• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Metformin reactions ?

daisyduck

Well-Known Member
Messages
988
Location
Great Yarmouth
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
I've been prescribed Metformin. 500 dosage to start.

I was quite happy to carry on with LCHF diet as I'd got my Hba1c readings down to 49, but no, docs insist that Metformin will benefit me.

YUK! I've only taken 2 days and I feel awful. Fuzzy headache, stomach pains, I feel sick and the worst reaction tonight! I went out for my usual fitness walk and had to nearly run home to dash in the loo ! Dreadful diarrhea !!

Does this pass or have I got to expect worse ?
 
Hi. Those problems usually go within a week or so, but if not do ask for the Slow Release (SR) version which is much kinder. GPs don't prescribe it first due to cost and NICE. Metformin does help us all a bit but particularly those who have excess weight and insulin resistance. It also has other protective properties so overall is a safe drug.
 
Thanks Daibell. I do still have a couple of stone to lose. so hopefully this will help. I had managed a 3 stone weight loss on LCHF but this has stuck for the last few months.
I'm sipping hot water with ginger and lemon now which seems to have helped the nausea a bit.
 
If it continues the doc might prescribe you something else. I was pretty lucky, most days they just make me feel sick to the stomach.
 
Hi ya I've just been put on Metaformin after being diet controlled for a year but my biggest fear is the side effects, did your side effects come on straight away ??? Worried about being near a toilet when I start taking them tomorrow!!!
 
Hi carlsjones7. I took my first one late on Tuesday. Didn't notice much with that one. Took the second one at lunchtime on Wednesday and felt awful from about an hour afterwards. Headaches and sick feeling were first but I was surprised how quickly I needed the loo on my walk.. I won't be going far tomorrow ! Hope you are OK with them, lots of people are
 
I will be starting on it when I get them so I hope the side effects won't be to bad or last to long. The nurse said try them for two or three weeks and if the side effects are still really bad then to see the doctor for the SR ones
 
Not everyone will get side effects, but there are also some people who just can't tolerate metformin..

If you are prescribed multiple tablets a day, the advice is often to build up the dose slowly to allow your body to gradually acclimatize. I was told to cut down and do this if I had any problems, so this option is worth asking about. The problems should clear up, but if they don't, ask for the slow release (SR) version which is easier your body. As a last resort ask to try a different brand - I had issues (bad headaches and nausea) with one brand I was given when my normal one wasn't available.

Maybe watch your carbs too - they can cause some of these gastric upsets. I only had loo dash problems a couple of times with the standard metformin when I ate a slightly higher carb meal than usual even though I was on a low carb diet at the time.

Robbity
 

Thanks Robbity.

I am feeling a little better today , still feeling sick but thankfully no loo dashes.
The nurse said she would just start me on the one tablet 500 for this reason, so I don't know if I could go lower ?
I am on low carb diet too .. don't think I had any excess recently, but will keep an eye on that.
 
The other advice is to take them in the middle of your meals.

I believe metformin helped me get my FBG levels down this way.

But now I know what I need to be doing, I have had no recent issues.

Early days though, OMG yes, but I got used to it in the end.
 
Be careful of your carb intake.Following the Eat Well plate led to severe and extremely embarrassing problems when I was on Metformin,Eventually I'd had enough of unplanned toilet events and came off Metformin completely. Now on lchf and glicazide/stigig pin Bg ave 6.0 and feeling much better.
 
I well remember taking my first Metformin pill with trepidation, worrying about the terrible side effects that I'd read about on here.

I'm still waiting for any of them to happen.
 
I have been taking my metformin pills for over a year. I take one in the morning at 6 am and one at night at 7pm. I take them if I have eaten or not. Works fine for me. No side effects apart from constipation. I just make sure I eat more roughage. I started off at 500mg once a day. Now on 500mg twice a day. Give your medication time to build up in your body. And your body time to adjust. You will also notice a difference with your eyesight.
 
Thanks everyone. It's good to see some people don't have reactions at all. I read somewhere that about 30% of people do have some reaction. I'm feeling a lot better today.
 
can anyone tell me if they feel sickness when taking Metformin? I am so dizzi sometimes but have been like that for a while before taking Metformin but this sicky feeling and feeling anxious all the time I am wondering if it is the Metforming I feel even more depressed now than ever.
 
For me they were rather life threatening with my blood becoming acidic whilst I was on them. Took about a week of taking them to build up to this state of my veins being burned all over my body. Didn't really get any other symptoms except maybe wind.

@lynn007 I reckon the dizzy feelings are your lower BG levels and your brain having to get used to the change. That may also be the same for the anxiety. Feeling sick is a common side effect of Met. Can I suggest you talk to your HCP about these reactions and see if they can help - maybe slow release or stomach settling remedies etc
 
Best always to take them with proper amount of food, in the first few weeks try splitting a 500mmg tablet in two and taking half before and half after your meal. The side effects are different for different people.
I do still occasionally get the yuck feel but it passes within 5 minutes provided I eat..
For me the biggest side effect is it makes me hungry.
 
Thanks Andrew I am thinking of stopping these tablets all together I never felt so ill.
 

Is that the ketoacidosis I've read about ? That is really serious !
 

How much are you taking Lynn ? Nurse did warn me about side effects and said that was the reason for starting on a low dose.

Thought I'd cracked it but I was wrong.. 2 more episodes of loo dashes Although on a positive note, I feel less sick and the headache has gone.

Hubby made me smile.. when I had to dash into the loo on our return from a shopping trip, he said.. well it's a good job we stocked up on loo roll !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…