad to find this page as I was more worried I had another health issue before reading how many of you had the same issues from metformin.

 

[Metforminuser]

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 :? :|

I recently started Metformin 500mg twice a day. About 8 days in my lower back began to hurt. 16 days in and the pain is so bad I can barely straighten up when getting up from sitting. Excruciating pain! I applied medicated pain patches and then purposely missed a metformin pull and VIOLA pain is diminishing. Im just going to take one dose a day and see if that helps.

 

[Metforminuser]

I recently started Metformin 500mg twice a day. About 8 days in my lower back began to hurt. 16 days in and the pain is so bad I can barely straighten up when getting up from sitting. Excruciating pain! I applied medicated pain patches and then purposely missed a metformin pull and VIOLA pain is diminishing. Im just going to take one dose a day and see if that helps.

* pill not pull

 

[Haggissy]

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 :? :|

Do you have a local Diabetes Team or dedicated Practice Nurse you can see?
If not just go to A+E & tell them your story & GP no help.
Your GP will soon buck up when they get charged for your time in the Minors Dept.
I have similar pains, been on Met 500mgX2 twice daily since October after Bloods done for stomach problems.
Hadn't even considered it may be due to the Met.

 

[nanamary5]

I'm in the USA and I'm glad I found this page. I started metforim 3 weeks ago. I was fine the first few days then I'd wake up very early with this horrible back pain. I stooped taking it for a week because I cannot work in this pain. Now it's the weekend I took it again and here I am in excruciating pain again. It feels like a constant muscle spasm.

 

[DonCaboose]

Hi all,

Very similar story to you all for me, started Metformin (1x500mg prolonged release a day) and within days had back pain in my lower left back that was unbearable particularly in the mornings. The pain intensity sort of comes and goes now (after 6 weeks) but is always there. Have seen my GP but they dismissed it being caused by Metformin. Kidney function is normal so have been referred for a scan/x-ray in the coming weeks.

I guess if nothing else it's made me more desperate to lose weight so there's less load on my back and I can stop taking the tablets!

 

[eoffiong]

Hi, I was on 2000mg of Metformin/day and was having similar pain for almost 1 year. When Metformin alone stopped working to control my Type 2 Diabetes, the Doctor prescribed a sulfonylureas (Glypizide 5mg twice daily). Once I started taking the combination of Metformin and Glypizide, my back pain started to subside. I keep seeing a YouTube commercial about why many people on Metformin walk bent forward as a result of back pain. It says that Metformin doesn't allow enough glucose to get to the cells in the back. Sulfonylureas stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin into the bloodstream. The insulin then helps move the glucose from the blood into your cells. When glucose enters your cells, it is either used as fuel for energy right away or stored for later use. (I am not a Doctor. This is just my opinion as to why my back problem subsided with the addition of sulfonylureas to the Metformin). Thanks