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Does eating carbs or certain foods trigger Metformin side effects??

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WelshRoo

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Right so I have been on Metformin for 2 weeks.
One week at two tablets and then upped to three times a day. Breakfast , Lunch and Dinner.

Some days Im fine.
Other days - I dont want to be too far from the toilet. I get what feels like a stomach chill. Little bit of cramping and gurgling, then the dreaded 'do I trust my body?' moment. It generally happens once and then Im fine the rest of the day so its not a constant thing.

Needless to say Im starting to wonder if eating certain things can make this side effect more likely.

Last time I had it, (wednesday) I had eaten cheese which I dont think my body liked too much and quite a lot of wholemeal bread (I had a day where I had it with every meal!)

Then this morning, but I am aware yesterday I ate a white wrap for my lunch.

Can certain foods cause upset? Does this symptom generally settle down or am I getting this for the long haul? I am making sure to drink at least 3 pints of NAS squash a day as well as tea/coffee to keep fluids up

Any advice or experiences - thanks in advance!
 
Some people report that if you eat carbs with metformin it can cause the problems you describe.

Personally I found it didn't agree with me so the pills went in the bin and I went ultra low carb with some time restricted eating and put T2 into remission along with a host of other health issues I had.
 
When I was diagnosed, I was already seeing my GP for persistent upset stomach and he said, we shall avoid Metformin then!! I think an upset tummy is one of its more common side affects.

Add into the mix low residue foods you have eaten, like white bread and cheese and it’s the perfect storm. Low residue foods are those that don’t hang around in the bowel for long, like cheese, white bread, potatoes, eggs, rice, pasta. High fibre foods don’t rush.

I ‘think’ but don’t know for definite that the Metformin side effects can subside but if they don’t then ask for an alternative tablet.
 
Yes certain foods or quantities can trigger side effects, if you keep a diary of foods and symptoms you can work out what is causing it and avoid eating those things / quantities
 
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