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

Metformin side effects

J

Julia57m

Newbie
Messages
4
Hi, has anyone else suffered from really bad diarrhoea whilst on metformin? Some days I barely make it to the bathroom in time! My GP hasn't changed my mess but is sending me for a colonoscopy instead, which is making me anxious. Is ther any other medication I could take instead?
 
Hi Julia
I had exactly the same symptoms as you are having .The GP changed the prescription to SR Metformin and I have been ok with this although it took a day or to to get into the system and lose the incontinence :!:
CAROL
 
Hi,

I too have suffered these horrible side effects, I was changed to SR Metformin, and all was fine to start with but now the side effects are back. My GP has given me a drug called Lomotil to slow things down. She is now going to take me off Metformin as I am a nervous wreck when I go out. Hope they sort you out real soon as this is a life changing problem to deal with.

Good Luck

Bernie
:|
 
hi Julia

It's one of the most common side effects and mentioned often.

Don't suffer with it, as the others have posted ahead ask/demand the Slow Release version.

Re the colonoscopy, either they want to be sure nothing else wrong or are strangely unaware of the very very common side effects of metformin, which on here sometimes get called metfartin (says it all really).

Mary x
 
Thanks for the reassurance.. It's a relief to know others have the same problem. Thing is I'm already on the slow release metformin and the problem seems to be getting worse rather than better. I'm really fed up, after about 6 months from being diagnosed, having tried both sorts of metformin and having to dash to the loo in a real panic up to 2-3 times a day. I think I'll try and see another GP at the surgery to see if there's something else I can take. Thanks again!
 
It's a shame if you can't cope with even the SR metformin. I did hear of someone like yourself going down to just one 500mg of metformin a day for an extended period until they coped with it, then slowly increasing a bit. Perhaps worth a try.
 
I agree with what Grazer said. Here we don't have the SR version so I was advised to stop it completely for a week, then reintroduce it gradually, increasing the dose after each week. So far it's worked.
 
Thanks again everyone. Daisy-what dose are you on? And how did you up the dosage slowly? By what amount each week? I'm so desperate to know what to do to get my life back in some sort of order instead of wondering whether I dare go somewhere in case there are no toilets close by!
 
Hi. Metformin is the drug of choice for overweight T2s. If you are not particularly overweight then your GP might consider changing to Glicalazide or Sitagliptin. These have different control mechanisms for diabetes but don't normally cause stomach upsets.
 
I had the exact same problem with my first doctor. She'd put me on 500 twice a day and it was bad enough, but then she upped it to 850 twice a day and all h##l broke loose (well not only h##l, if you see what I mean LOL).

Thank goodness, my sister in law is a nurse who's specialized in diabetes for the past 15 years. She told me to get off it for a couple of days, then start again with 250 per day and go up 250 at a time, BUT only when I was sure I was OK.

I am now taking 1500/day and no problems.

Oh,... and I changed my doctor :)
 
hi iv been on it for years i take 500 x4 times a day
my bad stomachs are awfull some days
to be honest i didnt think it was due to metroformin at the time but i do know
as i have ibs but i now take imodium instants when i go out and i feel fine
i think because i feel safe with imodium i can relax
i dont mention my bad stomachs to the dr as they arnt interested
they always seem to have an answer
i do hope things improve for you
 
Hi all,
Really pleased to say that I went and saw another GP who was totally sympathetic and understood the distressing effect the Metformin was having. She put me on Gliclazide instead (although I am overweight, and someone on here said that it wasn't recommended because of that).

What a difference it has made to my life! No more runs. I feel human again, and not just because of the reduction in trips to the toilet. Gliclazide obviously suits me much better, and I feel I'm leading a normal life again.

So...Don't give up hope if you're suffering!
 
Back
Top