Metformin impact on bowel

[harbottle]

It reduced my hbac level from 87 to 53

I made some diet and lifestyle changes but even so I am sticking with it if I can

To quote my Dr friend, “your lifestyle changes will have helped more than the Metformin.” when I went from 83 to 36.

lifestyle changes are probably responsible for a large chunk of that reduction. How much Metformin do you take?

 

[Taffyboyslim]

To quote my Dr friend, “your lifestyle changes will have helped more than the Metformin.” when I went from 83 to 36.

lifestyle changes are probably responsible for a large chunk of that reduction. How much Metformin do you take?

I was taking 3 x 500 daily

Now I take 2 x 500 daily

 

[Derby Simon]

Hi @Derby Simon (you must live near me). I don’t really have any answers or advice. Just wanted to say that living with stuff like this really sucks… If I could get rid of my entire digestive system i would! I’m sure you will get there in the end just keep pushing for answers/solutions.

Thanks Emma hopefully things sort themselves out one way or the other.

 

[Derby Simon]

Depending on how high your HbA1C is it might be worth asking your diabetic nurse of doctor if you can give the metformin a rest and go for some dietary changes or an alternative medication.
Campylobacter is a nasty infection and is often found in poultry, cooked meals that are not reheated properly or from deli counters where food handling is not tip top.
If you have had antibiotics then those can destroy your normal gut bacteria so having yoghurt with LIVE cultures can help restore the balance.

Thanks, Will see what my Dr says but they seem to be waiting to see what the hospital says linked to some investigations they have done but things have become a bit disjointed with different potential causes - maybe the metformin, maybe the campylobacter, maybe something else. I always check temps of foods when cooking etc so not really sure of the source of the infection I had but I know it can also be caught from pets etc.

 

[Derby Simon]

I am on 2 x 500 metaformin daily , on 3 a day I was going to the toilet 5 or 6 times

I have been put on slow release but my problems are beyond just going more regularly.

 

[Derby Simon]

Hi. Metformin never has that much effect on BS so if even SR is giving problems I would suggest stopping it (talk to the GP). I'm lucky as I've been on SR for 20 years and no problems.

My problem currently is working out if it is the metformin that is the cause or another medical issue, I found out I had had campylobacter part way through this so it is hard to know which way to point a finger.

 

[Derby Simon]

@Derby Simon

Really sorry to hear you are struggling with your digestive system being so upset.
When do you take the Metformin. I found taking it mid meal with a significant amount of food helped protect my stomach from too much disruption from it.
It sounds like your guts are really going through a rough time and it would be wise to support them as much as possible. I would suggest prebiotics once the antibiotics are finished and plenty of fibre, particularly soluble fibre.
I take a fibre supplement drink each morning as well as eating plenty of vegetables and seeds and cut right back on my carbs and my gut health at 58yrs old is the best it has been my whole life. Supporting your gut health is important for your whole body health and mental wellbeing.

I don't think any of us can specifically say if the Metformin is the problem, but if you feel it is, then discuss stopping it and/or trying alternative medication with your GP depending upon your HbA1c levels. Obviously if they are high then you need medication.

I tried different timings for the metformin - before moving to the slow version and didnt notice any improvement. I have been eating bio yogurts, Kefir and probiotic pills to try and get things under control. It could well be that my issues are not connected to metformin or the bug I had but I guess I have to wait for hospital results for that.

 

[EmmaL76]

Too many probiotics can cause quite a bit of digestive upset to some people. Do you do anything for work that could be causing infection ?

 

[Leadinglights]

Too many probiotics can cause quite a bit of digestive upset to some people. Do you do anything for work that cuss be causing infection ?

You are right there, a chap at work decided to experiment on himself and was having 2 litres of probiotics a day and was extremely ill.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sounds like it might be helpful to book an appointment with your GP to discuss your concerns and perhaps trialling a suspension of Metformin, or an alternative?

Might help you understand whether your digestive issues are related to your other challenges?