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Metformin, good or bad?

K

Kev b

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Hi,
Since becoming a type 2 Diabetic three years ago I've been on Metformin, and three other tablets, and this last year I've felt really ill with pains from head to toe, managed to get an appointment with the doctor earlier in the year and he sent me for a load of tests. The results came back fine, so when I had my yearly assessment with the nurse afew weeks ago, she told me to book another appointment with the doc, and I just had to laugh when the receptionist said phone back in a couple of weeks as there wasn't any. Well a couple weeks passed, I phoned, the receptionist must be a doctor as she said oh you can see a nurse practitioner in stead. I blew a fuse, a got a appointment for nearly a month later, yes I've not seen him yet.
Well sorry for boring you all, I'll get to my point. Many people have told me Metformin is bad for you, it blocks your arteries, that's why they give you a host of other tablets to counter act what Metformin does. So in my wait to see a doctor, I took it upon myself to half my Metformin intake. Would you like to guess what's happened? Well I hardly got any pains or stiff joints, I don't wake up with head aches, I'm not as drowsy and falling asleep almost anywhere, I've got a bit more oomph now as well. So maybe it's true that Metformin is bad for you!!
 
Did you just halve the Metformin dose, or did you also reduce or cut out one of the other medications?

I've never taken any diabetes medication - went straight to Low Carb way of eating, but for over 2 years I did take Cardio vascular medication including Statins, Beta Blockers, something to protect stomach etc.
Strangely the Beta Blockers and one other med were supposedly to reduce Blood Pressure when mine had always (since first ever time it was tested) to be low to normal. In fact in hospital they were struggling to reduce my heart rate and increase my blood pressure. Only to put me on meds to reduce my Blood Pressure once discharged.

Joining this Forum convinced me that they were not treating me - my body, my diabetes etc.. No, they were treating me like I was just 1/1million th of CVD and diabetes occurrences. But as the American singer Bob Seger famously says 'I'm not a number ...I'm a man!'
Note I skipped the profanity from the words of the song to comply with forum rules.
 
Daibell said:
Metformin is one of the safest drugs around with very few side effects other than bowel issues some have if you don't have the Slow Release version.
Click to expand...
I agree. However it's important to get vit B12 tests done with your normal diabetes checks. That's the only problem I had with it.
 
Personally I fell out with metformin the first line approach, started and built up too 4 a day as most do. after another 2 weeks uncontrollable diarrhoea. stopped taking them and phoned DN yes ok for a day or so but try half dose
2 a day after another week diarrhoea again
Got an appt to see the nurse and she agreed for me to go on one a day (I am using 2 insulins) still have doubts about them but there you go
 
I'd been on metformin for the best part of twenty years. Last month it started to give me severe and uncontrollable bowel problems, whichever type I took. I'm now off metformin, but do take other oral meds and I have to inject insulin in the evening and morning.
 
Metformin is one of the oldest & safest drugs for T2 & insulin resistance, it also has lots of other off label benefits, such as heart health, may protect against dementia. I’m on Metformin but have been since well before my T2 diagnosis for an off label condition. I was offered by my GP to come off it but I’ve stayed on it because of the other benefits it’s considered to have.

It does have that very common side effect on your bowels but I’ve never experienced that and tolerate well

www.health.harvard.edu

Is metformin a wonder drug? - Harvard Health

Metformin, a medicine prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes, also has cardiovascular benefits and is used off-label to treat other conditions. Interest is growing in its potential to help lowe...
www.health.harvard.edu www.health.harvard.edu
 
For me it has had little effect other than terrible Diarrhoea and stomach upsets
went from 4 a day down to two a day and now still on 1 a day when the mass of tablets I have left are gone that is it as agreed with my DN
 
David_A_Hughes said:
I'd been on metformin for the best part of twenty years. Last month it started to give me severe and uncontrollable bowel problems, whichever type I took. I'm now off metformin, but do take other oral meds and I have to inject insulin in the evening and morning.
Click to expand...
I'm very interested to read this. I chose to take Metformin, in fact I had to bully my GP to prescribe it for me. For years I happily took the maximum dose extended release 1g x 2 daily. I assumed it must be helping. A few months ago I ran into problems with as you say uncontrollable (and sudden) bowel movements. I was lucky that they all happened at home or I would have been in a mess (literally!). I was also suffering from severe lack of appetite, which as I am under-weight was worrying. I stopped Metformin and the symptoms went away, later I re-started half dose, problems again. After another layoff I made a last ditch attempt to take just 500mg at night, hoping that any trouble that came would be in the night when I was safely at home. Same problems again.

I have been told this is a known problem where in time one ceases to tolerate Metformin. I am very disappointed, as my view is that anything that can help lower my blood glucose is very welcome. I also eat Keto/very low carb, but my bg stays higher than I would like whatever I do.
 
Alexandra100 said:
I'm very interested to read this. I chose to take Metformin, in fact I had to bully my GP to prescribe it for me. For years I happily took the maximum dose extended release 1g x 2 daily. I assumed it must be helping. A few months ago I ran into problems with as you say uncontrollable (and sudden) bowel movements. I was lucky that they all happened at home or I would have been in a mess (literally!). I was also suffering from severe lack of appetite, which as I am under-weight was worrying. I stopped Metformin and the symptoms went away, later I re-started half dose, problems again. After another layoff I made a last ditch attempt to take just 500mg at night, hoping that any trouble that came would be in the night when I was safely at home. Same problems again.

I have been told this is a known problem where in time one ceases to tolerate Metformin. I am very disappointed, as my view is that anything that can help lower my blood glucose is very welcome. I also eat Keto/very low carb, but my bg stays higher than I would like whatever I do.
Click to expand...
Like you I had mild problems which started 2 years after going on Metformin. After 10 years the uncontrollable bowel problems meant that I decided I was never taking it again. Unfortunately stopping it has improved the situation…..but not entirely resolved it.
 
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