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Metformin side effect

P

Pookie

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I had been on 1000mg slow release Metformin for some time with no problems. It's been increased to 1500 with the aim after 2 weeks of increasing to 2000. I'm now getting a twitchy, flickering eyelid at random times. It's nothing hugely alarming or even really noticeable (except to me!) but I wondered if anyone else had experienced this? The complicating factor is that I have also been on some strong anti-cancer maintenance drugs which I have just stopped, so its possible they are to blame. I increase the metformin tomorrow and I'm understandably nervous that if it is the metformin the twitch will get worse. It's possible that I should maybe stop the metformin completely and switch to insulin. But I just wondered if anybody has any observation (!) on twitchy eyelid/metformin?
All comments gratefully received.
Pookie
 
I doubt it is the medication.
Over the years, I have had short spells of what you describe and it has just resolved itself without ever knowing what caused it or seeking medical advice. Certainly it happened to me long before the short time that I was prescribed Metformin, so not in any way related to it in my case. Just one of those minor things like hiccups that happen for no apparent reason and then don't happen again for ages, or you get a spate of episodes and then none for years.
 
I never heard of twitchy eyes being a side effect, most side effects of metformin are gastrointestinal in nature!
 
I had this twitchy eyelid thing a long time ago when I was working as longhaul airline crew, which involved many time changes, jet lag and sometimes crossing the dateline. The medical centre Dr who worked for the airline told me it was due to tiredness. If you have by any chance been visiting the bathroom a lot during the night this may have caused it.
 
I do not take metformin and occasionally get a spell of a twitchy eyes. A quick Google search says there can be several causes, tiredness, dry eyes, eye strain, mineral or vitamin deficiency or electrolyte imbalance but other than annoying usually not too concerning.
 
I have been on Metformin almost a year. No twitching noticed. Taking 2000mg daily since August last year. Other than minor short term gastrointestinal upset as dosage increased, no other side effects.
Hope you find out the cause soon.
 
I’ve been taking Metformin for over 30 yrs, I don’t even recall any side effects to me
some of the other tablets they’ve tried to get me on hasn’t been so successful
 
In my family we always called that an eye ‘ticking’.

It seemed more likely if my eyes were tired or if I’ve been doing a lot of reading or close work but that might be my imagination.

There’s a write up about it here, which describes it as usually short lived and pretty harmless, but it may indicate some other eye conditions so if it continues, perhaps get those checked out?

 
I was given SR metformin. One extra tablet each week. For first two weeks I was bunged up but by 4 x a week I was having diarrhea not watery just very soft, so more a nuisance. 3 days after I'd gone onto 4 I had an SGLT2 added and was told the metformin would be reduced. I now take two a day and no diarrhea.
I would have thought the twitching may be stress or tiredness very unlikely to be metformin. However given the health difficulties you've had I'd raise it with the surgery.
 
I was on Metformin for years and never had that side effect or heard of anyone else having that.

Personally I'd try and stay off insulin if you can manage on other medication.
 
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