Metformin tummy trouble

[Roxanne]

I was diagnosed just over 2 months ago now and I'm still having an upset stomach after taking metformin. I'm on 500mg 3 times a day. Without going into too much detail, I'm having to rush to the toilet an hour after every meal, 3 or 4 times. I told my doctor and he said he can't reduce my dose "unless it becomes intolerable".

Anyway, I have a wedding to go to next month and will be having a meal, I don't want this to spoil my day, does anyone have any tips that have reduced their side effects? Is it safe for us to take immodium or anything?

 

[1970clea]

Ask him to switch you to extended release version. It is much better. Also, it can help to take pills in the middle of your meal rather than before or after...

 

[Roxanne]

Ok, thanks, will ask him

 

[carty]

I had awful problems with met in fact I thought I was going to be incontinent I am now on the slow release Glucophage which has made a difference also I make sure my pill is taken well in the middle of my meal in effect burying it in food The reason that we are prescribed the normal met first is because it is a lot cheaper :!:
CAROL

 

[viviennem]

For a one-off occasion I sometimes miss out the pill that would cause embarrassment :shock: . Missing one won't hurt you as long as it's very occasionally.

Viv 8)

 

[wellwell1212]

Yeah, I had my share of tummy problems with standard Metformin x3 500 per day. That is until I got switched to x2 750 SR horse tablets :lol:

Seriously though, the SR tablets were the answer for me.

 

[byte83]

Hi Iwas diagnosed T2 in June. From the 1st metformin tab had really bad tummy troubles, got switched to SR ones which help a bit but can only manage 1 twice a day. Luckily my doc has said to stick to 1 twice a day as along as it torable and also given me gliclicide which so far I'm ok with. If it becomes unbearable with tummy troubles just keep talking to dr or change GP. Hope wedding goes ok

 

[Jude]

Roxanne

Have you managed to get your prescription changed to SR? I am on 2 x 1g SR daily - they are large tablets but should help with the guts reaction! - and believe me, I know all about that as I have suffered with irritable bowel for 40 years!! Get it done soon so that you will be able to enjoy the wedding - you will also be less anxious and that will also help you. :wink: Jude

 

[sweetenoughthanks]

I had exactly the same thing. Changed to slow release and instead of 1 metformin in the morning and one in the evening I now take two slow release at night.

I have no more tummy trouble and feel so much better - hope this helps and you feel better soon!

 

[storm]

Metformin seems to affect me as well, seemed to have calmed down the last few weeks, but yesterday was terrible. My stomach sounded like one of those old traction engines :lol:

 

[heathclowes]

I also had stomach problems with the Metformin 3 times a day, the doc switched me to Glucophage 2 1000g a day and 3 months later he cut me down to 1 a day but this has still not settled my problems every couple of weeks i am so bad with the stomach that i have to take time of work and as i have only been at the company for 4 months doesn't bode well for the future, i am awaiting results to see if i am suffering with celiac disease, i am fed up with being ill with stomach bugs, i get my results in the morning

 

[Roxanne]

I haven't asked for the slow relase tablets yet, but I have tried taking it in the middle of my meal instead of at the end it's made alot of difference

 

[evilcat]

I had real trouble with the Metformin at the beginning, but now I take it (with Gliclizide) 1/2 hour before eating. I also snack on nuts and seeds for extra fibre.

I know this is contrary to most recommendations but I don't have any problems at all now. In fact I had IBS before diagnosis and my stomach now appears to be back to normal operation!

 

[Gugrit]

Hi all. Made it to the site at last. I was on metformin since march when diagnosed. Ok at first then extreme and violent diarrhoea with no warning. After tolerating having to change me and the bedding a few times I refused to take it any more. All very well but now on pioglitarzone which is causing swelling of legs!!! Any suggestions? Does Imodium really help with metformin side affects?

 

[Stevie2tone]

I had real problems with the Metformin. It got so bad that I told my DN that I will refuse to take it as it was impeding my life so much I would rather have the risk of high BG levels and complications then living like this. Luckily she was reasonable and listened to my opinion. She prescibed Diamacron and Sitagliptin which stopped my stomach troubles but afraid to say was not enough to control my BG so subsequently started on Lantus recently.

Basically I am saying just don't accept what you are being told by a HCP, research, question, ask advice etc. Its your body so no one will know it better then you

 

[jacvajjl]

The slow release metformin ai i understand is not of any significance than being more costly.If your tolerance is low it is best to have it after meals in the morning and afternoon.The reason for doctors advising patients to take it one hour prior to meals is in order to control the post prandial glucose levels,which is likely to shoot beyond proportions in some patients.Why to avoid any drug in the night is because likely chances of one going into hypoglycemic coma without knowing is likely.If one intends to tolerate metformin better take it after food,but the dose should be higher because full absorption is impacted by the food we take.Adjust the dose after monitoring the post prandial situation.For evening a light meal and good excercise is more than enough.I was on meformin 500mg + 1mg glymepiride twice daily, morning and evening,and eventually by glucose level fell dangerously below 70 in the evening.Then i tried once in the morning but towards noon time i was hypoglycemic and was shivering.I switched to plain metformin 500mg morning and evening before meals,control was good but stomach problems was beyond proportion.Then i switched to after meals morning and afternoon with metformin 500mg and light meals in the evening with one hour of walk and now my sugar levels are well controlled and stomach problems remarkably reduced.

 

[carty]

On the patient information leaflet in the box containing your SR Metformin it clearly states that you should take them with or immediately after food . Also on the GP instructions it states the same information It is very important to follow these guidelines.
CAROL

 

[tree-peony]

After suffering for months, I discovered the gastric side effects vanished when I cut out lettuce for my lunch!

 

[foxyccc]

Hi I have been type 2 diabetic for two years now and from the start have had trouble tolerating Metformin also. I started on the normal metformin which gave me tummy upsets and changed to Slow release Metformin which I am able to cope with. I have found through trial and error that I can only tolerate one metformin SR morning and evening, taken right in the middle of my meal. The doctor added in a Januvia tablet in the evening together with glicazide.

I was getting urge diaorrhea and this was making it very difficult to cope with. I still get the odd upset stomach, but it is better than it was. I think you have to find your toleration level with the metformin.

My daughter was getting married last september and the diabetic nurse told me that I could stop taking the metformin for that day only so I didnt have an upset stomach for this special occasion.

I hope this helps.

 

[GraceK]

I had awful problems with met in fact I thought I was going to be incontinent I am now on the slow release Glucophage which has made a difference also I make sure my pill is taken well in the middle of my meal in effect burying it in food The reason that we are prescribed the normal met first is because it is a lot cheaper :!:
CAROL

My first prescription was Metformin SR 1000 a day with food. Like yourself I always take it WITH the meal and I've never had anything but the occasional very, very mild wave of nausea which I could tolerate. However, my GP told me last week that I need to double the dose and my God, what a difference!! :crazy: I felt sick, sick, sick as soon as I started taking 2000 a day dosage, every time I thought about or looked at food I felt like throwing up, then of course I was worried about my BG going haywire if I didn't eat. It was so bad that I couldn't get to the shops yesterday for fear of being sick so I'd say that's pretty intolerable.

Then yesterday I just sat back and thought "To hell with it, I don't see the point in taking a medication that is making me feel 10 times worse than I felt BEFORE diagnosis, I felt OK on 1000 a day, my BG is coming down so I'll stick with that for now." I'm going into hospital for minor surgery tomorrow and have to have a general anaesthetic so I don't want to be throwing up or they'll cancel it.

You mentioned Glucophage - isn't that the same thing as Metformin?