Metformin Blues

[blanc71]

Hi folks
I know its a common topic BUT I'm at my Witt's end with metformin.
I have lost 5 stone and considerably increased my exercise.
Hba1 when diagnosed 101 ,April 45, Hba1 now at 33.
I can't stomach metformin for more than 2 days before feeling sick and the other end goes with out saying.
I'm thinking of buying shares in Andrex.
Question is ,is my body saying you don't need these any more?
I test appropriately ever day.
My doctor said its about preserving the insulin I have?
What are your thoughts,thank you.

 

[Kentoldlady1]

Have you tried the slow release type?

And wow!!! Well done on the change in life style! Amazing with everything. How long did it take you?

 

[blanc71]

Hi
I tried the Slow release and it was worse,constant horrible smelling burps and other end was violent.
I was diagnosed Jan 17 ,and lowish carb and not to high fat.
Thank you as well.

 

[bulkbiker]

Do you have your own meter?
If not I would get one.. then maybe try without the meds for a couple of weeks. Monitoringregularly and see what your blood sugar does.
I had terrible problems with Metformin so stopped them. Adopted a very low carb way of eating and got results.
The question to myself was if I ate something that did this to me would I continue eating it or would I stop and see what happened. Obviously I'm not a doctor... this is just what I did.

 

[blanc71]

Hi Bulkbiker
I test three times a day usually.
Wake up is between 4.3 and 5.5.
Before food 5.6 ish and 2 hours after food any thing from 5's to high sixes.
My thoughts as well ,i'll see what happens when I'm off the metformin.
I low ish carb,no bread beer or rice,loads of meat and veg.
Can't take it anymore,but the trouble is it makes you very paranoid about your levels especially as I have non proliferation retinopathy.

 

[bulkbiker]

Hi Bulkbiker
I test three times a day usually.
Wake up is between 4.3 and 5.5.
Before food 5.6 ish and 2 hours after food any thing from 5's to high sixes.
My thoughts as well ,i'll see what happens when I'm off the metformin.
I low ish carb,no bread beer or rice,loads of meat and veg.
Can't take it anymore,but the trouble is it makes you very paranoid about your levels especially as I have non proliferation retinopathy.

With those levels you should have no problems..

 

[blanc71]

Thank you bulkbiker.
I've worked so hard.Cheers.

 

[Resurgam]

I was on Metformin and a statin for about 5 weeks - I had all the side effects, I itched all over, my muscles ached, my joints shrieked, I felt as though my guts were going to burst, I could not leave the house - I could not even go downstairs some days. The worst thing was that I could not remember my songs - I am a singer of folk songs, thank God I wrote them down or they'd be gone for ever. I can't remember how to play my guitar, even though it is 10 months since I stopped taking the tablets. I am useless at Sudoku - I used to be quite good to judge by the books of puzzles there are around the house.
I stopped taking the tablets just before last Christmas when I lost the car - again - at the supermarket, and when I found it there was the Christmas shopping already done but left in the car. I must have gone shopping, called in at my daughter's flat and forgotten I'd done it by the time I got home. We had so much stuff - we were eating spouts until February
Metformin doesn't have any effect on insulin or the pancreas. It prevents the liver releasing glucose ad lib. When I stopped the tablets I did not notice any increase in BG levels but I now only have to think about having to take tablets again for any temptation to stray from eating low carb to vanish completely.

 

[blanc71]

Thank you Resurgam
Its a horrible nasty drug that as you say blocks the liver output.
I suppose at the moment it is a little bit of a comfort blanket,but I've just about fed up of the weekly daily blow outs.
Not my line but another guy said he was thinking of having Sky multi room put in the bathroom.
I think I'll probably sit a little higher but I test every day,I've tried SR and that was like a longer torture.

 

[Ajax]

I have quite an easy carry-on with Metformin ..thankfully.

Every so often ..I have a bit of diarrhoea though.

Metformin make me ✻windy✻ ..so my physician prescribes the ✻Slow Release✻ formulation ..and Peppermint Oil capsules.

I drink plenty of plain water to flush away any ✻spent✻ Metformin ..and take over-the-counter B12 supplements too.

Quite a palaver.

 

[Ann1982]

Hi folks
I know its a common topic BUT I'm at my Witt's end with metformin.
I have lost 5 stone and considerably increased my exercise.
Hba1 when diagnosed 101 ,April 45, Hba1 now at 33.
I can't stomach metformin for more than 2 days before feeling sick and the other end goes with out saying.
I'm thinking of buying shares in Andrex.
Question is ,is my body saying you don't need these any more?
I test appropriately ever day.
My doctor said its about preserving the insulin I have?
What are your thoughts,thank you.

I had to stop the metformin as well and am just on insulin now. Same problems as you and I too found the slow release metformin worse as well. It didn’t really make a difference to my blood sugars anyway.

 

[bulkbiker]

Thank you bulkbiker.
I've worked so hard.Cheers.

What's the bike?.. sorry a bit off topic..

 

[SimonCrox]

I would agree with everyone above; losing 5 stones (about 30 kg) is really well done (I would never be patronising); Mike Lean, professor of obesity, showed that every Kg lost during first year lead to 4 months longer life! And you are testing and you have clearly been persevering with the metformin.
15 years ago, choice of tablet and injection was very limited, but nowadays, great choice
So, I would reduce the metformin to the dose tolerable, keep watching the glucose levels and if they rise, ask GP for something else such as a gliptin or SGLT-2 inhibitor (but I would prefer not to take a sulphonylurea due to possible weight gain and hypo risk)
Best wishes

 

[Kentoldlady1]

I would agree with everyone above; losing 5 stones (about 30 kg) is really well done (I would never be patronising); Mike Lean, professor of obesity, showed that every Kg lost during first year lead to 4 months longer life! And you are testing and you have clearly been persevering with the metformin.
15 years ago, choice of tablet and injection was very limited, but nowadays, great choice
So, I would reduce the metformin to the dose tolerable, keep watching the glucose levels and if they rise, ask GP for something else such as a gliptin or SGLT-2 inhibitor (but I would prefer not to take a sulphonylurea due to possible weight gain and hypo risk)
Best wishes

A bit of topic ( sorry) but why only weight lost in the first year? Thanks

 

[SimonCrox]

A bit of topic ( sorry) but why only weight lost in the first year? Thanks

Good question, but not a helpful answer; They only collected data on the folk over the first year, then went away and did other things, and then looked at survival later.
It may be that it is just the weight loss that did the trick, but I suspect that those that put the effort in to lose weight also looked after their health in other ways eg sorting glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure levels, not smoking, taking care etc.
Best wishes

 

[mcartoscelli]

Outstanding weight loss!

I need to hop back on that treadmill myself.

When I was first diagnosed, I was sitting around...15.5 mmol, down to less than half that now, just with diet and 1 500mg metformin twice a day. Which my doctor swears isn't possible. Supposedly metformin doesn't drop your sugar levels that much. I have not read into it enough to know.

I did give it up for a month and change due to forgetting it at home on a massively long trip, other than the reset period of stomach issues when I started back up, it didn't raise/lower my BS levels that much.

I would check with your doc to see what they think. A good one will listen and try some options with you.

 

[rgs2502]

I have quite an easy carry-on with Metformin ..thankfully.

Every so often ..I have a bit of diarrhoea though.

Metformin make me ✻windy✻ ..so my physician prescribes the ✻Slow Release✻ formulation ..and Peppermint Oil capsules.

I drink plenty of plain water to flush away any ✻spent✻ Metformin ..and take over-the-counter B12 supplements too.

Quite a palaver.

That’s really helpful. I’m windy too, with IBS type cramps, and I have been taking some Colpermin (Peppermint Oil) , I will try and get an appointment with my GP to see if he will change my prescription.

 

[carty]

I believe Metformin takes a while to get into the system so may also take some time to come out of your system .May be worth a check about this
CAROL

 

[AloeSvea]

I have been a big fan of Suzy Cohen, a populist straight talking pharmacist. Her books and interviews are great. This is what she says on metformin in an online article on what she calls 'drug muggers' in a huffington post article:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/suzy-cohen-rph/medication-side-effects-_b_837159.html

"The number one diabetes drug in the world (metformin) just so happens to be drug mugger of a few nutrients such as CoQ10 and vitamin B12. Low levels of these nutrients can affect the brain causing memory impairment, confusion and depression. Also, the nerves could start to hurt, and neuropathy may develop because B12 protects the myelin which is a coating that protects nerve fibers. If you require metformin for your blood sugar, just “marry” this medication with the two nutrients so you can avoid or minimize the side effect. As to forms of vitamin B12, the best type is called “methylcobalamin” and is widely available by dozens of makers. The CoQ10 can be found easily as well in both health food stores and pharmacies nationwide."

 

[Resurgam]

Outstanding weight loss!
I need to hop back on that treadmill myself.

When I was first diagnosed, I was sitting around...15.5 mmol, down to less than half that now, just with diet and 1 500mg metformin twice a day. Which my doctor swears isn't possible. Supposedly metformin doesn't drop your sugar levels that much. I have not read into it enough to know.

I was diagnosed with 17.1 mmol/l on a random test after lunch just under a year ago. I tested just now and got 7.6 mmol/l just a smidge over two hours after a late dinner and a couple of large slices of water melon - I did mean to have just one, but somehow....
I had normal Hba1c at 6 months - and no medication at all.
Your doctor can swear all he likes -