I hate Metformin!

voodoo_child · 02-13-2003, 09:52 PM

Hi Girls

As you can tell by the subject - i hate this medicine!

I was prescribed it approximately 5 months ago, and i'm supposed to be on 2000mg per day. Well i hardly ever take it. My doctor would be really angry at me if she knew, but i just can't cope with the side effects.

It doesn't matter what i eat, i always get diahorea (can't spell sorry), and after i have eaten, i always feel this overwelming nausea about 2 hours later. Sometimes it is so bad, that i have to go and lie down because i feel like i'll faint.

I've told my doctor about my symptoms, but she really wants me to stick at it because she wants me off insulin if possible, and for my weight - and possibly period (even though i'm on another medication to control that at the moment). What she doesn't realise though is that i can barely leave the house for fear of literally leaking (yuck i know)

When i do take it, i normally only take 1000mg with my dinner. I'm scared that if i had a lunch time or breakfast dose aswell i'll be sick 24/7.

So does anyone know what i can do to calm these symptoms down?

I would be so grateful, because i really want to get back on it again.

Thanks

*DannysMom* · 02-13-2003, 10:04 PM

I am on my third week of Metformin (I had been on it a year ago and encountered the same problems you mentioned in your post). I am taking 1500 mg and things have gone considerably well this time. I was eating poorly the first time around... rich, fatting foods... chocolate... ice cream.. anything I felt like... and experienced terrible diarehea... I was also taking the tablets inconsistently... and not with food or milk. This time I have been doing a FAR better job of watching what I am eating and when I am taking the tablets... I have had no ill affects at all (knock on wood)... I am still paranoid about going out at times after I have eaten... so I know how you feel. I hope it helps to hear how things went for me... good luck!
Karen

Huggies · 02-14-2003, 02:56 PM

I also hate met. I get horrible diarrhea and severe nausea and vomiting. It's so bad that I can only tolerate 500mg. Some people just don't tolerate it at all. Did your dr say anything about actos, another insulin sensitizing medicine. Actos can cause 5-10 pound wt gain but it doesn't have all the other side efffects. My dr won't let me take it because I'm fat and she doesn't want me to gain any wt. I don't either of course, but if it would help me ovulate I would be willing to try it. Now I'm trying to lose wt so I can switch meds. Isn't that horrible. See if u can take a different med, thouhg. Good luck.

andrena · 02-14-2003, 04:26 PM

I love met!

I didn't see anyone post about gradually ramping your dosage up.

When I first started I broke my 1000mg pills into quarters, so I was only taking 250mg at a time.

I took 250mg in the morning for a week, then I added another 250mg in the evening. After a week of that I added 250mg to the morning dose, so I was taking 500mg in the morning and 250mg in the evening.

It took awhile, but I finally got to 2000mg a day - with no major side effects. It also helps if I take it with milk.

I did get diarhea every once in awhile in the beginning, but now very rarely.

Hope this helps.

scarletakb · 02-14-2003, 05:25 PM

I took it last year for 6 months and was horribly sick every single day... it was soo bad... But, I am actually considering asking my doctor to put me back on it. See... what I didn't realize is that it was the high sugar content/high carb foods that my body couldn't handle on the met. and I was eating a large number of those types of food at the time.

I've been doing Atkins for 6 weeks now.. and I'm thinking that since I have the carbs out of my system... the met might be better for me...

I just wanted to let you know that maybe if you try to limit your carbs... just eat lots of veggies, and protein.. you may feel better...

StephUk · 02-14-2003, 06:51 PM

Hi...I started Metformin in late July 02 and for the first month or two I was hating it....the tummy aches were so bad and the runny tummy and nausea were almost unbearable...even when I ate healthily....I wasnt really taking it fully....I would miss days and only take half and things like that for the first 4 or so months...then I started taking it all every day without fail and gradually after about 2 weeks the bad tummy stopped...the hair began to soften and slow down growth on my body and my head hair began to thicken wonderfully and my skin has cleared up remarkably...so I must say, right now I love Metformin...if I ever took Glucophage I must admit it upsets me all over again but sticking to Met is a God send to me.
If I ever get a slightly sicky feeling I having a sqare or two of chocolate and that evens me up...must be a blood sugar thing....I am only very mildly insulin resistant.
I have friends who just cannot take Gluc or Met...its not meant for some people....but if you can take it ever day full dose and ride out the side effects (not possible if you work though)...if after 2 weeks you dont start to feel better then I would stop taking it.
I wasnt giving my body the chance to get used to it by not dosing properley but now that I am Ill miss it when I have to stop it.
Good Luck anyway and take care x
Stephanie x