Worried

[Nugget77]

Hi all, I’m desperately looking for advice
I was on 2000mg metformin and 120g gliclizide I decided to not take them as I had terrible diarrhoea, work wouldn’t allow me time off, so I decided to stop the pills, that was about 5-6 weeks ago I’ve started to do my blood levels and they are sat at 17.6 and 22.4 at the moment I really need to restart this pills and I’m petrified of the side effects can someone please advise how to make these work properly and not make me feel so rubbish, I’m permanently tired at the moment and have constant pins and needles in my hands, I’ve just had my 1st eye test and I have background eye damage, I’m 100% struggling with this diabetes I can’t cope can someone please help me I just want to feel ok I’m a type 2 diagnosis was in February after a urine test showed I had this, apparently been diabetic for quite some time, but I’m struggling

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry you are having such a difficult time with the meds @Nugget77

Have you been building them up gradually over an extended period?

Are you taking them mid-meal (a substantial one, but not too carby)?

Are you on slow release metformin?

Have you asked your Dr about trying them one at a time?

Did the side effects start on Metformin, or when gliclazide was added (was there a gap between)?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi

Firstly don't panic. I am sure we can help you or point you in the right direction for help if we can't.
Firstly, can you tell us how you were taking the metformin?
Did you start off on just one tablet a day and slowly increase it and were you taking it with food. This is important to minimize the digestive upset. I found that taking it mid meal with a substantial amount of food helped to offset most of the upset but we are all different.
Secondly, I am not sure that diarrhoea is a side effect of Gliclazide. It certaily didn't affect me that way and I don't think I have heard it mentioned, so you may have stopped taking that unnecessarily and of the two medication, Gliclazide is more powerful, so maybe start by reintroducing that, unless you are sure that was causing you an upset tummy, but my money would be on the Metformin being the cause.

Also, what dietary changes have you made. Type 2 diabetes is not just about taking medication and hoping it will go away or that the medication will fix it. Unfortunately you also need to make lifestyle changes and in fact dietary changes can be more powerful than most oral medication, so if you haven't adjusted your diet to either lose weight or reduce your carb intake then that may reduce your levels more significantly than taking the tablets and usually without any horrid side effects..... other than some effort, preparation and self restraint. It takes a bit of getting your head around at first but gradually you get your head around it and it becomes the new normal for many of us and often we find that we enjoy this new way of eating better than before and it makes us healthier.

If you give us an idea of what you typically eat and drink for breakfast, lunch and evening meal we can perhaps help you make some adjustments.

As regards the Background retinopathy, this can sometimes be transient if you can get your BG levels stable and in range. I got one of those letters once but I have been clear since, so it obviously fixed itself as I managed my diabetes better.

 

[Leadinglights]

Welcome to the forum, you have been struggling with the meds as do many others but it always worth going back to your GP.
It is most likely the metformin which does have a reputation of causing stomach issues, it does sometimes settle down particularly if taken with food but if not there is a slow release version which is gentler on the stomach.
It sounds as if you were started on quite a bit of medication to start with, it is usual to build up to the max dose of metformin and if that and dietary changes are not effective then other meds would be added. The gliclazide dose is also quite high many start on a lower dose.
Diagnosis is usually from an HbA1C test which is a blood sample taken from your arm rather than a urine test.
It is a good thing you have a monitor so you can keep a check on your blood glucose level but where you are is high to be seeing consistently. Reducing your carbohydrate intake is going to help if you have not already done so as high blood glucose is going to make you feel rubbish.
You need to check back with your GP about getting the slow release metformin if it is not already and build up the dose gradually and see if that helps with your stomach. Gliclazide can affect people but less likely so you may feel happier to restart that.
With glucose levels so high you would be wise to get some urine ketone dip sticks to keep a look out for ketones as though less likely if Type 2 is still possible.

A couple of others have beaten me to it but I think the massage is the same.

 

[Felinia]

I looked through your previous posts before starting this reply.
I think you really need to see your GP and tell them just how badly they are affecting you. What you describe is a well known side effect of Metformin, even the slow release version you were taking. I had the same symptoms as you and was taken down to just one 500mg pill a day plus two other medications, canagliflozin 300mg and linagliptin 5mg. I had refused gliclizide because of the hypos and effect on driving. So there are other medications that can be prescribed.
I see you were given advice about your diet when you first posted. Have you actually introduced permanent changes into your diet, or slipped back? Barbara above has given you excellent advice which I won't repeat. But what I do suggest is you get an app, if you haven't already done so, so you can monitor your daily intake of carbs and calories. I use NutraCheck - there are others - and it keeps me on the straight and narrow.
I get the impression you might have an issue with food changes - the "I won't like it so I won't try it syndrome". (Sorry if this is not the case, and I've misunderstood). You could try slowly reducing your high carb food portions, not cutting them out, so you don't feel deprived. I did that with bread and potatoes successfully, and now fit that into my daily allowance of less than 130gm carbs a day. And have more of the low carb foods you do like. Why not look at the Forum Food carb/queries and recipes for ideas from Type 2 posters?
I hope this helps a bit - and you soon feel a lot better.

 

[Lucyr]

I was on 2000mg metformin and 120g gliclizide I decided to not take them as I had terrible diarrhoea

Why did you drop both? Could you not try taking the gliclazide since it's not got a reputation for causing diarrhoea? Have you spoken to your doctor about trying slow release metformin?

 

[Inka]

@Nugget77 It looks like you were already on the slow release Metformin, yes? Why can’t you try just the Gliclazide? That would be unlikely to upset your stomach.