Metformin Tablets Slow Release

[Lyndsayjackman]

I used to be on Metformin Tablets and my consultant took me off of them because she said the side effects were not good for me particularly. well over a year has gone by and she has now decided to put me back on slow release tablets. I received the tablets after a 2 week wait and when i read the ingredients i was horrified and also looked them up on the net, one in particular was talc which is a cousin of asbestos and a known carcegenic - i have had a tumour once in my appendix a very rare form and i dont want anything in mybody that could cause any type of cancer i mean who would and i found that there were another 3 carcegenic ingredients in there - well my doctor is expecting me to put these things in my body and i am certainly not doing so.......my question is is there one without all these other ingredients in it or an alternative that i can use which does not put me at risk of cancer. i think everyone should research what is in tablets and then decide if they want them...in these tablets are stuff they use for glue, detergent, talc etc.....i shudder when i think that people are taking these tablets.

any thoughts on this.

 

[Sid Bonkers]

Hi Lyndsay, I've never heard anyone suggest that there was anything carcinogenic in Metformin, in fact it is widely reported to help protect against several types of cancer. I would be far more worried about having high blood glucose levels which are known to cause diabetic complications.

I would voice your concerns with your diabetes team but I suspect you are worrying needlessly

 

[anna29]

Hi lyndsay.
Interesting post ...
I myself am very tablet meds intollerant , the ONLY type I CAN handle and tollerate are certain sterate based tablets made with either calcium or magnesium sterate compound .
Over the last couple of years myself and my husband have contacted certain drug companies to investigate the quality of the sterate compounds used, also working closely and firmly with my fantastic understanding GP as to which tablets to keep me on [regardless of cost]
Example. My paracetamol tablets come from a company in ireland [made with excellent quality magnesium sterate base compound]
Some companies do use cheaper and poorer quality sterates . Amazingly my stomach can reject these acurrately!
Even my dentist can only ever use eurithymycine sterate antibiotics with me. Prior to any dental treatment.
Weirdly with my diabetes treatment I can and do handle the peptide victoza and levemir insulin well.... So this is great for me.
The worst of this is the reactions you have when so intollerant to meds/drugs you are and the consequences that follow!
It can take weeks for things to settle after a bad reaction and the list of elimination grows longer.
Even certain groups of antibiotics are out of the question for me.
Its bad enough needing help medicinally and then you simply CANT tollerate it...
Makes things much harder to overcome.
So your points raised in this post- are very valid with me.
Anna.x

 

[Daibell]

My Glucophage SR by Merck contain magnesium Stearate, carmellose sodium and hypromelose as fillers. None of these show up as dangerous on the web although there is a debate on the first one. Note that you have to have a filler to support the slow release mechanism. I suspect the risks are absolutely minimal and I'd rather keep my diabetes under control and avoid major damage to my internal organs and limbs than worry about debatable risks. As someone else has said, Metformin has been shown to reduce cancer risk

 

[Unbeliever]

I agree with Sid. Given a choice I wouldn't take anyhing but I know that this isn't possible for me.

So its a question of balancing risk. I don.t suppose any drug exists which doen' pose a risk to someone.

I often feel very uneasy about some of the drugs I am prescribed. I constantly read posts about how potentially dangerous these may be. The newer drugs may cause liver cancers etc. I have personally been damaged by an older drug which was regarded as safe so I know nasty things can happen.

Someimes, as in my case it is more a maer of how and when these drugs are prescribed.
As with everything else to do with diabetes it is necessary to inform yourself about your medication and figh your case with the HCps concerning the effect on you pesonally.

It is becoming more difficult o do this as treatmen becomes more regimened and it worries me a great deal that older people diagnosed may no be able to "fight the good fight" .