problems with metformin!!

There's certainly a risk in general of assuming the drugs will solve everything (i.e. taking metformin therefore I can carry on regardless). But the people on here are usually more motivated and savvy for that.

kimbo1962 said:

Morning mazza! As I've just said to Annie and Rico.......two met yesterday, first day trying lchf - and amazingly NO TUMMY TROUBLES!! hoping for same today too, fingers crossed!!

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Hi Kimbo, fantastic that's really good news, I had already started the LC/HF before I started on Metformin, the only symptoms I had was feeling nauseous for a couple of weeks then it subsided, so maybe it is the diet that makes it more tolerable.

Anyway, so glad your are feeling much better, take care and keep posting.

Marilyn x

I was a bit rubbish on it at first then fine but having upped to two a day, I have odd days when I feel nauseous and occasionally have the runs out of nowhere. Not enough to stop me taking it and my GP said it was ok to take an Imodium if it was really bad. I think it can take weeks to settle down so see how it goes. You can always ask for the slow release version if it doesn't improve.

Hi I have been on the metformin since march two in the morning and again two with evening meal, I had no problems what so ever then out the blue last week I got the runs no tummy problem or pain just the runs I thought it might be a bug or something then it happened again and again and there seems to be no warning signs that it is going to happen. It makes going out a challenge, so I don't know what's going on with this metformin side affe ts now?

Like others have said, you do (hopefully) get used to it. Do you have various brands of Metformin to choose from? For me I would get used to it and have no side effects, then I would get my prescription filled and the chemist would substitute it to a different brand and I would have trouble again. I ended up making the chemist stick to the same brand and I never further had trouble.
I can only assume that although the main ingredient was the same, the various other bits that make up a tablet were different and possibly created the problem.

I was diagnosed in late April and put on 2000 mg of Metformin, to be built up slowly over the span of four weeks. I asked for the slow release from the beginning because I already suffer from IBS. It took me two solid months to get used to this med. I'm not trying to alarm you in any way, but rather to give you some tips on how I found a better way to take it.

1. I always eat 1/2 my meal, then take the pills with a *FULL* glass of water (at least 8 oz.), then eat the rest of my meal.
2. I do not drink any fizzy drinks with my meal as it seems to upset my stomach even more.
3. I never take the meds with a tiny meal or a snack. Since I take it at breakfast and supper, these are my more substantial meals.
4. Water. Did I mention water? I drink a lot of it before and after my pills.
5. For the first few weeks, I was popping the store-brand immodium like crazy.

I still occasionally will have stomach upset. Recently I was also prescribed Cymbalta for diabetic neuropathy. After three nights of vomiting, I threw it in the trash. I'd rather have the pain. However, on the Metformin alone, the occasional stomach upset is much less severe than the first month. (My husband claims he never saw me as I was always in the bathroom. I am fortunate to work from home.) I truly hate Metformin but I persevered and now it's okay. That, along with a low carb diet, has brought my HbA1C down 40 points in the past 7 weeks, so I am glad I stuck with it.