Metformin questions

[Anithly]

Can anyone talk to me about metformin. And side effects

 

[Leadinglights]

Can anyone talk to me about metformin. And side effects

Welcome, your post may have got lost in another topic but Metformin is usually the first medication that you will be prescribes if your HbA1C is high and in conjunction with dietary changes helps the body to use the insulin it produces more effectively. It is well known that some people do suffer side effects particularly an upset stomach but it will often settle down, this is why it is usual to start on a low dose and then increase over a few weeks. However if it continues to give problems the a slow release version is supposed to be gentler on the stomach. I helps to take the medication mid meal.
If your HbA1C is only just into the diabetic zone then hopefully an opportunity to make lifestyle changes first is given.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Anithly

I have moved your post into a thread of its own so that it’s easier for you to keep track of replies 🙂

Metformin is very widely used, and lots of members take it and find it helpful.

There’s an overview of it here

Metformin - Uses, How it Works and Side Effects

Metformin is a diabetes medication that helps the insulin you produce work better. You usually take it as a tablet.

www.diabetes.org.uk

 

[rebrascora]

To minimize the risk of side effects with Metformin, it is best to take it mid meal with a substantial amount of food. The most common side effect is digestive upset .... it is not unaffectionately referred to on the forum as "Metfartin" for nothing 🙄 but side effects can extend beyond just antisocial wind to uncontrollable diarrhoea in exceptional cases. Starting with just one tablet and building the dose up slowly over a number of weeks can be helpful in allowing the body to cope with these digestive flareups and the Metformin itself takes a couple of weeks to build up in your system to an effective level, so it is not like you get an immediate effect/benefit from taking the tablets. It has a slow and relatively minimal effect on improving your diabetes. Following a lower carb way of eating and going for a brisk daily walk if you are able will have a much more dramatic impact on your BG levels than Metformin ever can.
What ewlse do you want to know?

 

[harbottle]

For a drug so widely used, there seems to be little research into its effects and mechanism. (It seems to be 'accepted' that it inhibits glucose creation in the liver). The best research I've read shows a max dose can reduce hba1c by around 1.2% (12mmol/L) but that won't apply to everyone - it may not work at all for some people.

Apparently the side effects are worse at higher doses, and in some research a low dose has been shown to make no improvement to hba1c. Another report shows a low dose can improve the hba1c of type 2s that aren't overweight.

 

[Mraw90]

Metformin is the go to for type 2 along with drastic diet changes and exercise but side effects are loose poop, nausea, headache, thirsty
I’ve been on max dose 2000 a day and side effects never got better
Finally started on insulin but still waiting on my type results but both types can be treated with insulin if meds don’t suit x wish you all the best

 

[trophywench]

There's a 'slow release' version of met, if the side effects of the ordinary version don't calm down - a lot of people need the SR one, and it's most unlikely your GP won't change it! - shouldn't need to even see him - just leave a message, should be enough!

 

[Drummer]

Although many people can cope from the outset, and some have a reaction at first, I found the consequences of just a single tablet of Metformin were something I could not live with.
I have always had extreme reactions to any medication- penicillin and similar antibiotics always made me housebound for the duration of the course, but that is usually 5 days. Five weeks of Metformin and Atorvastatin and I was suicidal, but I did benefit in the form of a professional quality carpet and upholstery cleaner.
I stopped taking the tablets just before Christmas 2016 and things did begin to improve. By the time I came to the attention of the GP surgery again the low carb diet had put me under the diabetic range for Hba1c, so I am only pushed to go back on statins around once a year.
The side effects I suffered were not recorded or reported, which is - I suspect - why the medication is safe and effective on paper but pretty life destroying if one is sensitive.

 

[Mrs Mimoo]

Although many people can cope from the outset, and some have a reaction at first, I found the consequences of just a single tablet of Metformin were something I could not live with.
I have always had extreme reactions to any medication- penicillin and similar antibiotics always made me housebound for the duration of the course, but that is usually 5 days. Five weeks of Metformin and Atorvastatin and I was suicidal, but I did benefit in the form of a professional quality carpet and upholstery cleaner.
I stopped taking the tablets just before Christmas 2016 and things did begin to improve. By the time I came to the attention of the GP surgery again the low carb diet had put me under the diabetic range for Hba1c, so I am only pushed to go back on statins around once a year.
The side effects I suffered were not recorded or reported, which is - I suspect - why the medication is safe and effective on paper but pretty life destroying if one is sensitive.

side effects: five years of topirimate (anti seizure epilipsy med) given for migraine resulted in me having more migraines than before, I'd lost half my hair, and had temporary cognitive impairment. (which thankfully wore off but my hair is destroyed).