Exhausted taking Metformin

[TamW]

Hi everyone.

I'm now ending my third week of taking metformin and feel completely sapped of energy. On my first week of metformin, I took one 500mg tablet, second week two 500mg tablets and the third week four 500mg tablets as prescribed by my GP. I only had a headache for the first two weeks, however, the third week has completely floored me with exhaustion, headaches, painful stomach, dizziness and toilet problems.

My blood glucose count was fine on my second week of medication.

Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Kind regards

Tam

 

[grovesy]

You need to contact who ever prescribed them to let them know they are not suiting you.

 

[Docb]

Nearly everybody taking metformin gets on with it OK. A few don't and you might be one of those. Its important you talk to your GP as soon as you can and get their advice. The options are either to persevere in the hope that the problems will go away, change to a slow release version or to try something different. Only your GP can make that decision.

 

[TamW]

Thanks for your advice folks. I will contact my GP tomorrow.

 

[Docb]

Best plan @TamW, let us know how you get on.

 

[DaveB]

Do ask the GP to swap you over to Metformin SR (Slow Release) which is much kinder.

 

[ianf0ster]

@TamW I don't know how high your HbA1C is/was upon diagnosis, but unless it's really alarming (well over 100)then I would suggest that if Metformin doesn't suit your body (even the Extended Release) then just drop it completely and swap to a Low Carb way of eating.
In most who try it their BG drops lower than it would with Metformin they lose weight without more exercise and without counting Calories or starving and their Blood pressure goes down (if it was too high before).

The best way to go Low Carb is to count the carbs in your meals and to use a Blood Glucose meter to test the effect that different meals have on you, because we don't all react to the same carbs in different foods in the same way. Measure just before a meal and then 2hrs after 1st bite. Aim for an increase of no more than 2.0 mmol and to keep the maximum reading down to 8.0 or below, though some in this forum (but not the other one) say up to 8.5 is OK.