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Metformin

J

jmj17554

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9
Hi, I'm newly diagnosed with type 2 and am having a terrible time. I seemingly had a hb1ac thingy of 75 and the doctor put me on 2 x 500mg metformin daily plus 1 x Sitagliptin> However, I was extremely ill! She told me to stop them for a week and try again, which I did, and the same thing happened. She then told me to try taking each tablet separately for a few days to see what happened. Well, I opted to take the Sitagliptin first and for the whole week, I was very nauseous. I then left that one off and tried 1 x Metformin. This only left me feeling nauseous for about an hour after eating, but apart from that, after I had a good retch (sorry if tmi) then I would be fine. My sugars were down to 6.4 as well. However, she says that I have got to increase to the 2 a day and now I'm back vomiting, diarrhoea and generally feeling lousy. She says that I will probably have to go on to insulin in a couple of months anyway, so I just don't understand it all. I start my Desmond course next Thursday but just wondered if anyone can tell me if the sickness etc is something I will have to put up with! It's one way of losing weight I suppose. Sorry for the essay but am so fed up of feeling worse now than I did before. Regards, Jenny
 
Be patient and take the insuline injection u will be well because its the last option,but you'll have to live by it.get well sOon
 
Thankyou salihu, I know I must be patient but it is hard when the pills make you feel so ill. But thankyou for your support.
 
Hi and welcome i was given the dreaded Metformin and could not tolerate it's side effects it works for some but not for others [plus after 2 months + i did not lose an ounce] there are lots of different types of medication the doctor can try before insulin, i now am controlling my type2 with diet and i have lost over a stone in two months, i found the best way is to test 2 hours after eating my main meal and then work out what makes my blood glucose spike, if the doctor will not give you a monitor and strips on prescription some do some don't, if not then you can contact the companies direct they will usually send you a free one and if you buy direct from them the strips are usually much cheaper i use Supercheck2 strips are £8.49 for 50 not bad you can find lots of info on here Tina
 
Thanks Teagan and Tom, I have a monitor as I have been keeping it by diet contol for the last 2 years. However, it has now gone past that seemingly. The doctor did say that she will try me on the slow release tablets next to try them, but the problem is that I have a colostomy so it is not always possible as the are not absorbed properly. What I don't understand is that she is talking as if I will be on insulin aswell, and has done from the start. The good thing is that I am losing weight (6lbs in 2 weeks), but it is not the best way to do it. :sick: :sick:
 
Hi I am newly diagnosed as type 2 it's all strange to me, the Dr has placed me on 3x 500mg Metformin per day, I have been takin it since mid march and I haven't lost a single llb in weight, how long does it normally take to see a change ???


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Hi JM
It's not unusual for a T2 to be on Insulin as well as tablets, so don't worry.
I am T2 and have been since 2006.

During the first few years its all a trial, but now I find myself on

Metformin, levemir, Novo Rapid, and now Victoza, ( First day on victoza today)
and my bloods have already come down. With NO Insulin taken yet today.
But it is early days.

So it is a real balancing game, I call it a game as I used to let myself get very stressed about the whole thing.
And that is bad for you.

My advise to you, "Take part" in deciding what's best for you, don't let your doc experiment, once you find a happy blood level, you will know exactly what to take, and when.
Good luck
Tom


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Thanks very much Tom. You have been a big help. Gillerlee, I have only lost weight as I keep being sick and so cannot eat anything. I doubt if I would lose any otherwise, although the doctor has just referred me to a dietician. Keep your chin up. Regards Jenny
 
Metformin only decreases levels by 1-2 mmol at full strength. The main thing you can do to cut your levels is to cut out the carbs.

You should start the metformin at one tablet a day and build it up over a period of a few weeks, take it in the middle of a meal. Some people are more sensitive to it than others. For me I had terrible diarrhoea. I have also found that metformin and wheat are not good bedfellows and by cutting out wheat, my stomach doesn't complain any more.

This is the NICE Pathway for medications http://pathways.nice.org.uk/pathways/di ... abetes.xml

You don't necessarily loose weight with Metformin, cutting carbs has more of an effect.
 
jmj17554 said:
Hi, I'm newly diagnosed with type 2 and am having a terrible time. I seemingly had a hb1ac thingy of 75 and the doctor put me on 2 x 500mg metformin daily plus 1 x Sitagliptin> However, I was extremely ill! She told me to stop them for a week and try again, which I did, and the same thing happened. She then told me to try taking each tablet separately for a few days to see what happened. Well, I opted to take the Sitagliptin first and for the whole week, I was very nauseous. I then left that one off and tried 1 x Metformin. This only left me feeling nauseous for about an hour after eating, but apart from that, after I had a good retch (sorry if tmi) then I would be fine. My sugars were down to 6.4 as well. However, she says that I have got to increase to the 2 a day and now I'm back vomiting, diarrhoea and generally feeling lousy. She says that I will probably have to go on to insulin in a couple of months anyway, so I just don't understand it all. I start my Desmond course next Thursday but just wondered if anyone can tell me if the sickness etc is something I will have to put up with! It's one way of losing weight I suppose. Sorry for the essay but am so fed up of feeling worse now than I did before. Regards, Jenny
Click to expand...

Jenny I take both of these drugs and have done for a while - i find that i must take the metformin with food to avoid side effects of upset stomach but no nausea.

A minor point but the drugs do not cause weight loss - what does that is reducing the amount that you eat either through calorie or carb counting or often a combination of the two together with willpower.


Diagnosed Type II 1998 1 x 80 mg Gliclazide, 4 x 500mg Metformin and 1 x 100mg Sitagliptin - HbA1c - 48 mmol/mol
 
As Neil says these pills are not for weight loss.
You have to change your diet, the amount you east and exercise to do this.

I have lost 35kgs but not through taking pills.
Life style change including diet and exercise was my way.

Andy
 
Like many my GI could not tolerate metformin in any form and the constant runs really impacted on my quality of life. Thankfully the nice guidelines recognise this and so my GP was able to give me glickazide and sitigliptin which while more expensive have given me back my quality of life... If weight is a problem then there are drugs like victoza which help weight loss and control sugar levels but you should discuss with your GP and find out all the options open to you and not just be processed again nice guidelines back you up here good luck


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When i took metformin, within 4 days my thumbs swelled to twice their normal size and the joints bled internally, a bit like a huge bruise..
All i was given was piriton which was as much use as a chocolate teapot... Took 6 weeks before they returned to normal.
 
definitely try the slow release much better upset stomach but bearable for a few days then no ill effects after that at all. good luck xx
 
For reasons beyond my control this morning I was forced to take my Metforming SR without food while on the move. I have not done this before as I always usually eat a small amount of breakfast with it so I was really worried I was going to regret it. Well, four hours later, nada......no upset stomach, no cramping, no diarrhea, nothing. Will be less worried about it in future.
 
Yes, go for Metformin SR. It's unusual to have noticeable side effects with Sitagliptin but we're all different. Do try to get a 'normal' BMI before going onto insulin if that becomes the right solution as it's much easier to manage doses if you're not insulin resistant and carrying on the Met SR will also help.
 
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