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Metformin IR side effects

S

Slayer Mum

Active Member
Messages
43
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi,
Newly diagnosed type2 on Metformin 500mg. 3/4 days i have had explosive painful diarrhoea. I am supposed to add 500 mg every 2 weeks. There has been a bit of fresh blood and it feels like a fissure. (so sorry about the level of detail). I can’t be having unpredictable explosive diarrhoea as I have to get back to work in an ICU. Not a good look…me running of or being caught out.

My question are .
What can I do to make this better?
Will this settle down?
How long should I tolerate this?
Has anyone found that the slow release version is much better?
If I have to change meds, which ones are best tolerated and cause weight loss as opposed to gain and don’t cause UTI’s.

Thanks.
 
Hi @Slayer Mum , which such severe side effects I would definitely contact my HCP to discuss stopping the metformin and perhaps changing to a different medication.
Slayer Mum said:
If I have to change meds, which ones are best tolerated and cause weight loss as opposed to gain and don’t cause UTI’s.
Click to expand...
Don't forget that not everyone gets side effects like weight gain or UTI's from medications having this listed as possible side effects.
The treatment with the least side effects is a change of diet, depending on what you are eating at the moment. We have many members who got off meds (and much stronger meds than metformin) by going low carb. If you're not already doing so, could this be an option for you?
 
Hi @Slayer Mum In answer to your question. Yes, lots of people can tolerate a slow release form of Metformin much better than the standard one. However there are also quite a lot of T2's who can't tolerate Metformin at all.

As @ANTJE77 points out, only a minority of those on SGLP-2 inhibitor meds suffer from UTI's as side effects. However I personally wouldn't take them unless I had exhausted the dietary alternatives first.

Many people have got into T2D remission, lost weight and normalised their blood pressure by using a Low Carb way of Eating (so no conscious reduction in calories, no hunger, no excessive exercise), but perhaps a little time restricted eating (more like only eating when hungry) once 'Fat adapted' !

Edited for spelling. And for tagging 'wrong' Antje
 
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I had to go on SR after having symptoms similar to yours although not as severe by the sounds of it! It took me about 2 weeks for me to tolerate the SR and I was also careful when I took it. I made sure I had a bulletproof coffee with my morning one (I don’t eat breakfast) and had the second one with my evening meal. I did have a bit of a gripey tummy at first but symptom free now.
 

I finally managed to get the SR and so i plan to take it with dinner rather than breakfast so i dont have to take another til after work tomorrow and hopefully get any “episodes out of the way before work. Does that sound realistic?
 
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