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Metformin Woes

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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Christopher Crocodile

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi I'm a 53 year old man and I was diagnosed with diabetes in October 2019 (still unsure as to which type), I have been taking Metformin at the maximum dose (2000mg daily)and am still experiencing very unpleasant side effects, which I was expecting to disappear as my body rebalanced itself, but no. My 3 month appointment at my diabetes clinic was cancelled and am having to wait until march before another appointment is available, but I'm struggling health-wise, which is effecting my ability to work effectively and is lowering my (normally happy) emotional quality. I have been dedicated to changing my diet, I'm not overweight, as it was my low body weight that clued the nurse into my condition, and I have a physical job, that keeps me reasonably fit, but it's becoming a tiring and relentless struggle against gastric issues. My glucose level has dropped significantly during this time period and my previous symptom of tiredness has radically reduced so it's working to a point. Any advice would be welcome!!
 
Book an emergency appointment with your GP and be frank about the side effects you’re experiencing. Ask to be switched to the modified form of metformin.

When I switched it took two days for the side effects to vanish and they’ve not returned.
 
Hello Christopher,
It is good that you have joined the forum, and there are many people here with extensive knowledge and experience of Diabetes, and I hope we will be able to help.

As @ColinUK says, your symptoms sound very distressing and it would be best to see a medic as soon as you can - certainly before March.
Many people do have a bad response to Metformin, but there are alternatives.

It is good that the tiredness has gone away, but not so good if your emotional wee-being is diminished.
Can you tell us a little more about yourself? What levels are you blood sugar at now, and what sort of changes have you made to your diet?
 
Hi ..your very low body weight might point to another type of diabetes than T2 , might be T1 or an other, what you need todo is get an appointment whatever way you can, it’s important ..
you need assessed soon...
 
I became so ill I binned the tablets - and then I felt a lot better both mentally and physically.
It had no other effect - no increase in blood glucose levels for instance, and I can't imagine how you are coping with a job, I could scarcely cope with daily living.
 
Drummer said:
I became so ill I binned the tablets - and then I felt a lot better both mentally and physically.
It had no other effect - no increase in blood glucose levels for instance, and I can't imagine how you are coping with a job, I could scarcely cope with daily living.
Click to expand...

You’ve made the right choice for you right now but please go and see the GP asap to talk about what’s been going on regarding the medication. It needs to be resolved.
 
Christopher Crocodile said:
Hi I'm a 53 year old man and I was diagnosed with diabetes in October 2019 (still unsure as to which type), I have been taking Metformin at the maximum dose (2000mg daily)and am still experiencing very unpleasant side effects, which I was expecting to disappear as my body rebalanced itself, but no. My 3 month appointment at my diabetes clinic was cancelled and am having to wait until march before another appointment is available, but I'm struggling health-wise, which is effecting my ability to work effectively and is lowering my (normally happy) emotional quality. I have been dedicated to changing my diet, I'm not overweight, as it was my low body weight that clued the nurse into my condition, and I have a physical job, that keeps me reasonably fit, but it's becoming a tiring and relentless struggle against gastric issues. My glucose level has dropped significantly during this time period and my previous symptom of tiredness has radically reduced so it's working to a point. Any advice would be welcome!!
Click to expand...
Hey, I had no problems with Metformin except more wind which I could handle, others in my vicinity couldn't handle it so well. If you're having bad problems you can change it to SR Metformin which has been said works much better SR= Slow Release. Good luck, it's really not so bad when you get a handle on this thing 🙂
 
ColinUK said:
You’ve made the right choice for you right now but please go and see the GP asap to talk about what’s been going on regarding the medication. It needs to be resolved.
Click to expand...
The choice I made was in 2016 - and my GP doesn't want to talk to me about anything. As I have had normal blood glucose levels since then I am not all that fussed - to be honest.
 
Drummer said:
The choice I made was in 2016 - and my GP doesn't want to talk to me about anything. As I have had normal blood glucose levels since then I am not all that fussed - to be honest.
Click to expand...
Apologies. I muddled you up with the OP.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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