Bad belly cramps on Metformin Modified release

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mickellwife

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Type 2
I'm type 2 and just started on Metformin 750mg 1 tablet with 3 meals. I get very bad pains in my belly and explosive diarrhoea every day. I can't change my medication yet as i'm breastfeeding. Is there anything i can do??
 
mickellwife said:
I'm type 2 and just started on Metformin 750mg 1 tablet with 3 meals. I get very bad pains in my belly and explosive diarrhoea every day. I can't change my medication yet as i'm breastfeeding. Is there anything i can do??
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You could ask your GP about slow release metformin if it's suitable. Seems to be less harsh on the tum.
 
A lot of people taking Metformin have similar experiences. As suggested by Amigo, the Slow Release Metformin seems to help a lot. I found that my reduction of carbs (not for everyone I know, especially if feeding baby) reduced my need to get to a bathroom in a hurry.
 
There are other things that can be done if you literally can't stomach even Metformin SR. eg going straight onto insulin.

If it's 750 with each meal - from nothing - that's one HELL of a lot to put anyone on, from scratch. They normally start people on lower doses, gradually building up to the full dose, since they are absolutely universally known to cause gastric side effects, but these often subside after a week or two, so they normally add the next dose then, until you are eventually on however much you actually need.

Did you have Gestational Diabetes, or is D just something that's happened out of the blue - AND if you are young enough to have a baby and didn't have GD - are they absolutely 100% certain it IS Type 2?
 
I had a bad reaction, too. They kept saying it was a known side effect and would settle down. When I landed in hospital with low potassium, dehydration, they changed my meds. I want insistent enough, I usually am but I knew very little about diabetes and even less about medications for it. If you're nursing, even more important.
 
I was diagnosed with Type 2 just before i found out i was pregnant with my 3 year old in 2012. So i'm deffo Diabetic. So my youngest is 6 months. I stopped taking medication after i had her as i got told i could. My sugars, the diabetic nurse told me are catastropic. I went off the rails and ate what i wanted as i can't curb the sweet tooth cravings. I'm paying for it now though :(
 
mickellwife said:
I was diagnosed with Type 2 just before i found out i was pregnant with my 3 year old in 2012. So i'm deffo Diabetic. So my youngest is 6 months. I stopped taking medication after i had her as i got told i could. My sugars, the diabetic nurse told me are catastropic. I went off the rails and ate what i wanted as i can't curb the sweet tooth cravings. I'm paying for it now though :(
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I don't think the remark are you sure your Type 2 was not meant that you weren't Diabetic, that are they sure you are not Type 1? It is not heard of for even older people to struggle with medication and turn out to have what is known as a slow onset Type 1.
 
How long have you been on metformin? It does take a while to settle. If you have been on it a long time ask your doctor or diabetes team for something else
 
mickellwife said:
ive only been on it for about a week, they have now stopped thankfully x
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That's good news. Many people find that the bowel effects of metformin only last a few days or a couple of weeks at most. However, it's unusual to start off with 750mg three times a day - 500mg once a day, then 500mg twice a day etc is more usual.
 
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