Insomnia

[VickyHW]

Has anyone experienced new or worsened insomnia whilst taking metformin? I’ve had a horrendous period of it lately and whilst I am no stranger to insomnia this has been much worse and has reversed a more positive trend that I had been going through.

after much thinking I can only put this down to starting on the slow release metformin. Research suggests this can be an issue through its actions on blood glucose etc. Has anyone altered the time they take the SR metformin? If I moved to taking it in the morning would that make any difference.

interestingly the research also suggests that insomnia can be a cause of T2 diabetes just as much as weight and diet.

 

[rebrascora]

Your profile suggests that you are only "At Risk of Diabetes" which makes me wonder why you are prescribed Metformin at all as I would have thought that a few simple tweaks to diet and exercise would be enough to sort the diabetes issue.
Metformin doesn't really have that fast an impact, it tends to build up in the body over a period of a couple of weeks of taking it and your daily dose is just a "top up" so feel free to experiment with when you take it.
High BG levels can make your quality of sleep poor, but if you are only "at risk" or pre diabetic then that is unlikely as levels are unlikely to be that high. Anxiety can certainly cause insomnia.

I find a brisk walk is really helpful in promoting good sleep and I definitely find that I need much less insulin through the night when I sleep deeply, so yes, not sleeping well can also lead to higher BG levels just like stress in general causes raised levels.

 

[Leadinglights]

Has anyone experienced new or worsened insomnia whilst taking metformin? I’ve had a horrendous period of it lately and whilst I am no stranger to insomnia this has been much worse and has reversed a more positive trend that I had been going through.

after much thinking I can only put this down to starting on the slow release metformin. Research suggests this can be an issue through its actions on blood glucose etc. Has anyone altered the time they take the SR metformin? If I moved to taking it in the morning would that make any difference.

interestingly the research also suggests that insomnia can be a cause of T2 diabetes just as much as weight and diet.

If you are actually only at risk of diabetes i.e. not over the magic number of 48mmol/l or even if only a little over than that, then unless you have been averse to making some dietary changes in reducing carbohydrate then there seem no good reason to be given metformin without giving you the opportunity to try those dietary changes that would be needed anyway as metformin is not a magic bullet that does not require other changes.

 

[VickyHW]

That’s really odd I’m sure I updated my profile - I have been diagnosed as had two HBA1C tests at 72 and 69 so have been on metformin for a few months now, switching to slow release after a couple of weeks due to stomach issues. Will see if I can amend my profile - mustn’t have saved property when I did it.

 

[Leadinglights]

That’s really odd I’m sure I updated my profile - I have been diagnosed as had two HBA1C tests at 72 and 69 so have been on metformin for a few months now, switching to slow release after a couple of weeks due to stomach issues. Will see if I can amend my profile - mustn’t have saved property when I did it.

You will probably realise the advise for definitely diagnosed may/will be different from At Risk.

 

[VickyHW]

That should have changed now. Either a technical glitch or a memory glitch

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about your insomnia @VickyHW - that can be such a difficult and debilitating thing to live with

There was a thread recently discussing this, but unfortunately the member who asked the question hasn’t been seen for a month or so.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/metformin-and-insomnia.94497/

 

[EmmaL76]

Hey Vicky, Ive also have insomnia since the age of 16. I’m officially a type 1 but under review as a possible type 2 and as I’m underweight and manage with diet alone. my lack of sleep/stress has been the only suggestion they have come up with along with disordered eating for many years. My body was just not happy with me. I’m trying to make friends with it and it seems we are on better terms, Fridays hba1c was 37 which means I fall in the “normal” category. I was on metformin SR for a while as my diagnosis has changed a few times. Insomnia ramped up, mainly due to the stomach issues which were very unpleasant !

 

[VickyHW]

Sorry to hear about your insomnia @VickyHW - that can be such a difficult and debilitating thing to live with

There was a thread recently discussing this, but unfortunately the member who asked the question hasn’t been seen for a month or so.

https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/metformin-and-insomnia.94497/

Thanks for the link!

 

[VickyHW]

Hey Vicky, Ive also have insomnia since the age of 16. I’m officially a type 1 but under review as a possible type 2 and as I’m underweight and manage with diet alone. my lack of sleep/stress has been the only suggestion they have come up with along with disordered eating for many years. My body was just not happy with me. I’m trying to make friends with it and it seems we are on better terms, Fridays hba1c was 37 which means I fall in the “normal” category. I was on metformin SR for a while as my diagnosis has changed a few times. Insomnia ramped up, mainly due to the stomach issues which were very unpleasant !

The stomach issues aren’t good are they, when they switched me to the slow release version it seemed to flare the stomach back up but then it settled and now I’m just getting occasional agonising cramps up under the ribs but it seems to relate to what I eat when I take the metformin. Anyhow I shall go back to pestering my GP practice for a sleep study. Apparently they don’t do them in our trust area!