Metformin SR side effects

Hi

It took me about 2 weeks to get used to it ,do you take it with food ?, if not take it with food and see how you go.

Hi, I wonder whether it's worth giving up on Metformin if your doc agrees and looking at options such as Gliclazide and Sitagliptin. They may or may not work and may or may not give stomach problems but possibly worth a try?

I have a very sensitive stomach and it ook me YEARS [well a few } to get used to even the SR version. I was ever sick but had terrible wind , dizziess ad lack of coordination.
It never did anythig for my bg levels so but I take it for its cardiovascular protection.

I would cerainly echo the advice to always take it with food but i is ot really as important to take it at a particular ime as some people thik.
Certainly there is an ideal time for some things but rather tha let me come offf the meformin two different dr's Pracices and a hospital consultant have give me different advice as to whe to take it. it all bolis dow to whatever works for you.
The cosultant even old me to try it before I went to bed at ightt. The thiking being that he gut is quieter then and it would help to miimise the symptoms. That didn't work for me but it does for some so may be worth a ry.
Another Dr old me to take it all first thig in the morning mostly for conveience, I found that was too much too.
As with several other medicaions they all eded up sayng I should take things whe I found they suited me best.
Metformin Sr was less bad for me han the standard versio bu sill took a few ywears o sop gcving me side effecs.

Unless they have a huge effect o your bg levels I dont think it would do too much harm to experiment ad find what is bes for you .
If it has litle effect o your levels it might indeed be better to come off it . I undestand that they can prescribe it in liquid form which is beter for some ad there are other alternatives.
Do yo have a bad reaction when?
you take it with your other meds or is it just the present dose which has caused the problems/ It is cerrtainly worth metioig as it may ot be crucial for you to coninue takig it?
It affects most people iitially so its ot surprising it is worse for you wih.your IBS. As taking it fter your evening meal seemed o work beter for you perhaps you might want o ry taking it before bedime ?

Tinytoez said:

When I was taking normal Metformin I was ok when I was taking 1000 mg, but when I added the third tablet to make 1500mg the problems started, so I think it is the amount I have to take rather than the drug itself, the only effect it was having was that I lost weight on it.
I really dont want to have to stick it out for too long, and I dont think work will be happy either, unless I can be signed off for a settling in period.
It didnt matter what time of day I took it, the first 2 days were at lunch time and the third was at dinner time in the evening, although the first 2 days on the SR seemed ok, it didnt start til the morning after the third day.
I always seem complicated one way or another.

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Perhaps they will let you drop down to the 1000 again? If it helped with weight loss at that level and you could tolerate it well
don't see why you can't ask to go back to that although i know it is only supposed o have iany appreiable effects at the 1500 dose . With your severe IBs it must be really difficult for you especially with a job like yours where you can hardly disappea r all the ime. Sounds as though as you say this dose is just a step too far. Maybe your doctor will thik that the weigght losss makes it worth perseveing with the lower dose for a it longer at least.
I hope he can help you. The effects of it are very well known . You need some extra elp wih your condition. you may be beter off wih an alternative.

Good evening! This is my first post on this forum and have joined to see if I can get some information on the effects of yes, you've got it, Metformin! My father is a type 2 diabetic, has been for approx 18 years and is a model patient who looks after himself and sticks to a sensible diabetic style diet. A few months ago, his blood sugars were starting to rise and he was prescribed an extra 500 mg tablet making a total of four per day. Soon afterwards he began to experience an urgency to go to the loo, a normal stool would be passed and sometimes an extremely watery one (will not get too graphic!) :x . Anyway he returned to doc and was switched to the SR version and instructed to take four at night, unfortunately the bowel problems took a turn for the worse and has lost weight after several bouts of explosive stools which normally start late at night and continue for several hours. Last week he went back to GP who has now decided to do some blood tests to to see if everything is ok and suggested loperamide. My dad is 80, active, independent and in tune with his body and convinced, as am I that the onset of these issues are in keeping with the medication change. This weekend he took to his bed, very listless and weak, thankfully today he has improved and is eating/drinking again. Not like my dad at all. So, GP says 4 at night, pharmacist suggested split dose am/pm and oncall doc (111 service, don't get me started) suggested taking all in morning. My gut feeling would be to take it in the morning as it is working with the food you take during the day. I know there is a lot of variations on here but would like to here other peoples stories from switching to the SR version, did things improve with changing timings? what worked for you?Will my parents loo roll bill drop? :eh: thankyou for reading this and I look forward to some responses!
Many thanks H

I personally would not take 4 metformin in one go, that would be asking for the loo to be attached to one self. I take 2 in the morning with breakfast then the other 2 at night with tea, which I believe its how most people take it.

Thankyou Pav for your quick response. This is what I'm thinking, my dad has asked me to accompany him and my mum to the docs in the morning to battle out a speedy solution.


cheers!
Helen

I take 2x1000mgs of SR Metformin I take 1 in the morning with breakfast and 1 at tea time I make sure that I take it along with the food eg I eat half the meal then take the tablet then finish the meal .This has solved my toilet probs
Hope you get sorted out
CAROL

I had exactly the same problems when I first went onto metformin. I was taking 2000mg and had the most awful tummy trouble. My GP changed me to the SR version (Glucophage) and I took one in the morning and one in the evening. I had two years of constant toilet trotting and eventually I went on to use insulin. I reduced my dose to 1000 (in the morning) and finally the trotting stopped. I'm happy to say that all is now functioning well, but only since I went onto a low carb diet. I have no idea if that helped the situation, but I feel 1000% better now than I have for a long time.

HTH

Fox

i was on fast acting metaformin for about 7 years and developed diarrhea and wasn't able to tolerate it. I now take sitagliptin instead after trying also the slow release metaformin..one tablet was enough, ..i had agonizing stomach cramps and diahorria and never felt such pain like it.Now my records are firmly marked never give this patient metaformin as she is allergic to it.

I have been diagnosed 8 years, extremely sensitive to glucophage & glucophage SR. Have now been taking brand of metformin called Metabet SR with no reaction whatsoever. Just a thought!

I have just got the same problem I was diagnosed end of Jan this year and have just had a terrible time on metformin three a day and was coping well until recent holiday in Italy I had terrible stomach cramps diarrhea, you know the usual not straying too far from any toilet it was mind boggling at first then it seemed to settle down.... Then I've been home four days and back to cramps and feeling really low I rang dn she told me to stop taking tablets, so I have new prescription for slow release tabs and my pharmacist told me to take THREE together when I want so bit worried about that cos I'm also taking at moment loperamide as well , so does everyone take all together or every meal time?

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I've been on Metformin 3 aday for 5 months, with cramps and diarrhoea, just changed to SR, 4 aday, and the problems appear worse!

I've been on 500 mg slow release for 6 weeks, symptoms still here

I was given Metformin and I had severe diarrhoea and felt terrible. Loperamide had no effect whatsoever. Had temper tantrum on the phone with GP and he prescribed SR.

I take morning and evening. I don't have problems with SR tolerance now. However if I'm very late taking tablets or miss them (travel delays) I get diarrhoea unless I take 2 loperamide as soon as poss, then just carry on with next dose. My theory is that the loperamide just slows digestion down a bit and pre-empts the diarrhoea. Obviously, that would be no good for anyone with gastroparesis and I'm not suggesting that anyone should pop loperamide, it just works for me.

I try very hard to make sure that I don't miss tablets or take very late though !

Hello all,

I will tag @NoughtQAF who is having unfortunate encounters with metformin side effects. The original thread is here:

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/metformin-sr-brands-difference.104661/

But I thought we'd maybe get to a quicker solution if I tagged @NoughtQAF here. Medication issues are bad enough as it is - but when they start to interfere heavily with day to day activities then it really is no use at all.

I'm sure all of you lovely, lovely people will be more than happy to help

Peace!

Grant