Metformin Side-effects

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R Ramsay

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Good Afternoon, for the last week I have been taking Metformin (1000mg) and I was ok at first but now I have been feeling lightheaded. From what i can see online being lightheaded is not a side effect of Metformin mentioned has anyone experienced the same?

BTW its brought my blood sugar down from 23.5 to 8.5.
 
It is probably more that your body is in shock at the much reduced (and better) blood glucose level so even though it isn't low it thinks it is. Having a small amount of something sugary will probably help.
 
let us know how you get on after having some carbs or sugary things. I feel "low" at about 12 or 13 at the moment and its horrible.
 
At least now you know.
Your body gets very used to levels and its like a false hypo when you get a bit lower than your body is comfy at. keep trying to bring stuff down but you know how to overcome the "feeling lousy".
Just to be clear it is not a hypo that comes with dangerous consequences and you are in no real danger, it is just your body complaining loudly.
Even just some carbs like a low carb protein bar that is around 10-15g carbs on standby should fix things. Over time you will get more and more used to lower numbers.

Do you have a meter to check where you are at when you feel like this?
 
At least now you know.
Your body gets very used to levels and its like a false hypo when you get a bit lower than your body is comfy at. keep trying to bring stuff down but you know how to overcome the "feeling lousy".
Just to be clear it is not a hypo that comes with dangerous consequences and you are in no real danger, it is just your body complaining loudly.
Even just some carbs like a low carb protein bar that is around 10-15g carbs on standby should fix things. Over time you will get more and more used to lower numbers.

Do you have a meter to check where you are at when you feel like this?
I do have a meter and I keep an eye on the levels but as I had a reading of 8 i didnt think i was low. Now i know what to do. Thank you very much, what a difference!!
 
Good Afternoon, for the last week I have been taking Metformin (1000mg) and I was ok at first but now I have been feeling lightheaded. From what i can see online being lightheaded is not a side effect of Metformin mentioned has anyone experienced the same?

BTW its brought my blood sugar down from 23.5 to 8.5.

Have you changed diet? Metformin won't make a reduction that large, so it has to be used in conjunction with diet.

When I started on Metformin and a low carb diet I'd get a bit light headed - this went away after a few weeks as my body got used to the new lower blood sugar levels. (It happened once at IKEA in Birmingham, but I'm not sure if that was the diet or the horror of being in IKEA!)
 
Personally I wouldn't recommend eating something sugary as that is just going to push your levels back up and your body will not get used to the normal range. A very small amount of something sweet can really push your levels back up and will defeat the object of a low carb diet. 1 jelly baby will raise my levels about 1.5mmols. Ideally you want your levels to be within the 4-7mmol range so if you do follow the advice given I would suggest no more than 1 JB but better to chose something slower release like a chunk of cheese or some cooked meat or a boiled egg, because you want your body to get used to those levels, not push them back up and then sit down until you feel better.

If you were using insulin or oral meds like Gliclazide which increases your insulin production and could potentially drop you dangerously low, then obviously you would need something sugary if you dropped below 4 but Metformin cannot do this.

Are you on Blood Pressure meds? If so, it may be that your reduced BG levels are impacting your BP particularly if you are following a low carb way of eating, and you test your BP when you feel like that and perhaps discuss reducing the dose if it is going a bit low.

As @harbottle says, Metformin isn't capable of achieving such an impressive reduction in BG (so congrats on that). Following a low carb way of eating certainly can, but if you haven't been eating low carb, then something else may be at play..... unless you have taken up marathon running. Following a low carb way of eating is significantly more powerful than almost all diabetes medication, so that reduction is likely down to your hard work rather than the medication... Take a bow!
 
Have you changed diet? Metformin won't make a reduction that large, so it has to be used in conjunction with diet.

When I started on Metformin and a low carb diet I'd get a bit light headed - this went away after a few weeks as my body got used to the new lower blood sugar levels. (It happened once at IKEA in Birmingham, but I'm not sure if that was the diet or the horror of being in IKEA!)
Yes I Started a low carb diet I guess my body hasn’t caught up yet!
 
Personally I wouldn't recommend eating something sugary as that is just going to push your levels back up and your body will not get used to the normal range. A very small amount of something sweet can really push your levels back up and will defeat the object of a low carb diet. 1 jelly baby will raise my levels about 1.5mmols. Ideally you want your levels to be within the 4-7mmol range so if you do follow the advice given I would suggest no more than 1 JB but better to chose something slower release like a chunk of cheese or some cooked meat or a boiled egg, because you want your body to get used to those levels, not push them back up and then sit down until you feel better.

If you were using insulin or oral meds like Gliclazide which increases your insulin production and could potentially drop you dangerously low, then obviously you would need something sugary if you dropped below 4 but Metformin cannot do this.

Are you on Blood Pressure meds? If so, it may be that your reduced BG levels are impacting your BP particularly if you are following a low carb way of eating, and you test your BP when you feel like that and perhaps discuss reducing the dose if it is going a bit low.

As @harbottle says, Metformin isn't capable of achieving such an impressive reduction in BG (so congrats on that). Following a low carb way of eating certainly can, but if you haven't been eating low carb, then something else may be at play..... unless you have taken up marathon running. Following a low carb way of eating is significantly more powerful than almost all diabetes medication, so that reduction is likely down to your hard work rather than the medication... Take a bow!
Thank you for all this great info, I am on BP meds so I will look into this.
 
Thank you for all this great info, I am on BP meds so I will look into this.
A low carb diet can reduce BP to normal, so medication can lower it too much - I am on a low carb forum and this is something pointed out as several people had falls - one very bad one, as they were advised not to stop taking medication even though they were having symptoms indicating their levels were low.
 
There isn't actually an Ikea in Birmingham. Nearest actual 'place' to where it is, is Darlaston!
 
There isn't actually an Ikea in Birmingham. Nearest actual 'place' to where it is, is Darlaston!
I know it's not actually in Brum, but as no one has heard of Darlaston (Including myself) it's best described as Birmingham - it's in the conurbation. 🙂

I hate the place, hate driving to it, hate walking round it. Our local one closed down a few years ago and it was great - always empty! (Probably why it closed!)
 
I know it's not actually in Brum, but as no one has heard of Darlaston (Including myself) it's best described as Birmingham - it's in the conurbation. 🙂

I hate the place, hate driving to it, hate walking round it. Our local one closed down a few years ago and it was great - always empty! (Probably why it closed!)
Unless it was the week the students came to Uni at the beginning of the year. Then it was packed.
 
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