Medication Concern

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John Brooks

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I'm a Newbie so if I get things wrong like posting in the wrong thread please forgive me and let me know.

My problem:

I had been suffering from aches in my stomach for more than a week so I went to my Doc.

He wondered if it was being caused by some of the medication I was taking, namely Atorvastatin for cholesterol and Metformin for my Type 2 diabetes.

He suggested I stopped taking these medication for a fortnight to see if that sorts my problem out.

My concern is that stopping this medication for that long could cause problems with both my Diabetes and Cholesterol levels.

Can anyone please offer any advice as to whether as to whether this could be dangerous or not.

Any help or advice or advice gratefully received.

John
 
John Brooks said:
I'm a Newbie so if I get things wrong like posting in the wrong thread please forgive me and let me know.

My problem:

I had been suffering from aches in my stomach for more than a week so I went to my Doc.

He wondered if it was being caused by some of the medication I was taking, namely Atorvastatin for cholesterol and Metformin for my Type 2 diabetes.

He suggested I stopped taking these medication for a fortnight to see if that sorts my problem out.

My concern is that stopping this medication for that long could cause problems with both my Diabetes and Cholesterol levels.

Can anyone please offer any advice as to whether as to whether this could be dangerous or not.

Any help or advice or advice gratefully received.

John
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I think these are both medicines that build up slowly in the system, so stopping them for two weeks shouldn't be any major concern.
My money is on the Metformin, it's notorious for causing gastric upsets, wind, etc ( it's nicknamed Metfartin on here!) There is a slow release version which some people find gentler on their stomachs, your GP may consider that if indeed metformin turns out to be the culprit,
 
Hi John, welcome to the forum.

The only problem with stopping both is you won’t know which is causing the problem, but I’m with Robin. It’s odds on the Metformin, so when you report back, aim for a switch to the long acting version. You won’t come to any harm stopping either for a couple of weeks.
 
Robin said:
I think these are both medicines that build up slowly in the system, so stopping them for two weeks shouldn't be any major concern.
My money is on the Metformin, it's notorious for causing gastric upsets, wind, etc ( it's nicknamed Metfartin on here!) There is a slow release version which some people find gentler on their stomachs, your GP may consider that if indeed metformin turns out to be the culprit,
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Thank you for your reply Mikey.

I totally agree with you that they problem 'could' be caused by either so how will we know which one.

I must admit I have been taking Metformin for about 3 years as I believe they are relatively new in the medicine world.

To date I have had no problems taking them so I was surprised when the doctor suggested this could be the problem.
 
Robin said:
I think these are both medicines that build up slowly in the system, so stopping them for two weeks shouldn't be any major concern.
My money is on the Metformin, it's notorious for causing gastric upsets, wind, etc ( it's nicknamed Metfartin on here!) There is a slow release version which some people find gentler on their stomachs, your GP may consider that if indeed metformin turns out to be the culprit,
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply Robin.

I have been taking both for a number of years so I am at a loss as to why one, or other has started causing the problem now.

I wondered why I am more flatulent than normal, now I know.

I feel sometimes I come from Chicago (the windy city)

John
 
John Brooks said:
Thank you for your reply Robin.

I have been taking both for a number of years so I am at a loss as to why one, or other has started causing the problem now.

I wondered why I am more flatulent than normal, now I know.

I feel sometimes I come from Chicago (the windy city)

John
Click to expand...
Some people seem to report problems with different brands of Metformin. It is not a new drug it is one of the oldest drugs used to treat Diabetes.
 
When I took Metformin and Atorvastatin I was really ill - after 5 weeks I felt that life itself was not worth living, so I stopped taking them.
All this year I have been tablet and side effect free - except for my memory which I don't think will come back, but I feel so much better and even though my ability to tolerate carbs is so low the thought that I might be pressured to take medication again keeps me from temptation like nothing else.
I realised that the problems with the tablets had not been recorded in my files only days after the repeat prescription was cancelled, and I was called in to be told I needed to take them again.
It is no wonder that medications are considered safe and effective if any contra indications go unreported.
Oh - the diabetes is no longer an issue. I eat low carb foods and have normal readings.
 
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