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Slow release vs normal metformin

D

Damien

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
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First off, I’m going to ring doctors tomorrow. Im not expecting medical advice 🙂

I’ve been on slow release and was fine for 3 weeks and now from 5pm - 12am I’m having really upset stomachs. I take two tablets at dinner time.

With normal metformin I would get a bad stomach every 5 or 6 days. Then slow release seems to be daily.

I am under stress at my Company, is there any other tablets to try?
 
Damien said:
First off, I’m going to ring doctors tomorrow. Im not expecting medical advice 🙂

I’ve been on slow release and was fine for 3 weeks and now from 5pm - 12am I’m having really upset stomachs. I take two tablets at dinner time.

With normal metformin I would get a bad stomach every 5 or 6 days. Then slow release seems to be daily.

I am under stress at my Company, is there any other tablets to try?
Click to expand...
Slow release are supposed to be kinder on the stomach, some people find taking mid meal helps as they already have some food in their stomach.
If it has just started happening it could be the brand you were given is different and some people react to the coating used or the filler so you could check if they are different.
There are other medications but side effects are possible with any medication.
Certainly ring your doctor and ask if there is something else but what would be suitable may depend on what your HbA1C is. Have you had a recent blood test for that.
 
Could you possibly have a virus or infection which is suddenly upsetting your stomach rather than the Slow Release Metformin, if you were initially alright with it. How long have you had the upset stomach?

Have you tried dropping down to a lower dose for a few weeks to see if your stomach settles again. Just wondering if perhaps you increased it too quickly.
As said, different brands use different coatings on the tablets to slow the release and some people react to certain brands but not others and sometimes pharmacies will just dispense whichever they can get cheapest at that time, so brands can change from one month to the next and that cause some people an issue. Someone recently was lactose intolerant and their tablets used lactose in the coating.
 
I started on SR metformin in August [ sukkarto] I was on one tablet for a week then 2 next week until I reached 4. At first it bunged me up but by the time I reached 4 it was looser. However just a few days after I had started on 4 I was reduced to 2 and started dapaglifozin [ an SGLT2] . I am now on one but when I was on two I took one with breakfast and one with lunch. I was told to take them with food. Apart from one occasion when I spent an hour on the toilet in the early hours it was generally a nuisance.
Obviously seek medical advice as I don't know if it is still too early and your body may get use to it.
 
Damien said:
I am under stress at my Company, is there any other tablets to try?
Click to expand...
Literally hundreds if not thousands of other tablets. Just ask for a change.
 
There may be many brands, but there are around 7 different types of 'active ingredient' used to treat T2D:

Metformin is a biguanide that reduces gluconeogenesis and improves insulin sensitivity (So it's thought.)
Gliclazide is a type of 'Sulfonylurea' that stimulates the pancreas
Thiazolidinediones are a family of medicine that improve insulin sensitivity
DPP-4 inhibitors (Gliptins) - these increase production of incretins that improves insulin release
GLP-1 (Semiglutide, etc) - enhance insulin release & suppress hunger
Flozins (SGLT-2 inhibits) - the ones that pee out glucose.
Acarbose (Alpha Glucosidase inhibitors) - slow down digestion of carbs.

What brand is used by the NHS will be dictated by whatever they do to choose suppliers based on costs, supply chains, etc.

Insulin is of course another option.
 
Sorry to hear you are having tummy troubles to such an extent @Damien - and that you are getting some pressure from work :(

Do book an appointment with your GP and ask to try one of the other options - there are several classes of meds available.
 
everydayupsanddowns said:
Sorry to hear you are having tummy troubles to such an extent @Damien - and that you are getting some pressure from work :(

Do book an appointment with your GP and ask to try one of the other options - there are several classes of meds available.
Click to expand...

Class! That's the word I was looking for.
 
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