Metformin and hot flushes

[DancingStar]

For the last couple of months I have been experiencing horrible hot flushes during the daytime, and night sweats. They last only a short while - 5 mins or so - but they are very uncomfortable especially at night when I am waking 2 or 3 times trying to cool down. The broken sleep leaves me very tired the following day.

They've only been occurring for the last few months. I was diagnosed as insulin dependent T3c and also prescribed Metformin at Christmas 2022. I take 1g twice a day. I went through the menopause years ago , luckily for me this was relatively free from the symptoms that many women suffer, so know it's not related to this.

A bit of Google research suggests that a side effect of Metformin is hot flushes (occurring in around 10% of people who take Metformin according to one report I read).

Except for a few blips my blood glucose is under good control. I am tempted to stop taking Metformin to test whether the flushes go away. Will I be harming myself if I do this? In fact, it's made me wonder why an insulin dependent diabetic, whose pancreas has packed up, would need to take metformin.

Interested to hear the thoughts of others regarding this. Thank you.

 

[eggyg]

For the last couple of months I have been experiencing horrible hot flushes during the daytime, and night sweats. They last only a short while - 5 mins or so - but they are very uncomfortable especially at night when I am waking 2 or 3 times trying to cool down. The broken sleep leaves me very tired the following day.

They've only been occurring for the last few months. I was diagnosed as insulin dependent T3c and also prescribed Metformin at Christmas 2022. I take 1g twice a day. I went through the menopause years ago , luckily for me this was relatively free from the symptoms that many women suffer, so know it's not related to this.

A bit of Google research suggests that a side effect of Metformin is hot flushes (occurring in around 10% of people who take Metformin according to one report I read).

Except for a few blips my blood glucose is under good control. I am tempted to stop taking Metformin to test whether the flushes go away. Will I be harming myself if I do this? In fact, it's made me wonder why an insulin dependent diabetic, whose pancreas has packed up, would need to take metformin.

Interested to hear the thoughts of others regarding this. Thank you.

I take Metformin and have had most of my pancreas removed. I’ve asked this question too, but I am very insulin resistant in a morning and insulin sensitive the rest of the day. To get back to your night sweat/flushes I at 63 am still getting them but just assumed it was a prolonged menopause. I’ve been taking HRT for over 10 years and so they aren’t as bad as they were. Now you’ve got me wondering. I might look into that. How much Metformin do you take? I take two 1500 SR with my biggest meal of the day, usually evening.

 

[Lucyr]

How much Metformin do you take? I take two 1500 SR with my biggest meal of the day, usually evening.

Do you mean two 1000? If you’re taking two 1500 then you’re well over the maximum daily dose of 2000 sr

 

[DancingStar]

I take 4 500g Metformin tablets daily in two doses, two tablets at breakfast, two with my evening meal.
I'm going to leave off taking them for a week or so and monitor my blood glucose closely to see what happens.

 

[Lucyr]

I take 4 500g Metformin tablets daily in two doses, two tablets at breakfast, two with my evening meal.
I'm going to leave off taking them for a week or so and monitor my blood glucose closely to see what happens.

The effect of metformin builds up over a longer period of time so stopping them for a week likely won’t tell you anything useful. You’ll also be at risk of side effects when you restart if you restart all 4 at once.

 

[Andrew110758]

The effect of metformin builds up over a longer period of time so stopping them for a week likely won’t tell you anything useful. You’ll also be at risk of side effects when you restart if you restart all 4 at once.

I'd dispute that, with me Metformin effects are visible within hours. If I fail to take it, the insulin simply fails to work, normality resumes shortly after taking.

 

[Lucyr]

I'd dispute that, with me Metformin effects are visible within hours. If I fail to take it, the insulin simply fails to work, normality resumes shortly after taking.

That’s not how it works. The half life of metformin is long meaning it takes at least 4 days to build up to a steady state in your blood stream and missing or changing the time of one dose won’t have much effect on the level of metformin in your system.

For the previous poster who is skipping metformin for a week to see the effect they’ll still have metformin in their system for the majority of that week.

How long does glucophage/Metformin stay in your system?

Official answer: Metformin (brand name: Glucophage) will be in your system for 96.8 hours which is approximately 4 days.Metformin has an...

www.drugs.com

 

[Andrew110758]

That’s not how it works. The half life of metformin is long meaning it takes at least 4 days to build up to a steady state in your blood stream and missing or changing the time of one dose won’t have much effect on the level of metformin in your system.

For the previous poster who is skipping metformin for a week to see the effect they’ll still have metformin in their system for the majority of that week.

How long does glucophage/Metformin stay in your system?

Official answer: Metformin (brand name: Glucophage) will be in your system for 96.8 hours which is approximately 4 days.Metformin has an...

www.drugs.com

I can but go by my own experience. If I forget it in the morning, it immediately reflects in my blood glucose levels, they skyrocket, if I then take the dose at lunchtime, within a matter of hours the blood glucose level drops to the expected levels. Just looking it up, Metformin is excreted with a half life of 4 to 8 hours, so quite quick. It is interesting that as usual looking it up tends to talk about it's use in Type 2 control, indeed I have even had medics assume because I am on Metformin I must be type 2, and it becomes an uphill argument with some that I am type 1 with insulin resistance and thats why I have to use metformin ( 2 x 500mg twice daily )

 

[eggyg]

Do you mean two 1000? If you’re taking two 1500 then you’re well over the maximum daily dose of 2000 sr

Duh! Two x 750. I had in my head I took 1500 ( which I do) and I took two tablets! 😳

 

[Lucyr]

Duh! Two x 750. I had in my head I took 1500 ( which I do) and I took two tablets! 😳

Phew glad you’re not overdosing on metformin!

 

[WelshRoo]

I was wondering the same with Metformin as I can suffer with flushes as well but I put it down to being peri menopausal.

I am now thinking it could be because of this. I was diagnosed with T2 in February and have been taking 3 x 500mg of Metformin a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and sometimes I will experience hot flushes as well.
Recently with the kids being home for school holidays etc I got out of sync with tablets and usually forgot to take one of them, but now I have put myself back on a routine and set alarms to remind me to take them = I'm finding I'm having flushes again and the fatigue is kicking my backside at the minute. Also my diet was all over the place so I feel back at square one even though on last check up my HBA1C had dropped form 69 down to 46.

Im hoping that will get itself in line again too now that I have sorted my tablet taking and eating back out again!
Also have been monitoring my bloods - was told by nurse to not let it go under 4, I generally sit around 5-7, but lately have had a few that have been between 8-9.

Doh!

 

[Leadinglights]

I was wondering the same with Metformin as I can suffer with flushes as well but I put it down to being peri menopausal.

I am now thinking it could be because of this. I was diagnosed with T2 in February and have been taking 3 x 500mg of Metformin a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and sometimes I will experience hot flushes as well.
Recently with the kids being home for school holidays etc I got out of sync with tablets and usually forgot to take one of them, but now I have put myself back on a routine and set alarms to remind me to take them = I'm finding I'm having flushes again and the fatigue is kicking my backside at the minute. Also my diet was all over the place so I feel back at square one even though on last check up my HBA1C had dropped form 69 down to 46.

Im hoping that will get itself in line again too now that I have sorted my tablet taking and eating back out again!
Also have been monitoring my bloods - was told by nurse to not let it go under 4, I generally sit around 5-7, but lately have had a few that have been between 8-9.

Doh!

If you feel your hot flushes are connected to the metformin then a conversation with your nurse about reducing the dose as you HbA1C has reduced substantially but tighten up a bit more on your diet to reduce your HbA1C a bit further.
Blood glucose 5-7 sounds pretty good but if drifting up to 8 or 9 especially if it is not 2 hours after food then it looks as if your meals may be a bit carb heavy.