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No, side effects are common enough. (Just try a search on the forums (for "metformin").)
There's a slow release version which some people find better, but perhaps that's what you were on. Metformin isn't the only medication, so maybe your doctor will consider another one. (Or maybe the usual diet, etc., will be sufficient for you.)
Hi @Romoldloverly and welcome to the forum'
If you find you are OK with the slow release form of Metformin great, but several/many have had to give up on Metformin completely because (for them0 the side effects are just intolerable.
As @Bruce Stephen
has been mentioned, there are several other medications (with their own possible side effects) if you want to continue on that route.
But it is easier to fix a problem caused by what you eat (carbohydrates) by just eating differently (Low Carbohydrates instead of Low Fat. Refined carbohydrates can spike your Blood Glucose even faster than table sugar (because they start breaking down into glucose as soon as they meet your saliva, where table sugar is 50% fructose which is slower to process (but still not good for diabetics).
2 lifestyle alternatives with better success rates ( at around 50%) for Type 2 Diabetes than medication - (it's hard to have a worse success rate than approximately 0) are: 1). A Low Carb Higher Protein Moderate (traditional) Fat way of eating - meaning with no conscious calorie reduction, just eat to satiety when hungry otherwise don't eat.
2). A crash diet cutting down to around 800 Calories per day for 8 to 12 weeks with the aim of losing enough weight to reduce insulin resistance. The transition to a sustainable way of eating (such as Low Carb).
Personally I did number 1). and suggest that number 2). works in part because on only 800calories total, you will almost certainly be cutting back quite high on the carbs!
Welcome to the club of people who can't tolerate Metformin!!!
Can you please tell us what your HbA1c was, and give us an indication of a typical day's food. This will help us to best advise you. Some doctors will go thundering in with Metformin even when the HbA1c is only just in the diabetic range, not giving a person the opportunity to reduce with lifestyle changes. Of course where it is higher, medication does become more important or essential. I could not take Metformin, so switched to slow release Metformin. I could only cope with 500gm a day, so Canagliflozin 100mg was added to my medications. Others take Gliclazide.
For many of us, reducing the carbs and increasing the exercise has been very effective. I suggest you look at the post "What did you eat yesterday" to get some ideas. For example, today I will have had B: Poached egg, grilled mushrooms and bacon; L: Ham salad; D: Squash and spinach croquettes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli and a baked seasoned chicken thigh; S: 80gm strawberries, Greek yogurt. No bread, potato, rice or pasta, just naturally occurring carbs in vegetables, fruit and dairy.
Just started my Metformin also, one 500mg tablet a day for wk1 working up to 4tablets on week 4. My third day and so far so good, all I can say is different meds suite different people we are all not suited to one med, good luck with your journey and try not to get to despondent.
sorry to hijack your post but do any of the regulars reading this think my target of 2000mg/day by wk4 is high, just sounds a lot thats all.
Thanks for the replies,. I have been reading more on the lifestyle/diet changes and given the last few day suffering think that is probably best for me. I think my body thought I was poisoned.
HbA1c was 11.6
Breakfast
Tend to eat eggs bacon sometimes sausages (96% pork) just boiled eggs for the past couple of days.
Lunch
Normally left overs, so would have involved rice/potatoes
Dinner
Meat veg and normally rice or potatoes. But partial to Mac n cheese.
So looks like spuds pasta and rice are off the menu and I should stick with the protein and veg ?
Crisps are/were my demon any good substitutes for the odd snack?
Thanks for the replies,. I have been reading more on the lifestyle/diet changes and given the last few day suffering think that is probably best for me. I think my body thought I was poisoned.
HbA1c was 11.6
Breakfast
Tend to eat eggs bacon sometimes sausages (96% pork) just boiled eggs for the past couple of days.
Lunch
Normally left overs, so would have involved rice/potatoes
Dinner
Meat veg and normally rice or potatoes. But partial to Mac n cheese.
So looks like spuds pasta and rice are off the menu and I should stick with the protein and veg ?
Crisps are/were my demon any good substitutes for the odd snack?
Yes basing meals on protein, healthy fats and veg with fruits like berries but restricting portion size of any high carb foods like the ones you mention, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, cereals as well as cakes and biscuits.
Some people like pork scratchings (as long as your teeth are good) or nuts, piece of cheese, olives as snacks. By increasing healthy fats and reducing carbs you will probably feel less hungry.
If you have a blood glucose monitor you could test to see what carbs you can tolerate so may not have to cut all those out.
A broccoli or cauliflower cheese is a good substitute for Mac n cheese if you make the sauce with just cheese and creme fraise or Philadelphia (no flour). There are pastas from edamame bean or black bean which are much lower carb than normal pasta.
Some people use cauliflower rice instead of normal rice. So there are some acceptable substitutes.
High meat content sausages, eggs and bacon are all good breakfast options.
My cauliflower cheese gets rave reviews - it is just cauliflower, cooked until almost done, place a bowl in the oven and warm it up as the cauliflower cooks, steaming it seems best, then put it into the bowl. Cover with cream cheese, sprinkle on any herb or spice you fancy, or just leave plain, then add lots of grated hard cheese - I like Red Leicester, or use a bland cheese and them a topping of blue cheese if you like it - I don't advise all blue cheese as it is just too powerful.
Place in the oven and leave until becoming melty and slightly golden tanned.
I make a bubble and squeak with mashed swede, beat in an egg, mix in chopped veges you might have in the fridge, or leave plain, cook in a frying pan on top of the stove and add cheese to the plain one, or to the veged one if you like, before putting it under the grill. It is best to use a large pan and make a fairly thin layer as it can take some time to heat up if it is a thick one - and you miss out on the crispy surface as well.
I stopped the tablets as I was so ill, but I don't seem to need them.
Sorry to hear you’ve had a bit of a run-in with Metfartin. 😱
Hope your stomach settles down quickly. Good luck with the changes to your menu. It might be worth moderating your carbohydrate intake gradually by increments rather than going all-out. If the body has been used to running high BG levels for a while it can put a bit of a strain on the fine blood vessels and nerve endings to rapidly change glucose levels all at once. Slower, steadier changes can give the body time to adjust.
Some sources suggest that Metformin only becomes significantly effective above 1500mg I think. It is common to try to ramp up the dose gradually. I guess you’d have to see how your body reacts @Stupot, and ask your Dr/nurse if a slower increase might help if things get a bit gurgly?
I've been taking Metformin for 3 months, 500mg a day taken each morning (ideally with breakfast) and 20mg of Atorvastatin in the evenings. I don't know which is the cause, probably the Metformin but I've been experiencing a feeling nausea many days over the last month.
Thanks for all the replies, been aiming at Keto since I had my experience with met, lost over a stone and blood glucose hasn't gone above 7 so far... Found some recipe gems on utube, chuffles are a special discovery.
Pork scratchings..... A perfect combination of protein and fat with no carbs. Mind your fillings though..... That said, since going low carb, my teeth (and bones) "feel" so much stronger and I regularly crunch my way through the aforementioned snacks with no problem, when previously on a high carb diet, my teeth chipped very easily.
Anyway, sounds like you are doing great on Keto. Personally I prefer to be a little less strict and about 70g carbs a day gives me a bit more leeway with my diet, but still keep a significant amount of fat intake which really seems to agree with me, both taste wise and health wise.
