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Muscle aches and pain, is it due to Metformin?

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Orphy54

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi all - I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on the 18th June this year. I am a 66 year old woman and I also have COPD and diverticular issues. I have been on Metformin 500 gm once a day for 8 days. 4 days ago I had real trouble sleeping, mainly caused by a 'fizzy' uncomfortable feeling in my legs and going to the loo more often. I also wake in the morning riddled with muscle pain. This does ease a bit after a few hours. I have no other symptoms. I have drastically changed my diet to a low carb one as I am also very overweight and was finding it difficult to lose. I don't know where to turn - my surgery only seem to have telephone appointments and the nurse I saw openly admitted she wasn't an expert in diabetes.
 
Orphy54 said:
Hi all - I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on the 18th June this year. I am a 66 year old woman and I also have COPD and diverticular issues. I have been on Metformin 500 gm once a day for 8 days. 4 days ago I had real trouble sleeping, mainly caused by a 'fizzy' uncomfortable feeling in my legs and going to the loo more often. I also wake in the morning riddled with muscle pain. This does ease a bit after a few hours. I have no other symptoms. I have drastically changed my diet to a low carb one as I am also very overweight and was finding it difficult to lose. I don't know where to turn - my surgery only seem to have telephone appointments and the nurse I saw openly admitted she wasn't an expert in diabetes.
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The drastic change in diet might be partly to blame. Try drinking more water and adding a little salt to your meals.
Processed foods usually are quite salty, but by reducing them you can actually need to deliberately add in some.
One nurse I spoke to was horrified to hear that I added salt - but could not name anything which contained salt that I was eating. I put a small pinch of salt and a larger pinch of cinnamon in my morning coffee most days, every day in warm weather, as otherwise I get cramp.
I did get awful aches and pains when I was taking Metformin and Atorvastatin - but the 'gut issues' were very severe so I could not drink enough water nor absorb electrolytes fast enough to cope.
 
Hi Drummer, thank you so much for getting back to me. I will try adding more salt as you suggest. I do drink a lot of water but then I am going to the loo a lot, so I will keep an eye on what I am drinking too. Really helped to reassure me as I was getting a bit worried.
 
I am having a bad time testing my sugar levels, yesterday the reading was 11.1 before eating then later 12.6. just tested before breakfast and it is 14.1 very high.I am on Metformin 2 day 500 then next week 1 3 times a day I have just started on Metformin the first week was herendous toilet all the time but now seems ok , Doctor want’s me to have a blood test in October I am very worried about the blood Reading’s because I have cut down on carbs too but it doesn’t seem to be working I suppose it’s early days because only been on Metformin for 3 weeks. Thanks
 
Oh, Celestial feel for you. All of this is so new and a bit scary, isn't it. Wish you all the best.
 
Celestial123 said:
I am having a bad time testing my sugar levels, yesterday the reading was 11.1 before eating then later 12.6. just tested before breakfast and it is 14.1 very high.I am on Metformin 2 day 500 then next week 1 3 times a day I have just started on Metformin the first week was herendous toilet all the time but now seems ok , Doctor want’s me to have a blood test in October I am very worried about the blood Reading’s because I have cut down on carbs too but it doesn’t seem to be working I suppose it’s early days because only been on Metformin for 3 weeks. Thanks
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Perhaps you are inadvertently still eating more carbs than you can tolerate, though your before to after reading for the meal you mentioned is OK, it is the starting levels that are quite high but it does take a little while for the metformin to have an effect. It really just helps your body to use the insulin you are producing more effectively but on its own is not a magic bullet. Perhaps if you give some examples of your meals people could suggest some substitutions if they appear to be a bit too high carb.
 
Orphy54 said:
Hi Drummer, thank you so much for getting back to me. I will try adding more salt as you suggest. I do drink a lot of water but then I am going to the loo a lot, so I will keep an eye on what I am drinking too. Really helped to reassure me as I was getting a bit worried.
Click to expand...
As @Drummer says your change in diet, 'drastic reduction in carbs' is probably the reason. Some people experience what is often referred to at Keto flu and is in response to the body having to adapt to other sources of fuel other than the carbs it had been used to. If you google Keto flu you will get an explanation of what is happening. Keeping hydrated will help the symptoms and eating enough fats and protein as well as veg.
 
Leadinglights said:
Perhaps you are inadvertently still eating more carbs than you can tolerate, though your before to after reading for the meal you mentioned is OK, it is the starting levels that are quite high but it does take a little while for the metformin to have an effect. It really just helps your body to use the insulin you are producing more effectively but on its own is not a magic bullet. Perhaps if you give some examples of your meals people could suggest some substitutions if they appear to be a bit too high carb.
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Today’s meals so far. 2 pieces granary bread for breakfast and some natural yogurt with berries. Lunch. Cheese salad. Dinner 1 beef burger and 1 barm cake and a few home made chips
 
Celestial123 said:
Today’s meals so far. 2 pieces granary bread for breakfast and some natural yogurt with berries. Lunch. Cheese salad. Dinner 1 beef burger and 1 barm cake and a few home made chips
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Your bread is high carb as is the barm cake and chips, and it depends on the meat content of the burger as some will have carbs as bulking agent. You probably need to add some green veg or salad rather than chips.
 
Celestial123 said:
Today’s meals so far. 2 pieces granary bread for breakfast and some natural yogurt with berries. Lunch. Cheese salad. Dinner 1 beef burger and 1 barm cake and a few home made chips
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Bread and potatoes would push me over safe limits.
I have quite a lot of low carb veges and salad stuff as stews, stirfries, curries - and salads, of course, so a lot of variety is possible.
 
Hope you aches and pains begin to ease soon @Orphy54, and that you can continue with your reduced carb approach and see some positive changes in your results at your next review.

Can you recall an HbA1c result from the time of your diagnosis?
 
Blood reading today a bit better is 9.9. Still high but it’s coming down, have been really good had 2 weetabix with strawberries, lunch a 2 egg omellete with ham and cheese, dinner is chicken loads of veg and aftertinned peaches.
 
Orphy54 said:
Hi Drummer, thank you so much for getting back to me. I will try adding more salt as you suggest. I do drink a lot of water but then I am going to the loo a lot, so I will keep an eye on what I am drinking too. Really helped to reassure me as I was getting a bit worried.
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Do you have any sort of blood pressure issues?
 
Celestial123 said:
Blood reading today a bit better is 9.9. Still high but it’s coming down, have been really good had 2 weetabix with strawberries, lunch a 2 egg omellete with ham and cheese, dinner is chicken loads of veg and aftertinned peaches.
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What are the tinned peaches in?
To be honest, any sort of tinned fruit may be higher in sugar.
I would suggest binning them totally.
 
@Orphy54 Hiya... did they by any chance put you on a statin as well as the Metformin? Statins can indeed cause the symptoms you describe.
 
Orphy54 said:
Hi all - I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on the 18th June this year. I am a 66 year old woman and I also have COPD and diverticular issues. I have been on Metformin 500 gm once a day for 8 days. 4 days ago I had real trouble sleeping, mainly caused by a 'fizzy' uncomfortable feeling in my legs and going to the loo more often. I also wake in the morning riddled with muscle pain. This does ease a bit after a few hours. I have no other symptoms. I have drastically changed my diet to a low carb one as I am also very overweight and was finding it difficult to lose. I don't know where to turn - my surgery only seem to have telephone appointments and the nurse I saw openly admitted she wasn't an expert in diabetes.
Click to expand...
It may be worth getting your Vit B12 checked as low B12 can cause all sorts of aches and pains. There is something called restless leg syndrome which usually hits at night, this may be your 'Fizzy' feeling.
 
@Drummer and @everydayupsanddowns - Hi, Drummer's advice was spot on. Over the last few days I have increased my salt intake (to a reasonable level) and increased the amount of water I drink. The pains have eased tremendously, so to have the fizzy leg feeling. On a couple of occasions my BG was within the normal range which made me feel more positive. Still feel a bit tired but then I have only been on the Metformin for 12 days. I wasn't advised of my HbA1c reading and didn't think to ask but will do so when I next see the nurse. Thanks again for all your support, it really does help.
 
@Pattidevans and @travellor - I am not currently taking statins, think I have had a cholesterol test but did not get any info from the Doctor. I do take Ramipril for blood pressure.
@Leadinglights - yes I do suffer with restless leg syndrome (it's fairly mild and I am not medicated for it). I have been advised to get my B12 and Folic acid levels checked by my Doctor, once I have been on Metformin for a few weeks.
Should I be worried by any of these items? Again, thank you all for your help.
 
Do you need Ramipril?
I took it but do not have hi bp....Drs insistence.
Had to stop after only a short time I was so ill. Nomore since.
 
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