Starting Metformin - need tips and encouragement

[mariavontrapp]

(Type 2 since 2014) After many years of managing without drugs, I now need to start taking Metformin. There is nothing else I can do diet-wise to keep my bg down.
What I really need is some encouragement to try the Metformin. I am very sensitive to drugs, but of course this always falls on deaf ears at the surgery despite being on my records.
Has anyone got some positive experiences, has Metformin been a good drug for you?
I will be starting on 500mg slow release, then building up. Any tips for managing stomach problems? Many thanks

 

[Gracie204]

Hi
I'm not on any medication, but believe that eventually I'll reach a stage where I will need some help. One of my friends who is ninety years of age and eats anything is on Metformin and she looks really good and still manages to have quite a healthy social life. I've recently read that Metformin is anti-aging! So perhaps there are a few positives.

 

[mariavontrapp]

Hi
I'm not on any medication, but believe that eventually I'll reach a stage where I will need some help. One of my friends who is ninety years of age and eats anything is on Metformin and she looks really good and still manages to have quite a healthy social life. I've recently read that Metformin is anti-aging! So perhaps there are a few positives.

Thank you Gracie, this is the sort of positivity I need. I hope I'll do as well as your friend!

 

[Rowgirl]

(Type 2 since 2014) After many years of managing without drugs, I now need to start taking Metformin. There is nothing else I can do diet-wise to keep my bg down.
What I really need is some encouragement to try the Metformin. I am very sensitive to drugs, but of course this always falls on deaf ears at the surgery despite being on my records.
Has anyone got some positive experiences, has Metformin been a good drug for you?
I will be starting on 500mg slow release, then building up. Any tips for managing stomach problems? Many thanks

I've been on metformin for a year, initially 500mg twice a day, now 1000mg twice a day. As long as I take them while I eat i'm fine, no problems now. I am also on insulin now to, (sigh).

 

[Daibell]

You are unlikely to have any problems with SR Metformin other than the possible metallic taste which some, like me, had at that start and for me lasted 6 months. It isn't a miracle cure for diabetes but helps a little.

 

[the-mental-one]

I started on metformin multiple times, (I'm not the best patient as I have depression, and have had since I was a child, so sometimes I do not take care of myself well at all) this week I restarted on not slow release (because that is what is provided for free here) and had some noticeable stomach upset and diarrhoea but I know it will pass as it always has before and I know that I am always better when my blood sugars are under control so I very definitely think it's worth doing

If it helps I didn't notice anywhere near the same issues when I was on the slow release tablets, and I'm quite sensitive in my digestive system, so hopefully you'll be fine. Of course, if you do have problems you can talk to the docs again, they're more likely to listen after you take them than before you do.

Hope it all goes well for you.

edit: I've also noticed I'm better when I take them with a meal, when I first had them no one told me that I should do that just told me to take them morning and night

 

[Omnipod]

Make sure you keep an eye on your insulin intake as you may need to start reducing your insulin. Metformin is generally given when your body starts becoming resistant to insulin. I had a very bad hypo requiring assistance because I was taking Metformin and was never advised that I may need to reduce my insulin in the future.

 

[AloeSvea]

Hi @mariavontrapp. I too have just started taking metformin after a couple of bad years (like many I believe! around the covid-world). I too was diagnosed in 2014, after managing drug-free.

There are many good reasons to take metformin - as in its tried and tested well, well-tolerated, and can make a difference to your blood glucose levels. If your body needs a helping hand to stop churning out lots of glucose from your liver, like mine does, and affect positively the digestive processes and interactions that affect our blood glucose regulating system - metformin can help.

Of course, I see low-carbing as the fist go-to thing to do, but when that doesn't work so well for whatever reason, and for me there were multiple negative influences,

I tried metformin on a low dose this time last year (500mg in the evening), but it didn't seem to make any difference to my blood glucose readings. And I had queeziness off and on in the couple of months I took it. Fasting still made the most difference, but no longer made long-term impacts (other things overrode the impact it seemed - who knows?)

This time I doubled the dose (with medical supervision, of course), 500mg with breakfast, and 500mg with dinner, and am making sure I take it with substantial food. If I intermittent-fast - I plan to skip lunch, which makes sense.
And no full day or two fasts while trying out metformin this time. To be honest, it is a bit easier to skip lunch , or have a small lunch, because metformin, at least at the early stages - still makes me a bit queezy! I am hoping this goes away over time. Here's hoping.

I will be very interested to see how you get on too, and I will come in and keep you posted on my own journey with the drug.

 

[mariavontrapp]

Hi @mariavontrapp. I too have just started taking metformin after a couple of bad years (like many I believe! around the covid-world). I too was diagnosed in 2014, after managing drug-free.

There are many good reasons to take metformin - as in its tried and tested well, well-tolerated, and can make a difference to your blood glucose levels. If your body needs a helping hand to stop churning out lots of glucose from your liver, like mine does, and affect positively the digestive processes and interactions that affect our blood glucose regulating system - metformin can help.

Of course, I see low-carbing as the fist go-to thing to do, but when that doesn't work so well for whatever reason, and for me there were multiple negative influences,

I tried metformin on a low dose this time last year (500mg in the evening), but it didn't seem to make any difference to my blood glucose readings. And I had queeziness off and on in the couple of months I took it. Fasting still made the most difference, but no longer made long-term impacts (other things overrode the impact it seemed - who knows?)

This time I doubled the dose (with medical supervision, of course), 500mg with breakfast, and 500mg with dinner, and am making sure I take it with substantial food. If I intermittent-fast - I plan to skip lunch, which makes sense.
And no full day or two fasts while trying out metformin this time. To be honest, it is a bit easier to skip lunch , or have a small lunch, because metformin, at least at the early stages - still makes me a bit queezy! I am hoping this goes away over time. Here's hoping.

I will be very interested to see how you get on too, and I will come in and keep you posted on my own journey with the drug.

Thank you AloaSvea - we do seem to have had a similar diabetic journey. I have been on 500mg for a week and now have to increase to 1000mg. I must admit I'm a bit apprehensive. Does double the dose mean double the side-effects? I have had nausea, dizziness and muscle pain; also that awful metalic taste in the mouth. My fasting glucose has not gone down at all, in fact I think it may have gone up slightly as I find it harder to low carb and fast when feeling nauseous. Wish me luck!

 

[AloeSvea]

Thank you AloaSvea - we do seem to have had a similar diabetic journey. I have been on 500mg for a week and now have to increase to 1000mg. I must admit I'm a bit apprehensive. Does double the dose mean double the side-effects? I have had nausea, dizziness and muscle pain; also that awful metalic taste in the mouth. My fasting glucose has not gone down at all, in fact I think it may have gone up slight as I find it harder to low carb and fast when feeling nauseous. Wish me luck!

Absolutely! The best of luck .

I can't give the reference, but I have been reading up a lot on metformin in the last month - and I definitely read (from more than one source) that the side effects are the same regardless of the dose. Apparently too the side effects are likely to go away by two weeks. And what is said over and over - is to make sure the pills are taken with food. (I don't think I was so good at that last year when I gave it a go, as I was taking one 'at night', to try and affect my FBG for the better the next day, rather than thinking 'take with dinner'.) I forgot my dinner-time pill last night, so found a tub of greek yoghurt in the fridge and forced myself to eat that and took the pill with that,later in the evening when i suddenly remembered I am a pill-taker now, and I didn't get any side effects - whew. I am on Day 3, and do not have any nausea or headaches today - so - good!

I feel for you on the muscle pain, and the metalic taste. And yes - nausea is horrible. I have to say though - I don't understand finding low carbing and even (intermittent? I am assuming) fasting harder with the nausea. Low carbing is just the way I eat now, post-diagnosis, but I can see how eating carby food/comfort eating could be an attractive way to deal with pain and discomfort? My own treatment - trying for zero sugar and lowring carbs - absolutely number one! Increading/maintaining physical activity number 2. Metformin number three, when first two, alas, not enough..

So far - I have a much improved post-meal BG readings on Day 2 and 3 (2 digits). No effect on FBG. I read a study that said that most of the difference is in the post-meal level, and to a lesser extent on the FBG. This makes my last year evening only pill being worthless make sense it I am going to be one of the ones where metformin does not affect my FBG, but minimally, or at all. Or, I need the double dose and time. We shall see.

 

[AloeSvea]

PS - should we move this thread to 'Diabetes Managment: Metformin/biguanide'...?

 

[xshtiek]

(Type 2 since 2014) After many years of managing without drugs, I now need to start taking Metformin - etc.

I started on Metformin early in my Diabetes Journey over twenty years ago, I had no problems with it for about fifteen years and it worked very well. Eventually I had to come off it due to Lactic Acidosis, (kidney problems).
Now I do basal/bolus insulin, Lantus/Humalog, which I really like.