side effects

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bobbinbrown

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Type 2
Hello I took my first metformin tablet this morning.I am very worried about side effects especially stomach upsets.I believe not everyone gets side effects.Is this true?And how bad are they if you do?Thanks in advance for any replies.
 
Hi and welcome.

Please try to relax. Many people don't get any side effects. Some get a bit of an upset tummy for a few days up to a couple of weeks and a small percentage get a badly upset tummy and need to either try the slow release or a different medication.
My stools were a bit loose when I went to the loo and I would very occasionally get crampy colicky pains, where I felt I wanted to pass wind but didn't dare unless I was on the loo just in case. 🙄 I never had an accident though, even on 4 a day.
It is important to take them with food, ideally mid meal to help protect your stomach and it is important to make dietary changes. I have heard that some people experience more problems with them if they don't reduce their carb intake, but I am not sure how true that is.
 
rebrascora said:
Hi and welcome.

Please try to relax. Many people don't get any side effects. Some get a bit of an upset tummy for a few days up to a couple of weeks and a small percentage get a badly upset tummy and need to either try the slow release or a different medication.
My stools were a bit loose when I went to the loo and I would very occasionally get crampy colicky pains, where I felt I wanted to pass wind but didn't dare unless I was on the loo just in case. 🙄 I never had an accident though, even on 4 a day.
It is important to take them with food, ideally mid meal to help protect your stomach and it is important to make dietary changes. I have heard that some people experience more problems with them if they don't reduce their carb intake, but I am not sure how true that is.
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Hello Barbara,Thank you so much.That is all very reassuring.
 
bobbinbrown said:
Hello I took my first metformin tablet this morning.I am very worried about side effects especially stomach upsets.I believe not everyone gets side effects.Is this true?And how bad are they if you do?Thanks in advance for any replie
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I had no side effects at all from Metformin. I've been on a low dose for two years now.
 
I have not had any issues either. I take it after eating my evening meal and am slowly building up the number of pills I have. I started on one 500mg and am up to 3 500mg.
 
bobbinbrown said:
Hello I took my first metformin tablet this morning.I am very worried about side effects especially stomach upsets.I believe not everyone gets side effects.Is this true?And how bad are they if you do?Thanks in advance for any replies.
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Unfortunately I cannot tolerate Metformin. It gave me terrible diarrhoea and I couldn't always get to the loo in time. The final straw was when I soiled myself whilst asleep so I came off it. My GP prescribed Dapagliflozin and Sitagliptin and I have no side effects with either of these.
 
Thank you for your response.It's good to know there are other treatments available----just in case!
 
@bobbinbrown Yes it is true that some people don't get any consequences with Metformin, whilst others suffer dreadfully.
I was one of the latter, and as it was just before Christmas 2016 I just stopped taking the tablets(I was taking Atorvastatin as well) and just kept on eating low carb.

I went low carb at once, so it was not that I was mixing Metformin with carbs causing the trouble.

By the time I was into the 'education' meetings I was no longer diabetic, so I have declined medication since then. I cling fast to the idea that it was the 'healthy' high carb diet which got me into the situation in the first place, so diet was the way out as well.
 
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Metformin will not be particularly effective without also making dietary changes, indeed they will be more powerful than the medication.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach successful and this link may help you with some ideas for modifying your diet. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Low carb is suggested as being no more than 130g carbs not just sugar per day, it is not NO carbs.
That is a good starting point if you have had a particularly high carb diet as reducing blood glucose gradually is kinder on your eyes and nerves.
 
bobbinbrown said:
Hello I took my first metformin tablet this morning.I am very worried about side effects especially stomach upsets.I believe not everyone gets side effects.Is this true?And how bad are they if you do?Thanks in advance for any replies.
Click to expand...
I too was slightly worried about the side effects of taking metformin. I have been on 3 x 500mg a day since April 23 and haven’t had any noticeable side effects. I am also on 30mg Atorvastatin and haven’t had any side effects from those either.
 
I had runny tummy for 24 hrs but was ok thereafter and had no further side effects. After a few months I stopped the metformin not because I couldn't tolerate it, but because I'd got enough control via diet and lifestyle changes that I didn't need it anymore. It is the drug that I am least concerned about if I ever do need to consider medication for my diabetes again.
 
Thank you.I really appreciate people taking the time to respond to my message.I'm pleased to say that so far I have had no bad reaction.Long may it continue.
 
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