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Wind and urgency with Metformin?

susan191052

Member
Messages
10
Location
South Wiltshire
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
additives in food, use of pesticides on food crops, tattoos, you, football
i am recently diagnosed (june2015) T2 and am on Metformin SR and Sitagliptin. My GP did warn me that the caused wind which I accepted but I am currently suffering with extremely bad wind which started yesterday (I had an episode of this 2 weeks ago) and is still continuing today with noisy rumbling and pain in my upper abdomen and accompanied by diarrhoea, as a result I had to abandon my second session of DESMOND training as on the drive there I had extreme urgency and had to return home.

Anybody got any suggestions to help the situation, please?
 
Any suggestions for Susan anyone, please?
 
Hello Susan, sorry to hear you're suffering. As it's been going on for over 24 hours I'm wondering if it's been caused by something other than the medication? My experience of Metformin was that the cramping, etc. lasted about an hour and then settled (until the next episode). Could you have eaten something that's disagreed with you, or picked up a tummy bug? I'm afraid I've given up with the Metformin, the only thing I can suggest is taking Imodium/Loperamide if you have to go out - although check it is OK to take it with Sitagliptin as I have no experience with that. You have my sympathy. x
 

Susan - I have never taken either of the drugs you are currently taking, so can only base what I'm going to type from reading on here. However, I do know that some people suffer gastric issues when they've eaten too many carbs. I don't know whether you had anything unusual to eat, or anything particularly heavy on the carbs, that might just have tipped you over from tolerating to not tolerating too well.

Alternatively, have you changed your diet at all? Even something like, being on a run of something, like spinach or kale which have lots of roughage.

In saying tolerating, I'm referring to the Metformin, or whatever it is causing the issue.
 
Hi Susan. Usually metformin side effects start as soon as you start taking it, so your symptoms may be caused by something else. If they are caused by metformin, you could ask for the slow release version and see if that helps. Reducing carbs also often helps with these side effects.

I think you might need to see your doctor or nurse about this.
 
I had awful trouble with Metformin for 4 years. The diarrhoea was terrible and came on suddenly. I had a colonoscopy because they thought I had a bowel problem. There was nothing wrong. I went to Italy and couldn't leave the villa for 2 days and decided to stop taking the Metformin. All problems went away and when I returned to my GP he changed the tablets to a new one called FORXIGA. I have had no more problems.
 
 
Hi Susan 191052. I'm on metformin & gliclazide also and now I don't go out only when have to. Doctors and food shopping ext. I suffer TErrible with wind!!!! It started when I started medication! And my hair is really falling out I pressume medicine cos had tests for thyroid and anaemia and all came back ok. I have very long blonde thick hair! Well I did have not any longer. Still falling out in handfulls. Good luck hopefully your wind will calm down soon, and mine
 
When diagnosed in 2005 I was put on metformin, 500mg in the morning, later increased by another 500mg in the evening; result diarrhoea at times. Doctor changed to Gliclazide, the diarrhoea stopped. I was struggling to lose any weight but my BS could reasonably good. I was then put back on Metformin again this time the slow release version. The diarrhoea stayed away this time but I then ran into BS control problems, suffering with the symptoms of diabetic burnout. My morning dose was increased to 1000mg and the diarrhoea started to creep back in, and a further dose in the evening brought me up to 2000mg daily. My symptoms grew worse very similar to those that you have experienced; awful wind gurgling in intestines, flatulence (very carefully disposed of ) and sudden urgency diarrhoea problems almost unpredictable took control of my mind and affected my daily life chronically. I lost my confidence and that resulted in me going nowhere and doing anything that was slightly energetic. I was badly depressed. I decided to sort things myself and not seeking help from my GP. I halved my daily dose, now on 1000mg as I was before the diarrhoea never showed up. It's now gone and my BS control is reasonable averaging 6.4.

I suggest you try reducing it a little while keeping a close eye on you BS levels. If you lose control, go and see the GP and as kathiehayhoe says discuss changing your medication.

Best of luck HTH
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Have you been back to your doctor to ask about the slow release version or stopping metformin completely?
 
It's recommended that people don't reduce, change or stop medication without consulting their HCP.
 
As
CatLadyNZ said:
Have you been back to your doctor to ask about the slow release version or stopping metformin completely?
Click to expand...
Spoke to doctor about slow release as I've suffered for years with acid reflux and Ibs , was told it's only for people with stomache problems! Seeing doctor tomorrow has been suggested changing to injections! Sorry no will do, don't wNt to use i jections till I have to. See what they say tomorrow,
 
Well d'oh, you have stomach problems too. (I shake my head at some HCPs).

It's perfectly normal to be given SR metformin if you suffer from any stomach or bowel side effects, especially if you have existing conditions like reflux or IBS.

Have you tried reducing your blood sugar by reducing carbs? What sort of foods do you eat in a typical day?
 
CatLadyNZ said:
It's recommended that people don't reduce, change or stop medication without consulting their HCP.
Click to expand...

I fully understand the recommendation of consulting my diabetic team. My healthcare team, knew of my problem and their response for help always seemed to be negative with regards to a change in medication. I am taking many different medications for quite a range of illnesses, most of which could cause diarrhoea. What I did was not dangerous and was carefully monitored by myself, I check my BS regularly, and know how my body feels when things begin to go wrong. I have not had diarrhoea for a month now; my repeat prescription is due next Wednesday; a GP appointment was made two weeks ago for a medical review.

I would not suggest doing anything that was remotely dangerous.

Doctors do not know it all, they also make mistakes like most of us do once in a while.
For example, 4 years ago I kept fainting when exerting myself, either exercising, coughing or on the loo and also dressing. The doctors never had a clue. I was diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy; wow that's a big one and very difficult to test for. Eventually I consulted at my request with a cardiologist; I wore an ambulatory heart recorder. The result was that my AF was being over treated with digoxin, my blood was at toxic levels; why was that, the doctors had failed to correctly monitor the digoxin levels in my blood and making adjustments to suit. Very Basically the failed to notice that I had lost 42kgs of weight over that 4 year period.
 
I was just letting you know about the way we do things here at this forum, for your own benefit, because if you suggest others should alter their medication without consulting their HCP, you may get a warning from the moderators. Check the forum rules, they are posted in the Greetings and Introductions subforum.

Nowhere did I suggest that doctors know it all or never make mistakes. If you read the forums for a while you will see I often talk about how to avoid being harmed by misdiagnosis and mismanagement by HCPs. Regardless, people do need to check with their HCPs before changing their med regime.
 

Thank you for pointing out my mistake and I will heed the forum rules in future posts.
 
My diabetic nurse is good if I phone her she always rings back and discusses things with me so see what happens tomorrow with doctor and go from there, give them credit they have checked my blood count, thyroid and bit b and amemia, so they are checking me but at the begining my glugose went up to 24.3! They couldnt believe it. Soon put me on medication, after suffering weeks!!! Of thrush cos sugars so high. Got glucouse numbers down to 7.4 my triglizerites(can't spell that) down from 1.9 to 1 and cholestrole down from 8 to 3.3 in less than 3 months. But I just eat healthy ,also some fruits also carbs but wholemeal. , when my numbers get to near 5 I start to go hypo so I'm careful. Have good night all I've got to be up eArly got 2 appointments in the morning early.
 
I lived abroad for 20 years and if you have no money then no treatment, we do have a lot to thank this country for, anyway hope we all have good numbers in the morning.
 
I also had a problem with Metformin constantly having the runs and urgency. I went to Glicrazide and Sitagliptin which immediately changed things for the better. Imodium etc would not control things when I was suffering and I ended up taking Codiene, perscription I only,. This was a few years ago but very recently, from May until September, it came back and once again Codiene sorted it. On this occasion I think it was a bug picked up on holiday but until it was resolved It was a real problem. I have had stool tests and everything was fine. You must remember that Codiene needs to be used with care or it can constipate! Hope this helps
 
 
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