Metformin- how long do I stay with it?

[Jual]

Having only been taking the stuff for 4 days; I'm already thinking of giving it up. Nausea, diarrohea is difficult enough to handle at home but once outside it's impossible!Tomorrow I go back to work when I'll be in a car most of the day travelling and in people's homes to do OT assessments.I just can't see myself managing it. How long does this phase go on for? Does it ever stop?Should I be asking for something different now? I know it's a side effect but at present it means staying at home while I take it or stop taking it and go to work.I can't see a way of doing both.

There must be lots of you who have been there and done that so how do you cope?

many thanks...Jual

 

[sixfoot]

If you are having probs with the standard Metformin then go back to your GP and ask to try the slow release version, it is said to be much kinder to the system without many of the known side effects.

Dave P

 

[hanadr]

I believe that some peolple can't get to grips with Metformin, but i adapted to it in about a week. Still on it 5 years later. Try taking it in the middle of a meal, if you're not already.

 

[Dennis]

Jual,
I used to suffer from diarrohea and flatulence on metformin. Switched to Glucophage SR and have had no problems since, plus the longer action of SR helps to reduce the morning highs.

 

[Giblet]

Hi there Jual,

I have been taking Metformin for three weeks now. the first week was rough..really rough. by about ten days my toilet trips had settled down and now the pain has settled and I have absolutely no symptoms. I take the pill just after finishing eating. Keep at it if you can you may find it eases in a couple of days.

 

[HLW]

I had some problems with metformin, though not very servere ones I just felt a bit sick sometimes, changing to the slow release version has improved things, so maybe if the problems don't go away you could ask the doctor about that.

 

[Jay3109]

When I first took Metformin several years ago, I ended up in hospital with what I was told was a severe allergic reaction. Needless to say, I came off it **** quick. Recently my (new) diabetic nurse said that she had never heard of such a reaction and that I must have been wrong. Hm...well, she convinced me to try Glucophage SR and (touch wood) I have had no nasty reactions other than ..er..well... the opposite of the runs!! My mother also had the classic problems with ordinary Metformin and hated it. So, I guess the answer is - go back to your GP/Nurse and ask about alternatives including the SR. Good luck

 

[Jual]

:? Just want to thank everyone who's taken the time to share with me.I'm still taking the potions and am trying to hang in there but totally hate :cry: how it's making me feel. I'm trying to follow some of your advice so figure I will continue taking it until Monday in the hope that things calm down by then; if not then I shall talk to my GP. I'm supposed to be upping the dose to twice a day on saturday but that can go on a back burner for another week I think.Anyway...thanks for being there...
Jual

 

[crewegirl]

Interesting to read this thread after the past 12 hours!!!
I used to take 3 metformin per day (morning, lunch and evening) but after my hb1 test (which was 14!!) I have had it changed to 2 metformin in the morning and 2 at teatime (+3 gliclazide am).
I never really had many problems with the metformin apart from a bit of wind!!! but i have been in real agony since 2am lat night. The pains were dreadful and I have felt so sick. It seems to have subsided now but i'm scared to take anymore, i felt so bad. Going on holiday on tuesday to Spain so want to feel well for then. I know its probably because I'm doubling my tablets......and that it will go away once i get used to them but I really sympathise with anyone else having side effects..its horrible!! :shock:

 

[Jual]

Hope you (crewgirl) have a good week in Spain..I must admit, I put off beginning to take mine for a week as well as I was going to be in Cuba and didn't want to have any reactions there.

Just to bring you up to date...I persevered( much against my will) and the stomach upset etc had stopped by the weekend thank goodness! I then decided to go with upping the dose so I was taking 500mg in the morning and 500mg at teatime.I took the first one and just waited for the onslaught to begin! But....it hasn't!! I've now been taking 2 for 6 days and have been very tired this week, falling asleep in the afternoon twice and finding it hard to wake up and get going in the morning and that is the same today.The wind hasn't gone away....well it does go away but then is replaced by yet more wind and the cycle goes on.....talk about 'windy miller'! So...does the tiredness go away eventually? Anyone had that happen?

Jual

 

[hanadr]

doubling the Metformin sounds a bit ferocious. I am allowed up to 4 x 500 a day. I take one with each meal and 1 at bedtime. they don't upset me at all. I used to take gliclazide and since a drastic carb reduction, I've dropped it completely.

 

[Jenny]

If you eat fruit try cutting it out. Metformin and fruit don't seem to mix well with some.

 

[rainbow fish]

has anyone ever got worse symptoms after taking metformin for a while? I built up to 1000gm morning and night which I've been on since May. This week the Doctor suggested taking the evening pill not with dinner but at around 10pm, and since then I've had all the known gastric symptoms going! Need to find out if its the metformin or maybe a stomach bug I guess. In general though the symptoms are exactly the same as when the dose increased before but more severe. I haven't taken it without food after the first two days but I suspect that the problem goes on as I haven't been able to eat enough food to counteract it. I also changed my levemir from pm to am at the same time, but can't see how that would make any difference gastric wise. ON the plus side my BGLs have been great and I've lost weight! Have not eaten anything today and not taken the metformin tonight on advice of a diabetes advice line doctor (part of the health insurance here in Germany), although since she didn't know what levemir was I was not brimming with confidence...
Has anyone else had similar experiences?

 

[Jual]

:roll: I think it may be the lack of food when you take it as I took mine late yesterday; at 9.00 instead of 6.00pm and the stomach stuff all started up again within an hour of taking it. Metformin seems to be a temperamental little so and so and fussy with it!
Jual :?

 

[rainbow fish]

thanks for the replies, Jual you are right about it being a "so and so"!! Will only take it with food from now on and hope for the best. I might ask the doctor about this long acting one next time, although if its exactly as effective as the regular one but without the side effects, I don't know why everyone doesn't just get that? There must be a catch!

 

[hanadr]

The guiding information on predscribing, is probably the cost. I take 2 doxazosin tablets for blood pressure. I asked my GP to change me over to 1 at double the dose. He showed me on his computer, that it would cost about £150 a year more. For a little inconvenience, I don't mind.
The other thing about the regular Metformin is that most people adapt to it within a few days or at worst a couple of weeks. Some, like me, never have a problem with it.

 

[Dennis]

Hi Rainbowfish,
Put very simply, when drugs are developed the manufacturers take out a petent that allows them exclusive production rights. Metformin was originally developed back in 1979 and the patent has long since expired, making the drug "generic", i.e. can be produced by anyone which keeps the price right down. Glucophage was developed in 1995 by Bristol-Myers Squibb, but the long acting version (Glucophage SR) was only developed in 2004 so is still under patent. This makes it much more expensive than the generic metformin, which is why GPs tend to only prescribe it when specifically asked.

 

[barge]

stay withit but i find the only way to keep my readings low is to exercise 4 times a week.and stick to a good diet.

 

[manxangel]

I was Prescribed 2000mg of glucophage SR and it's still really upset me! They took me off it after one day. even though they prescribed me six weeks worth of it. not a nice drung, not my friend anyway!

 

[rainbow fish]

thanks Denis and everyone, very helpful information. I'll have a chat to the doctor next visit. I got a 6.5% last week so not keen to mess too much with anything except the diet and exercise at this point, especially after this recent episode! Managed some mashed banana today though so happy with that LOL