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Metformin help please

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Karen106

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi I was diagnosed last week with type 2 and was told to start 500mg of metformin with my breakfast, which I did, Monday fine, Tuesday night projectile vomiting, stomach pains and diarrhoea, Wednesday horrific stomach pains even when I sipped water more vomit and diarrhoea Thursday same and Friday same again, so right or wrong I not taken tablet today and I feel 80% better. I’m going to speak to docs Monday. Any advice please.
thank you
karen
 
Hi there, unfortunately diarrhoea is a common side effect of Metformin, do you know what your hba1c test came back as to diagnose you as Type 2? Many try diet and exercise first to try and get their BG under control, there is a slow release version of Metformin too that is easier on some and doesn't cause them the problems that the regular Metformin causes xx
 
Welcome to the forum Karen from a fellow T2.
Advice: Stopping taking the metformin and contacting medical people.
 
HI @Karen106 . Sorry to hear you have had this reaction. Its not uncommon, can take a few weeks/months to settle down, if it is unbearable as @Kaylz says there is a slow release version available you could possibly ask your Dr to put you on?. Have you been taking your tablet mid-meal ? (they say it helps to have something in the tummy beforehand). I know my elderly mother had a bit of bother initially, but it settled in time.
 
Kaylz said:
Hi there, unfortunately diarrhoea is a common side effect of Metformin, do you know what your hba1c test came back as to diagnose you as Type 2? Many try diet and exercise first to try and get their BG under control, there is a slow release version of Metformin too that is easier on some and doesn't cause them the problems that the regular Metformin causes xx
Click to expand...
Thank you I’m not sure hba1c, she mentioned 45 but not sure if that’s what that was, does it sound it about right, I only taken 5 tablet so didnt take any today and feel 80% better, it was the pain in tummy that was worse.
thank you for replying xx
 
Hiya. I would ask the receptionist for a copy of your BT results, that way you can keep an eye on things. (I always get mine and i can see a 'history' building. Its useful for me to know, especially as ive had a few hiccups with cholesterol and blood pressure spikes in the past. It help me motivate myself if I know the figures im aiming for).

If the HB1Ac reading was 45 - thats not too bad. The nearer to 42, the better... the point of 'tip over' to diabetes is generally accepted to be 48. (I think im right saying that) - You see from my notes (below) im doing a bit of a yo-yo dance at the moment. But as I dont have any other health concerns I think my GP was happy to leave me to try to sort it with diet alone at the moment. see what happens.
 
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Karen106 said:
Thank you I’m not sure hba1c, she mentioned 45 but not sure if that’s what that was, does it sound it about right,
Click to expand...
The numbers for HbA1c are:
30 to 41 "normal"
42 to 47 is called pre diabetic
48 and above gets you a diagnoses of diabetes (even if it goes below this after, you're still down as diabetic)
Having just been diagnosed T2, I'd expect you to be at least 48. HbA1c, as an average for the last 3 months don't go down that fast.
 
Just to confuse matters, sometimes people use a different scale for HbA1c. On this 48 = 6.5. So obviously very different.
 
Obviously - we are not your GP we don't know you or your medical history - BUT if your HbA1c test did really come back at 45 - then to put you straight onto a drug which is known to cause side effects of the 'gastric' variety, seems rather over the top, to me. Some GPs still don't suggest other ways of the patient trying to handle their new diagnosis - it may be down to the time available for GP consultations or it may be because of something else - we can't know that either.

As far as you are concerned right now - you have done the RIGHT thing in my view.

Over the weekend before you can get to see your GP again (which you absolutely need to do) educate yourself about Type 2 diabetes - the Diabetes UK Learning Zone will help you with that. It's not part of this Forum website, it's separate and you will have to register for it separately from here. Any further tips you need about reducing your consumption of carbohydrates can be got by asking questions on the forum though and the members here will all try and help you.

Good luck! 🙂
 
Tee G said:
Hiya. I would ask the receptionist for a copy of your BT results, that way you can keep an eye on things. (I always get mine and i can see a 'history' building. Its useful for me to know, especially as ive had a few hiccups with cholesterol and blood pressure spikes in the past. It help me motivate myself if I know the figures im aiming for).

If the HB1Ac reading was 45 - thats not too bad. The nearer to 42, the better... the point of 'tip over' to diabetes is generally accepted to be 48. (I think im right saying that) - You see from my notes (below) im doing a bit of a yo-yo dance at the moment. But as I dont have any other health concerns I think my GP was happy to leave me to try to sort it with diet alone at the moment. see what happens.
Click to expand...
trophywench said:
Obviously - we are not your GP we don't know you or your medical history - BUT if your HbA1c test did really come back at 45 - then to put you straight onto a drug which is known to cause side effects of the 'gastric' variety, seems rather over the top, to me. Some GPs still don't suggest other ways of the patient trying to handle their new diagnosis - it may be down to the time available for GP consultations or it may be because of something else - we can't know that either.

As far as you are concerned right now - you have done the RIGHT thing in my view.

Over the weekend before you can get to see your GP again (which you absolutely need to do) educate yourself about Type 2 diabetes - the Diabetes UK Learning Zone will help you with that. It's not part of this Forum website, it's separate and you will have to register for it separately from here. Any further tips you need about reducing your consumption of carbohydrates can be got by asking questions on the forum though and the members here will all try and help you.

Good luck! 🙂
Click to expand...
Thank you so much, I’m going to talk to doctor Monday and hopefully I get exact number of test.xx
 
Hi Karen106, I agree with trophywench that if your HbA1C is 45 (anything less than 48 in fact), then to initially put you onto medication without trying lifestyle (Way Of Eating not diet) first seems excessive.

My Hba1C was 53 and just using a Low Carbohydrate Way Of Eating I got it down to 45 in a few weeks.
In my view you would be much better doing Low Carb. But not cutting Calories because that puts your body into 'starvation mode' and so makes you need to cut even more calories until it is unsustainable for most people.
The reason so many people get fat and get Type2 diabetes is because we are never told that in order to lose weight and to control our Blood Sugar, we need to keep our Insulin low. The easiest way to do that is to eat much less carbs (all carbs both sugars and starches) because they spike Blood Glucose which in a Type 2 spikes Insulin and Insulin makes your body store the excess Glucose as Body Fat. Insulin also inhibits your body from 'burning its stored body fat as fuel.

So the easiest way to beat both T2 diabetes and Obesity and high Blood Pressure is by getting 'fat adapted' i.e. body able to use this tanker load of fuel it is carrying around, and to stop adding to it.
 
I had a similar reaction to Metformin and stopped them as I was so miserable - I had Hba1c of 91 at diagnosis, 47 at the second test and 41 at 6 months - eating low carb was all I needed but the GP never mentioned the possibility, just a prescription.
 
Welcome to the forum @Karen106

Sorry to hear you e had such a dreadful time with Metformin.

Hope the appointment goes well on Monday.

There’s lots of support and help here to try various dietary adjustments, and tweaks of you want to do that - there’s no ‘one size fits all’ and people here will generally share what works for them, but we encourage everyone to try to find their own approach which suits their needs, their tastebuds and their metabolism 🙂
 
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