Glucophage XR Withdrawal symptoms?

lilywind · 01-31-2006, 04:58 AM

I was supposed to have a complete hysterectomy with ovary removal today, but I went off my Glucophage XR 1000 mg 3 days before surgery. I got really sick with what I thought was the flu - headache, nausea, chills and feeling flushed, but no actual fever. I took Glucophage again today and feel a lot better.

Is this a coincidence that I started to feel sick the first day without Glucophage??? Has anyone else experienced this?

Thanks so much for your help!

satxcaser · 01-31-2006, 03:12 PM

I know exactly what you mean...blahhh..feels like a freight train stopped you in your tracks.

The first time this happen to me I was taking Metformin 500mg BID and I was going on Vacation and I didn't want to deal with the stomach upset that I sometimes get so I stopped Met a few days before my trip. The whole time during my trip needless to say I was still sick. Headache, nausea and body ache and just want to sleep it off basically. I thought maybe it was just the change in barometric pressure and coming from Texas and going to California and being by the water and stuff since I also suffer from migraines. Never thought it could be from not taking the Metformin. Got home started taking Metformin again...thought maybe it was from being in California that made me sick and why I felt so much better when I got home.

The second time I stopped taking Met was with Dr. recomendation, even though I am IR. I've been a little discouraged that it hasn't helped me the way that I thought it would. (This time I was on 850mg BID). The same thing happend again with headache, nausea and vomiting, body ache, this time I was home and stayed in bed for two days thought maybe I caught a stomach virus or something. I changed my mind and decided to not stop taking the Metformin and started it again.

It wasn't until after the second time of going off Metformin I finally put two and two together that the reason why I was feeling so sick was because I wasn't taking Met. So once I started taking it again I was felt alot better by the second day.

I go see my GYN Dr. in two weeks I was going to ask him if I didn't need the Metformin and I can control my blood sugars with diet like he says since the Met isn't working then why do I get so sick without it. I'll come back and let you know what he says if you would like?

I posted my little story mixed in with another thread but no one ever responded. Sorry for such a rambling long story. I thought maybe it was just me, so it's nice to know I'm not alone.

***Hugs*** Hope you feel better.

SnowFlower · 01-31-2006, 06:44 PM

I never had any problems going off the meds

lilywind · 01-31-2006, 11:23 PM

SATXCASER - thanks so much for your response. Maybe it was from going off the Glucophage XR. I don't know. Did you have any chills?

Can you try the extended release version of metformin? Also, I tried the generic version of Glucophage XR (metformin ER) and I did not have good results. Apparently a lot of women feel worse on the generic versions.

oohmercyme · 01-31-2006, 11:34 PM

I asked my sis, a nurse this a few months ago. I went away for a week and forgot my met and felt miserable. She told me that since I was not taking the met for diabetes, it was unlikely that I would experience any physical symptoms, it was probably psychological.

Given that you are having a hysterectomy today, it surely could be nerves/fear related to that.

Good luck!

LEESAP · 01-31-2006, 11:40 PM

Can I Ask A Question About The Ir Diet Book

lilywind · 01-31-2006, 11:49 PM

It wasn't psychological - I've been wanting the surgery for 5 years and I've been suffering for 14 years. I was a bit nervous about being cut open, but this felt like the flu. There are major physical changes in the body when one goes off Metformin...if it wasn't that, it was the flu.

Thanks for you inputs though.

satxcaser · 02-01-2006, 07:44 AM

Lilywind- I'm pretty sure my feeling sick was from going off the Metformin.

I personally honestly do not believe that it's a pyshological response to going off of Metformin at all. I'm not sure how long you've been on Met if that makes a difference in the withdrawls people have. Maybe because Insulin controls other hormones in the body and without that extra help that the Metformin gives our bodies to use the insulin better and more effeciently that our own bodies have tried to kick in and it's thrown everything off balance trying to do what it supposed to do without the Metformin.... UHHHH!!! What an ugly feeling. I've been on Metformin since July of 2004.

When I go to the Dr. in 2 weeks my dose gets increased to 2000mg I was going to ask for XR then..I've been reading in some of the other posts that alot of the other woman have a easier time with the stomach upset on the XR then on the generic. I take Lomotil now since Immodium and pepto don't always work anymore.

I didn't get chills though....just nausea and headache and body ache...I just felt really really awful and stayed in bed..kind of like the flu i guess you could say without the stuffy head, cold part of it though. Pitiful but true I put myself through this twice so I'm pretty sure it's from the Met but I dont' plan on experimenting a third time...

I go to the Doctor in 2 weeks I'll ask him for sure and come back and tell you what he says.

May I ask why you stopped the Met...I know you can't take Met within 48 hours of a procedure that uses dyes. From your post it doesn't look like you had the surgery yet, looks like it was post-poned. I'm sorry I don't know much about hysterectomy procedures if they use dyes or not?

***Hugs***

StacieH · 02-01-2006, 09:08 PM

I'm wondering if your symptoms were from a surge in your blood sugar and insulin from not taking the meds?

I'm looking at the prescription insert, and it says that "Symptoms of high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, include thirst, increased urination, confusion, drowsiness, flushing, rapid breathing or a fruity breath odor."

I don't think it matters if you are actually diabetic or not for the medication to effect you when you stop taking it. Taking this medication changes blood sugar and response to insulin, so it very well could cause the same effects on someone with or without diabetes. Maybe not to the same degree though.

After you see your doctor, can you post what he/she said about what you experienced? I'm really interested to see what caused those symptoms and if they are from stopping your meds.

I hope you feel better and can have your surgery soon. Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

satxcaser · 02-02-2006, 05:17 AM

My appt me to see him is not until Feb 13th but for sure I'll be glad to come back and post what he says. His sister also suffers from PCOS so I trust alot of the info that he gives me.

***Hugs***

satxcaser · 02-15-2006, 06:15 AM

Update: I went to my GYN Dr. and I asked him about withdrawl symptoms from Metformin and I explained the 2 experiences I had. He said he has never heard of withdrawl symptoms from the medication itself but he said I might have developed diabetes in the 2 yrs that I've been on Metformin and that might have been the symptoms I was having from not taking the medication. And then I was basically told not to do that again unless I was told to. :-( But I was told to stop taking it because I didn't need the Metformin. That's why I stopped it the second time. Thankfully I don't see that other doctor anymore.

So basically it's not a matter of your body having withdrawls from stoping the medication...it's your bodies response to needing the medication. Which makes sense to why I felt better when I re-started Metformin each time.

OrchidNox · 07-29-2008, 03:55 PM

I just want to say I'm SO GLAD that I found this thread. I know it's been over 2 years since someone posted in this thread, so I apologize for bumping it, but I thought I was losing my mind this past couple of weeks!

I just got put onto Met b/c my doc thinks it may help us get pregnant (it's been, oh, 4 years running now that we've been having issues). Well, I forgot to take it for a few days, then I started getting these CRAZY headaches, then I couldn't sleep...finally, I connected it to forgetting to take the Met!

I'm definitely going to make sure to take it from now on, but I wanted to let you all know that I feel much better - I thought I was going crazy!