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Newbie

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BigBuzz

BigBuzz

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Im new on here, I'm a type 2 diabetic and just want to know if anyone else is taking semaglutide and are having some side effects?, especially being on maximum does.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum @BigBuzz. 🙂

How long have you been taking semaglutide and what kind of side effects are you getting? I hope these subside for you soon. If they continue and you feel concerned about them, I'd recommend speaking with your GP.
 
What side effects are you experiencing?
 
I got weight loss along with being sick at first, when I first started on semaglutide but now im getting stomach cramps and eggie burps, but I don't know if it is just the semaglutide or because I take metformin and Gliclazide tablets to, along with many other tablets for my heart.
 
Hi, I've spoken to my diabetic nurses and Drs and they just say try to continue with it or you will have to go back on insulin, but since I've been on semaglutide I've lost loads of weight but ive also seemed to get more health problems and I'm tired a lot more, I lost a stone in the first 2 weeks of starting it, I'm not sure how it works for diabetes but it as brought my sugar levels back down to 5 mmol and I don't shake, but now im getting stomach cramps and eggie burps which aren't good for people around me as it smells like rotten egg or the drains.
 
But those gastric effects are the common side effect of metformin, plus looser (very loose) stools. So which is causing them? Is it normal metformin you're taking or the slow release one? - cos if it's the standard one, you could request swapping to the SR, to see if that helps?
 
Those symptoms sound like the common symptoms from taking Metformin to me.
 
trophywench said:
But those gastric effects are the common side effect of metformin, plus looser (very loose) stools. So which is causing them? Is it normal metformin you're taking or the slow release one? - cos if it's the standard one, you could request swapping to the SR, to see if that helps?
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hi, I've been taking metformin for the last 15years and had no side effects, only since I have been taking semagultide ive noticed all these side effects or maybe i should stop taking metformin and see if the side effects stop.
 
You should discuss it with whoever prescribed before trying that (I think) because it is also a side effect of semaglutide.
 
Thanks for the reply, I'm just going to try reducing my metformin to 1 in the morning and 1 on a night to see if that helps, and not take my Gliclazide unless my sugar levels go really high, the only thing is I'm useď to having my sugar levels running high between 10-18 mmol/l, but since I've been on semaglutide i can't get them above 5 mmol/l while taking 4 metformin a day and 1 Gliclazide and feel like I'm constantly having a hypo, but the diabetic specialist says that blood level is normal, I think they are wrong as everyone is different. Don't you?
 
As your body is used the the high numbers I think even at around 5 you may be feeling the false hypos that are frequently mentioned on this forum. I certainly did for quite a while. I complained of this to my DN and she said the body takes a while to adjust. I felt absolutely fine with fasting sugars of 13, yet in the 5s I felt absolutely dreadful. I still now, if I go into the 4’s feel horrid.
 
Hi Emma, how long is a while? as I must of been adjusting now for over 2years now, I'm just wondering now if its got something to do with my blood condition ( Polycythaemia Vera) which is slowing it down or the tablets I take for it, or the tablets I take for my heart, I take that many tablets now I rattle, that's why I'm starting to reduce my metformin first just to see how I go.
 
hi buzz, maybe as you regularly see 10-18, 5’s will feel really low. I’ve only been at this a year… I pretty much feel rubbish most of the time, and my sugars are steady. I just put it down to the low carbs and possibly low mood. I know what you mean about tablets, I hate it. Diabetes unearthed a couple of things for me and I went from taking nothing to literally having a drawer full of pills and potions. It’s only been a year but I don’t remember a life before all off this now. Pretty sure I preferred it though ! I hadn’t heard of Polycythaemia just googled it. You got a lot going on buzz..do you get much support from your doctors?
 
We know someone else with Polycythaemia, his is treated by venesection and tablets in between. He was a bit concerned when Covid struck the world but the blood tests have carried on as per normal despite moving house to a different county last year - plus the necessity for venesections has lessened as he has aged - which has surprised everyone including the hospitals!

Travel hopefully rather than the opposite.

Q - You know if you are anaemic the lack of red blood cells can cause iffy results for HbA1c tests? Well what about if you have a lot MORE red blood cells, as in this case?

Anyone know? - eg @mikeyB ?
 
trophywench said:
We know someone else with Polycythaemia, his is treated by venesection and tablets in between. He was a bit concerned when Covid struck the world but the blood tests have carried on as per normal despite moving house to a different county last year - plus the necessity for venesections has lessened as he has aged - which has surprised everyone including the hospitals!

Travel hopefully rather than the opposite.

Q - You know if you are anaemic the lack of red blood cells can cause iffy results for HbA1c tests? Well what about if you have a lot MORE red blood cells, as in this case?

Anyone know? - eg @mikeyB ?
Click to expand...
I think any sort of haemoglobinopathies can give iffy HbA1C results but there is another diagnostic test that can be used in that case.
 
... fructosamine test, same as for anaemia? Seriously wonder how many GPs actually offer that?
 
I wasn’t aware of a connection between diabetes and anaemia. So can this effect hba1c ?
 
EmmaL76 said:
I wasn’t aware of a connection between diabetes and anaemia. So can this effect hba1c ?
Click to expand...
If you are anaemic, there is less Haemaglobin in the blood stream and therefore it may attract a higher percentage of glucose, so HbA1c may be higher than it would ordinarily be if there were more red blood cells for the glucose to stick to.... I think that's the right way around anyway.
 
rebrascora said:
If you are anaemic, there is less Haemaglobin in the blood stream and therefore it may attract a higher percentage of glucose, so HbA1c may be higher than it would ordinarily be if there were more red blood cells for the glucose to stick to.... I think that's the right way around anyway.
Click to expand...
Hmm interesting. I’ve been anaemic on and off for years. The last time I did a test these were the results. They said I’m not anaemic as such but they had never seen ferritin that low. That was a private test I did, the doctors ran the test again and it was worse! I take my iron so I never can understand it. Sorry for questions, just curious. Sorry buzz for making this thread about me. I will shut up now.
 

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no, you carry on if it helps you as well Emma, it's interesting to see what everyone is saying about it as I know very little about it apart from it makes me feel very tired all the time, I do know that polycythaemia vera is sometimes referred to as having sticky blood/ thick blood.
 
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