• Guest, the forum is undergoing some upgrades and so the usual themes will be unavailable for a few days. In the meantime, you can use the forum like normal. We'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

One for the girls - periods and metformin

Curnowpixie

Curnowpixie

Member
I tried posting this earlier this afternoon - it seems to have gone wrong so here goes again...
I'm just diagnosed as pre-diabetic so have gone onto metformin. 2.5 weeks back started on 500 mg metformin once a day. Should be two x 500mg, twice per day, but having read about its side effects decided to get going on it slowly. So went for two 500 mg tablets with brekkie and dinner one week ago, Two days later I have my first period in YEARS and it's a nightmare. There is no info about this on the drug's own leaflet, or in the BNF. If you google 'metformin and periods' you get a US site about getting periods started for women suffering from a condition which prevents pregnancy. Anyone else suffered from this please? Any help very gratefully received.
 
Thank you Pinkerbell..that's very helpful...and I will go back to the nurse. I was not told my HbA1c reading at diagnosis - must collect that as well!:)
 
Hi collectingrocks. Well - that's a good question. Frankly I'm behaving a bit like a rabbit in the headlights. I was sat pondering my lot yesterday when I noticed that a lot of you kindly forum folks have hba1c details on the bottom of your posts. After two trips to the GP's (GPx1, Diabetes Nurse x1) I don't know that number. I think the GP said that I didn't have diabetes yet but had the signs of heading that way and was 'pre-diabetic' and part of the huge epidemic of T2 sufferers turning up. The trouble is that I'm not entirely up with the jargon, so what I say might meant the wrong thing to those of you who've talked about it for a while. I have to get my head round all of this...there's a lot of science to deal with - but I'll get there. In the meantime, I am exceptionally grateful for all your thoughts - if anyone else out there was thinking of replying but decided it might be a wasted effort - trust me - it won't be wasted. :)
 
When you say first period in years are you menopausal or much younger when you ought to be having a regular cycle? Metformin is used to treat PCOS as mentioned above, one symptom of which is absent menstruation or very irregular periods. Another symptom is hirsuteness and weight gain and sadly an increased risk of developing diabetes. One site I read recently said that approximately 50% of sufferers will be diagnosed with diabetes before 40 which is a sobering figure. Metformin as I understand it helps reduce some of the symptoms of PCOS as well as helping against insulin resistance which is part and parcel of both syndromes. I believe it also has protective benefits for the liver and kidneys which is why my GP has already said I'll be staying on it even if I lose weight and reduce BS levels.
 
cold ethyl said:
When you say first period in years are you menopausal or much younger when you ought to be having a regular cycle? Metformin is used to treat PCOS as mentioned above, one symptom of which is absent menstruation or very irregular periods. Another symptom is hirsuteness and weight gain and sadly an increased risk of developing diabetes. One site I read recently said that approximately 50% of sufferers will be diagnosed with diabetes before 40 which is a sobering figure. Metformin as I understand it helps reduce some of the symptoms of PCOS as well as helping against insulin resistance which is part and parcel of both syndromes. I believe it also has protective benefits for the liver and kidneys which is why my GP has already said I'll be staying on it even if I lose weight and reduce BS levels.
Click to expand...
Thanks cold ethyl, it's good to learn more about it. I'm 55, have never had health problems until now - just happen to be a bit allergic to dairy prods and meat (not fish). I've never had a blood test for the menopause, but have been through the night-sweats etc ending about 4 years back (menopause is fairly early on both sides of my family). Haven't got back to the GP yet - but will do soon.
 
Back
Top