Metformin and Increase in Urination

[Clyda]

While frequent urination is not listed as a side-effect of using Metformin, I use Jardiance and frequent urination is supposed to happen to flush the kidneys of sugars. It is pretty well an hourly event, especially if drinking fluids a lot. For night-time at bedtime (11-midnight) and twice more during the next 6 hours and immediately on rise in the morning. I have just accepted this as routine and the fact that it is working as it should. Regardless of the meds used, high blood sugars will make healthy kidneys empty more often. A reading of 6.8 is normal for a Diabetic - depending on when the reading is taken. Do you test often or just on morning rise? I am sure you have spikes that you may or may not be aware of. Haven't seen this mentioned before, but black marks in the toilet bowel would be from excessive sugars in the urine. A good indicator to revisit your diet and what you have for snacks.

Frequent urination is, indeed, a known side effect of Metformin:

"Along with its needed effects, metformin/piogliatzone may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention...
...More Common

• Bladder pain
• bloody or cloudy urine
• difficult, burning, or painful urination
• frequent urge to urinate
• lower back or side pain
• swelling of the face, fingers, feet, or lower legs
• weight gain"

Source citation: Metformin / Pioglitazone Side Effects Drugs(Dot)Com, 7 June 2018,
www(dot)drugs(dot)com/sfx/metformin-pioglitazone-side-effects(dot)html

 

[adi.th]

Hi, I got diagnosed with Diabetes T2 around 4 months ago, have been taking Metformin 500 mg twice a day and following a decently low carb diet. The problem is that I am experiencing frequent urination at night, as common as once every hour. I have had multiple urinalysis tests recently which come out to be normal and have an a1c readings of 5.5 and post-dinner BS levels of around 135 on an average. Speaking to the doctor was not much of a help. Is there any other route I can take to tackle this issue for good

 

[QueenPayne]

Been on 500 mg 2x daily for about a month. It sure DOES cause an increase in frequency and urgency of urination. Blood glucose tested at 6.7. Didn't know I had it because I had no symptoms. I know that a common symptom of diabetes is just that: increase in and frequency of urination. I was not having that, nor did I have excessive thirst. Now I have both. Worse at night. Freaking annoying as hell. Some restless leg syndrome effect, too.

Upshot: Doc said I could half the 500 mg tab and take 1 half in the am and 1 half at night to see if I tolerate that better. I've done major diet modification to a more plant based, low fat diet with whole grains, nuts, legumes... not given up animal proteins entirely, but drastically reduced them. So far, so good. Just sick of having a bladder that acts like a fit throwing toddler:
2 am:
My bladder: "I HAVE TO PEE NOW!"
Me: "AGAIN?!! You just went an hour ago! Can't I just stay asleep?!"
My bladder: "NO! NOW! I WANT TO PEE NOW! NOW! NOW! NOW!"
Me: "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT ALREADY! HOLD YOUR WATER, for crying, blessed out loud! I'm UP. I'm going to the bathroom! God give me strength!"

Yes indeed feel you on this one ☝

 

[Bogie]

The med is doing its job ... get into the routine. Better than the alternative. I use Jardiance - same thing. Flush ... Flush ... Flush .... just make sure to add Magnesium and B12 to your daily diet. If you don't the leg cramps are intense and debilitating. In a previous post I had stated that frequent urination was not a side-affect of Metformin .. me bad. It is.

 

[Lmcfall]

Hi everyone. Hope you are all doing ok.

I was prescribed Metformin a month ago for T2 Diabetes. My blood glucose has been 6.8 for a couple of months now so not extremely high the GP said.

I am now at 1000mg am and 500mg pm and I have found that I need to use the loo every 30mins which unusual for me. Has anyone else noticed an increase in needing the loo? I have also put myself on a low carb diet so not sure if that is what it is.

Thanks so much for your help.

Shazzie x

I am 78 years old and have been diagnosed as a diabetic under the American Diabetes Association (ADA) diagnostic standards. Received a 6.5 A1C ~ Diabetes. I have had high A1C readings into the pre-diabetes range for at least 5 years without any medical intervention. I have been prescribed the drug “Metformin 500mg” to be taken twice daily as of 16 July 2020. The drug resulted in diarrhea the first week and constant urination. Constant to me is at the rate of about every two hours. At night this a problem resulting in getting enough sleep to satisfy my needs. By all indication it is caused by the Metformin. Does this change in time?

Any ideas and/or thoughts on this issue would be handy.

 

[Alexandra100]

have been taking Metformin 500 mg twice a day and following a decently low carb diet. The problem is that I am experiencing frequent urination at night, as common as once every hour

Metformin should help with insulin resistance, thus improving your bs numbers. However people on this Forum seem to be unanimous in feeling it doesn't lower them a lot and that eating low carb is far more effective. Maybe suggest to your doctor that you experiment by eating lower carb AND coming off the metformin. Only you can balance the pain of eating low carb against the pain of too frequent urination. Personally, I am an enthusiast for metformin AND very low carb. I take the maximum dose of metformin (2g daily) and consume under 30g net carbs daily. However, I would not be able to tolerate the disturbed nights you are suffering. Stress and inadequate sleep can themselves raise bs! I hope you can sort something out soon.

 

[Lmcfall]

I have changed my diet to less carbs. Being sweet freak those sweets are sure getting missed however, this task of getting healthier is absolutely necessary. I know that many others have beat this and I feel that if I can keep my motivation up to do what I need to do, I will reduce a lot. Yes! I need to get better sleep which I believe is being effected by the Metformin. Got to get some medical intervention into this problem before it wears me down taking my resistance capability.

 

[Alexandra100]

@Lmcfall You don't say if you are taking the slow release form of Metformin. Many people find that easier to tolerate. Also, Glucophage is sometimes considered easier on the stomach than the generic forms of Metformin.

As regards carb lowering, sugars are by no means the only carbs. The only carb-free foods are fish, flesh, fowl and fat. Even fish sometimes contain small amounts of carbohydrate. Starchy foods are particularly high in carbohydrate and can raise bg more than sugar!!! Dr Unwin's summary shows this vividly:
https://phcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Common-Foods-21.05.2020.jpg
So if you want to lower your bg while escaping from Metformin, tweaking your diet a bit more is imo the way to go. You can find lots of advice on what you CAN eat from Diet Doctor:
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods
Please forgive me if I am telling you stuff you already know! Good luck improving your sleep - I do sympathise. Btw constant urination is more usually a symptom of raised bg rather than of taking Metformin.

 

[Lmcfall]

Hi everyone. Hope you are all doing ok.

I was prescribed Metformin a month ago for T2 Diabetes. My blood glucose has been 6.8 for a couple of months now so not extremely high the GP said.

I am now at 1000mg am and 500mg pm and I have found that I need to use the loo every 30mins which unusual for me. Has anyone else noticed an increase in needing the loo? I have also put myself on a low carb diet so not sure if that is what it is.

Thanks so much for your help.

Shazzie x

Yes! I was on 500mg twice daily of Metformin from the 16th of July 2020 until the 17th of August 2020 over a month. Not long after starting it I had to Urinate more frequently than I had before. I had my doctor take me off of all medication for awhile to rectify this problem on the 18th and now today 8 days later, I am still urinating far too much. Example, last night (i.e., 24 August 2020) I was up 7 times to go to the loo which seriously fouls up my sleep. I have researched this on-line and have found no discussion or satisfying evidence of this problem with Metformin.

I had never had kidney problems or otherwise any urination problems. I am sure that this has caused the urination problem I have. I relate to you on this issue and if you find some strong evidence please put out a post. Surely there are others having this problem.

 

[Lmcfall]

Being a new diabetic diagnosed the 16th of July 2020, I have been motivated to try to find out as much about this as possible. I get often to the point of having mind boggle. I was put on 500mg of Metformin twice daily the 16th of July and soon developed bad cases of frequent urination and constipation. 18th of August my doctor took me off of Metformin, no other drug replaced it. The doctor wanted to see if taking me off was the cause of the urination and constipation. I have searched for any reasonable reason for this problem and I am to a dead end on info for now.

today, 25 August 2020 the urination and constipation problem persist and of course I will contact my doctor tomorrow to let her know that the symptoms after 8 days off of the drugs have yet to stop. Has anyone else gotten off of Metformin and their problem persist?

 

[Alexandra100]

18th of August my doctor took me off of Metformin, no other drug replaced it. The doctor wanted to see if taking me off was the cause of the urination and constipation.

Starting a low carb diet is a known cause of increased urination. This means it is important to drink extra to avoid dehydration (and so constipation). Eating low carb long term can also lead to constipation, as I know to my cost, and I think I have seen posts by others here who also struggle with that. Because drastically lowering carbs also limits the fibre one is consuming, the constipation problem tends to persist. Happily, the drastic rate of urination does not. You might like to follow up the subject by Googling
"low carb weight loss frequent urination"
I don't particularly endorse any of the entries but taken together they seem to give more or less the same message. I vividly remember reading somewhere Jenny Ruhl's saying that starting a keto diet can make you pee your brains out, but sadly I can't track that quote down.