Tutti has problems with Metformin

Can anyone give me some advice or tell me of their experiences with side effects of Metformin? My nurse took me off Gliclazide because I was getting hypos and the latest research evidently suggests that the more hypos you get the more likely you are to suffer from dementia later in life. I tried metformin several years ago and lost considerable weight but I agreed to try it again but regretted this decision very quickly. I started to lose weight, occasional stomach ache, muscle cramps several times every night, developed a cough, taste changed, felt tired but the most disturbing was the difficulty in breathing; I felt that I was suffocating whenever I exerted myself, even going up stairs required a rest half way but taking the dogs for a walk was extremely difficult and I honestly thought I was going to die. My doctor gave me an ECG, tested my oxygen levels, listened to my heart and lungs, took eight blood samples and tested for just about everything but could not find anything wrong. I am waiting for the results of a chest x-ray and have a hospital appointment for an angina test. Having stopped taking Metformin five weeks ago I am still suffering from shortage of breath and my weight is still four Kgm less than before I started taking metformin. Any ideas?

Hi Jay-Marc, I think so because I told her that my symptoms agreed with several stated on the information leaflet that was in the Metformin package - i.e. one in 10,000 get these side effects and it could be lactic acidosis which can be fatal, hence why I thought I was dying when it was at its worsted. She took eight blood samples over a ten day period because each one came back as ok. I also got a second opinion from our senior doctor and he said that he could not find anything wrong even though I was fighting for breath having just climbed a flight of stairs.