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Metformin and loss of appetite

P

Paul Hitchen

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Good morning all.
I have just been put on metformin 14 days ago, 1 per day until my next blood test in 3 months time. After my second day of taking the new med my appetite has dropped to only eating breakfast. At evening meal if I try to eat its may be 1 mouthfull if iam lucky then no more Iam drinking plenty of fluids up to 3 liters per day most days. I have talked to my GP who isnt to worried apart from I should have started taking 2 x 500mg of metformin after 7 days but he has told me to keep to 1 per day at breakfast until I have my bloods re tested at 3 months.
Any body else having the same problems on these meds!!
 
Metformin can help with weight loss, by acting as an appetite suppressant.

What are you eating, when you do manage ?
 
Hi, breakfast for me might be one of the following
Porridge or 3 Egg omelette or 3 spoons of Greek yogurt and peaches or pinapple.
Evening meal I have been trying a tin of Tuna or Soup because of my loss of appetite and either the smell of food or 1 taste I cant eat it.
I hate to think about may be going on to 2 tablets per day.
 
A well known side effect of Metformin is stomach issues, although I haven’t seen too many people say they have a huge loss of appetite without the associated bloating or “toilet” issues.

It is probably a good idea to discuss this with your health care bods, and it might be worth asking for a slower release version of Metformin which can be prescribed.
 
Yes I definitely lost my appetite. I was on the SR version and was suppose to increase the dose to 1000gm twice a day over 6 weeks but the more I increased it the more I lost my appetite it also changed how things tasted and I could not face eating meat and some other things and I lost weight that I did not need to.. Before I got to the full dose I saw my GP she told me to decrease it until I felt I was eating normally again. I was down to one 500g tablet a day before I started to eat normally again and that is what I take now
 
Thank you all for the advice and replys, I do have see my GP pratice nurse on Monday to hand a letter over I will being my concerns up while seeing her. Also ive had no toilet issues or blotting from day one just the appetite issues. I cut my carbs down a number of years ago due to my weight and not had butter or Margarine from being a small child and anything sweet does give me serve toilet issues from the age of 17 / 18 I am not just turned 50.
Again thank you all for your help.
 
Paul Hitchen said:
Good morning all.
I have just been put on metformin 14 days ago, 1 per day until my next blood test in 3 months time. After my second day of taking the new med my appetite has dropped to only eating breakfast. At evening meal if I try to eat its may be 1 mouthfull if iam lucky then no more Iam drinking plenty of fluids up to 3 liters per day most days. I have talked to my GP who isnt to worried apart from I should have started taking 2 x 500mg of metformin after 7 days but he has told me to keep to 1 per day at breakfast until I have my bloods re tested at 3 months.
Any body else having the same problems on these meds!!
Click to expand...
 
Good morning and yes I'm experiencing the same effect. Thank you for posting and talking about it, therefore I know that it is normal.
 
Are you limiting the amount of the high carb foods?
Porridge, pineapple and peaches are all high carb, and although they might not be increasing your carbohydrates over what you can cope with many people find they are more carb resistant in the mornings and so high carb then has more effect.
I was really ill on Metformin, despite it being described as a safe and effective drug.
I could not eat anything with a strong odour whilst under the influence of Metformin - nor drink anything but water, tea tasted vile and many things were strange.
Try some really rather bland foods to see if that helps, but do try to eat enough protein and fat to keep yourself healthy. They are the essential foods but carbohydrate is not.
 
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