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Metformin side effects - how long?

S

sooliz

Active Member
I've been on one Metformin for a week today, after reading about side effects on here I asked for, and got, the SR version in the hope that I might not suffer with any. Well, for the last 3 days I've had gut ache, flatulence (I'm female.....it's embarrassing!!! :oops: .....we 'ladies' aren't supposed to do that :oops: :wink: ), stomach gurgling like a volcano about to erupt, the runs.....

I'll put up with it all, if I have to, as long as I know it will all go away soon....... :shock: I'm not keen on increasing the dose with these side effects on just one tab, although my DSN did say to drop down again if I get the side effects and can't cope on an increased dose.

So how long will they last? Give me some hope that it's not for much longer, please! :crazy:
 
Hi sooliz

I can only talk about personal experience. I sympathise with you, the first few days are terrible and I hated it! I found that the side effects settled down after about a week and a half .. however .. ONLY if I stick to low carb. Anything too high carb and the effects are catastrophic :shock: I remember at the beginning thinking that I could get away with one doughnut .. I mean .. just one can't hurt, can it???? :lol:

Hope it settles down soon, hang in there. If you're doing the right things it WILL get better.

Momblegoose
 
Been taking the slow.release for a year now on the max dose and to be totally honest it gets ever so slightly better but cutting the carbs should work and I also take Januvia which helps .
 
Yes some people like me and Momblegoose find the bad stuff goes away if you reduce you starchy carbs a bit more. I'd try dropping them a bit and replacing what you stop with extra veg or meat so you don't get hungry. I'm on the standard stuff and it doesn't give me a problem unless I eat too many carbs.

It's worth persevering with Metformin if you can as it's effective and many consider it to be the safest diabetic drug to take. It also helps with other things like potential heart problems.
 
That's the thing though - I eat hardly any starchy carbs now, haven't done for a couple of months. Having said that, husband cooked Sunday lunch yesterday and served up mashed carrot and swede, roast potatoes and peas along with the pork - oh, and a bit of cabbage too. The cabbage is normally the only veg I would eat out of that lot.....bless him, he doesn't quite 'get' this carb thing yet. I was up in the night with worse stomach cramps/diarrhoea ( :oops: sorry, too much info, I know), so it looks as though the carby veg did exacerbate everything. Of course, he didn't stand over me forcing me to eat it all.....but he made the effort to cook, so I had to eat it, didn't I? :wink:

I'm sure it will all get better with time - well, I blooming hope so! :shock:

Thanks for the help, everyone.
 
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