Sudden adverse reaction to metformin???

[Vdubz]

Hi All, hope you are all keeping safe and well?

I had gestational diabetes with both my pregnancies, which were both within the last 22 months, 2 under 2 is quite the challenge ! In both stints I was put on the maximum dose of metformin and very high doses of insulin, with no side effects whatsoever.

I had my latest little cherub just under 10 weeks ago I was told to stop all meds and wait for a glucose test 6 weeks later. The test results showed I was very likely to be type two so my GP told me to restart the metformin, which I did a week ago and have had a terrible stomach since then.
Has anyone had the same? I kind of thought since I was ok whilst pregnant I would be fine whilst not pregnant, but I could be wrong? Just wondering whether I need to see my Doctor again in case it’s not the metformin?

Any advice would be welcome and appreciated.

Victoria xx

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi Victoria, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your cherubs'!

Having a poorly stomach is one of the side effects of taking metaformin initially so it could have been your hormones that protected you from that whilst pregnant.

I'm one for getting things checked to be on the safe side so a quick check in with your doctor about this may be useful and put your mind at ease.

 

[Vdubz]

Hi Victoria, welcome to the forum and congratulations on your cherubs'!

Having a poorly stomach is one of the side effects of taking metaformin initially so it could have been your hormones that protected you from that whilst pregnant.

I'm one for getting things checked to be on the safe side so a quick check in with your doctor about this may be useful and put your mind at ease.

Thank you Cherrelle, I think you’re right.

 

[Ljc]

Hi, welcome from me.
Just wondered if you started back on the full dose of Metfartin straight away or are reintroducing it gradually.

 

[Vdubz]

Hi, welcome from me.
Just wondered if you started back on the full dose of Metfartin straight away or are reintroducing it gradually.

Yes the go said to go straight onto the full dose as my blood sugars are quite high, I’ve come off it today to see if it makes any difference and will see my go in Monday, what fun! Thanks for your help x

 

[rebrascora]

Blooming heck!! They put you straight onto 2g a day (ie 4x500mg) and expect your body to cope with that?? Someone should spike their morning cuppa with laxative and see how they like the effects! 😉
If you have stopped taking it, I would give your system a couple of days to settle down and recover a bit and then start on 1 a day for a week and slowly build it back up and make sure tom take it with a substantial amount of food.
Better still, cut your carb intake which will have a much greater beneficial effect on your levels than the Metformin and no nasty side effects.

 

[Ljc]

I did wonder if that was the case.
How high is your BG (blood glucose)
It may be that stating on a lower dose of Metformin and gradually increasing it will reduce the symptoms or perhaps another medication entirely.

Often the side effects of Metfartin as it’s often referred to on here are temporary but if your symptoms are bad then you have done right in stopping them and contacting you r Gp.
If you can try reducing your carbohydrates.

 

[Ljc]

Blooming heck!! They put you straight onto 2g a day (ie 4x500mg) and expect your body to cope with that?? Someone should spike their morning cuppa with laxative and see how they like the effects! 😉
If you have stopped taking it, I would give your system a couple of days to settle down and recover a bit and then start on 1 a day for a week and slowly build it back up and make sure tom take it with a substantial amount of food.
Better still, cut your carb intake which will have a much greater beneficial effect on your levels than the Metformin and no nasty side effects.

My sentiments entirely.
I bet they would never hand out that bit of advise again

 

[Ljc]

Me again .
Metformin doesn’t work in a similar way to insulin. It works by making us more sensitive to insulin, whether it’s home brew or injected and helps in stopping our liver producing too much glucose.
So it won’t do any harm by stopping it temporarily.
It also takes a while to build up in our system.

 

[Vdubz]

Blooming heck!! They put you straight onto 2g a day (ie 4x500mg) and expect your body to cope with that?? Someone should spike their morning cuppa with laxative and see how they like the effects!
If you have stopped taking it, I would give your system a couple of days to settle down and recover a bit and then start on 1 a day for a week and slowly build it back up and make sure tom take it with a substantial amount of food.
Better still, cut your carb intake which will have a much greater beneficial effect on your levels than the Metformin and no nasty side effects.

I think they assumed that because my body coped with it while I was pregnant it would cope with it when I wasn’t? I did too, but it obviously can’t!

In terms of carbs my blood sugar readings are worse when I haven’t eaten anything, yesterday 4 hours after I’d had breakfast; toast which never gives me a high reading, I had a blood sugar level of 10.3, when it had been 7.0 2 hours earlier / after my breakfast, so I think it’s my hormones, but I’m still trying to get to grips with it.

Thanks for your advice.

victoria x

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you’ve been a bit stricken down by Metformin’s gastric upheaval this time around

Hope things settle for you soon, and a more staged ramp-up eases you back in more gently.