Should I feel this poorly?

I felt similar on just a 500 dose. I stopped taking it after 12 weeks and rely on the LCHF diet now, which has had better results than the metformin anyway.
Definitely have a word with your doctor. Have you adjusted your diet at all ?

daisyduck said:

I stopped taking it after 12 weeks

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Good evening @GR51 I have been on metformin 500g one in the morning and one of an evening and like you at the beginning of taking them I to had the same side effects but no one told me that I must take them with or just after food,once I started doing that I was fine, two weeks ago at my first 3 month assestment, I wanted to come off of them but my doctor said if I did my blood sugar would rise and I would be back where I started,not sure being mew to this medication if that was true,nut decided to wait another 3 months and then ask again,

I think it could maybe be because you are used to too high blood glucose, then your body reacts to the fast lowered blood glucose..

give it sometime on the lower almost normal level and see if it doesn´t change after a fortnight...

GR51 said:

but I do feel shaky light headed and nauseous. Is this normal?

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These are symptoms typically associated with hypoglycemia, when glucose levels are < 4.0 mmol. But for those of us who have been used to high glucose levels for a long time, a sudden drop or "normalization" often leaves us in this state. Our brain may also be insulin resistant and unable to function well at "normal" glucose level yet. I think of it as being similar to being out of breath after some exercises for someone who have not exercise much.

For most people, it usually gets better over time as our body adjust to the new normal...

Shortly after I started medication (40mg Gliclizide and 500mg Metformin) I had a similar feeling a few times. One evening was for sure a false Hypo, and a couple of mornings I felt really bad. But now my numbers are more stable (in the 5.x to 8.x range) and I'm not feeling it any more. I do use my meter to make sure it's not a real problem. I'd stay stick with it for a few days to see if it goes away. These days, as a rule I feel ten times better than before I started to control my BG.

GR51 said:

Is this normal? Previously no side effects. Should I be feeling this ill or is it something else???

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Metformin isn't always the nicest of drugs to take, some people are OK, some will have side effects. That includes lactic acidosis: unusual tiredness, dizziness, severe drowsiness, chills, blue/cold skin, muscle pain, fast/difficult breathing, slow/irregular heartbeat, stomach pain with nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, to name but a few.

Also, as already mentioned, your BG has been quite high for a while and now much lower, you will notice that to some degree. I was told by my GP to give it a couple of weeks when I started. Unfortunately the diarrhea never really went until I started taking codeine based pain killers.