Hi Melody - I think most people get some level of stomach upset when they first start taking it, but then it settles down for most people after a little while. There's a slow release version which is usually more tolerable. Some people, however, can't tolerate it at all, in which case there are alternative meds. In general, the risks of any other side effects of Metformin seem to be very small.
Personally, I had some mild stomach upset for a few days & no issues at all after that.
Usually, I think, they'll start you on a lower dosage to see how well you tolerate it, then build up to a full dose over a few weeks.
Effectiveness seems to vary a lot between individuals, like everything to do with diabetes 🙂 But generally it's described as "moderately effective", like all the main diabetes tabs (they're all about as effective as each other). You'd probably only see a slight improvement from the starter dose, more substantial once you move to the full dose. I think for most people, it's kind of a good assist to the benefits of diet changes & maybe more exercise.
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