new to Metformin

[Tricia452008]

Ok so i just started metformin yesterday and it has only been a day and i am feeling sick to my stomach...i feel :puke: but i am not vomiting...and no bad trips to the bathroom yet.....i know i just started but since im already feeling sick do you think this may be the worst of it? for the people who have been on it when did your symptoms appear? and how long before they went away?

Also do you have any suggestions for this nasty feeling? my mom said saltines but i dont want to eat anything...another lady said ginger ale or soda may help settle my stomach....does anyone on this board have any suggestions?

[Drug$toreCowboy]

Ok so i just started metformin yesterday and it has only been a day and i am feeling sick to my stomach...i feel :puke: but i am not vomiting...and no bad trips to the bathroom yet.....i know i just started but since im already feeling sick do you think this may be the worst of it? for the people who have been on it when did your symptoms appear? and how long before they went away?

Also do you have any suggestions for this nasty feeling? my mom said saltines but i dont want to eat anything...another lady said ginger ale or soda may help settle my stomach....does anyone on this board have any suggestions?

I couldn't get off of Metformin fast enough when I was diagnosed with Type II 2 years ago. I found by having been on that stuff I was always physically exhausted regardless with how much I slept. Your symptoms I've felt for the first few days as well but they passed. I was placed on Avandia in addition to the Metformin. I was going downhill fast, so I took some drastic action and quit that **** "cold-turkey".

**link to site that sells product removed**

My blood sugar levels used to be typically around 9.1 - 11.2 and now I'm averaging about 5.5 instead. I feel perfectly well and have good stamina as well. I am using this product along with proper exercise and diet and it is a winning combination. My doctor still has no idea how I have improved so fast as he still writes those prescriptions I never fill. I don't dare tell him what I have done out of fear of getting expelled from his practice. All my testing has come back really well (blood pressure, kidney protein leakage etc.) and my blood sugar levels are very stable. :proud:

Just some food for thought...

[trpack]

I only had the stomach jitters for a week or two and then they seemed to settle down. I have talked to others that have been worse so I hope your body handles well. I switched to eating many small meals or grazing as somebody on here calls it and it seemed to help always having a little something in my stomach. I am a big fan of this med though, I have had less side effects with this than any of the others that I have tried and my numbers have been real good since I started it. Good Luck and give it a chance.

[sweetcheeks]

im on the metformin, i didnt have any side affects, unless maybe it was diarreah, however, it maybe be the sugar alcohol too that i eat in my ice creams and glucerna's so it will affect people differently

but here's what my doc told me

she first gave me samples of fortamet (sp?) i took those for about a month, when i went to get my script filled, the pharmacy said they didnt carry it, but the metformin generic was the same stuff, however my doc said she wanted me on the name brand, because she believed the name brand had less side affects of the generic, BUT the pharmacy says otherwise, i have had more diarreah with the generic, so maybe if your taking generics request the name brand??

how many of you guys believe this?? I've always heard the same company basically makes the generic as to the name brand, and there always just as good, but ive also heard that you get what you pay for lol

i dont know what to believe lol

[kgm0612]

When my endo started me off on Metformin and Novolog 70/30 almost 4 years ago, I did experience a couple of weeks of stomach problems, but they quickly subsided. The Rx bottle says to take with food or milk, but I find taking it on an empty stomach about 15 minutes prior to eating works best for me.

I started pumping last December and my endo kept me on the Metformin. He said it helps to maintain weight control. It's worked for me so I'll continue taking it.

Hang in there a little longer, Tricia, and good luck!

Karen

[Tricia452008]

thank you to everyone who replied on here.....how long before any of you saw any results? did your A1c go down? did you lose weight? I am hoping and praying that my sugars will begin to drop in the next couple of weeks....

[Drug$toreCowboy]

At least one good thing about Metformin is that it goes to work fairly fast and you should see some good progress fairly quickly.

[sweetcheeks]

took me two weeks to see results.... i been on it for just over a month now, and am only on 500mg a day and now my blood sugar during the day is anywhere from 90 - 130 before meals........ i have to say its worked for me along with excercise.... the diet i havnt really changed much, just watch how much i eat, and added veggies and fruit

[mg_2204]

When I started Metformin I did suffer from side effects badly. I chose to ride it out. I think I spent (roughly) 2 weeks kneeling in front of the white porcelain... After that I was ok. Everything got better with every passing day.

You can always try and have a few crackers. Not too salty! Just a few. But everything will get better once your stomach settles. Let's hope it will not take long!

[pinkytricia]

Tricia452008
I agree with kgm0612 I take my Metformin before eating and it works a lot better for me .... I drink Té de manzanilla from Mexico but I think you ya'll call it Chamomile Tea in the states.... It helps me with the yukkkies....

Good Luck !!!!!
pinkytricia

[Tricia452008]

thank you all!! i am hoping soon i will feel better...but i am not giving up on this stuff...plus i have a couple of sick days i can use if i need them lol

[Tricia452008]

ok it is day 4 on this and i just threw up at work :( i feel sooo sick.....i cannot have this feeling affect my work...i haven't eaten much today just some yogurt and fruit and i still threw up....now i cannot have this affecting my work...does anyone have any suggestions to help this feeling? i cant do crackers ::everyone is suggesting crackerss:: and i think that is what made me vomit.....any other suggestions? thank you

[BlueSky]

The nausea often goes away after a few weeks. But some people just can't tolerate Metformin. If you can get away without using it, you would probably be better off. I stopped using Metformin because I was able to get similar results by increasing mealtime boluses. And I wasn't comfortable with taking a drug I didn't really need. :wink:

[Harold]

Maybe your not eating enough with this medication. Does it make you sick when you take it with dinner?

[Tricia452008]

no thats the problem...i am feeling sick an hour or 2 afterwards....not when i eat.....this morning i had my pill at 6AM and began to feel sick around 9:30AM or so and it got so bad i dint eat lunch and vomitied around 12PM and now its almost 3PM and i still feel icky...and i know its not anything else cause i was fine a couple of days ago

[Harold]

That is to be expected until you get use to it. The medication is still working but it ran out of food to work on. Try eating more with it or cutting your morning dosage to half or quarter and see how it goes. You can increase it later or try taking the rest with your evening meal.

[ladytaz]

Are you sure you've not got a virus of some sort Tricia?? Otherwise, I'm sorry to say I'm of no help! I never had any nausea with my metformin. Get occasional tummy troubles, but that's it. The only thing I can think of to help with nausea is Phenergan, but it's side effect is drowsiness! :( I hope it gets better QUICK!! *hugz*

[Tricia452008]

thank you everyone :) i know i need to play around with all of this and it will get better soon

[Tricia452008]

Ok it has been about 2 weeks since i have been on Metformin....My sugars have seemed to drop ALOT

Before this i could barely get them under 200...now i seem to have a hard time from dinner to lunch getting them above 100....i always feel very shakey and spacey still...lol i lost my appetite majorily..my insulin has also vut in half...well my novolog has i keep my lantus the same..and i always carry Orange juice now....it has only been 2 weeks and i see a huge change already...

will this last? am i in a honeymood metformin phase? since my appetite has decreased will i start to lose weight? i need to start exercising again but i am too light headed right now....anything else i should expect as i grow more accustomed to metformin?

[mullyman]

The endocrinolist switched me from Glipizide to Metformin last week, first two days I took them before I went to bed. Had some slight effects, but after I realized that it needed to be taken with the evening meal - I have no effects and better fasting levels.

Hope this helps.

[Tricia452008]

I take 2 pills a day and both WITH meals.....and i cut down my insulin so i am hopeing i wont stay low much longer.....i just tested before lunch and i am ONLY 71!!! geez

[ladytaz]

Ok it has been about 2 weeks since i have been on Metformin....My sugars have seemed to drop ALOT

Before this i could barely get them under 200...now i seem to have a hard time from dinner to lunch getting them above 100....i always feel very shakey and spacey still...lol i lost my appetite majorily..my insulin has also vut in half...well my novolog has i keep my lantus the same..and i always carry Orange juice now....it has only been 2 weeks and i see a huge change already...

will this last? am i in a honeymood metformin phase? since my appetite has decreased will i start to lose weight? i need to start exercising again but i am too light headed right now....anything else i should expect as i grow more accustomed to metformin?

Good deal on the better numbers Tricia! I don't know much or really anything about taking insulin, but maybe they need to adjust your amounts? The funky feeling you've been having could be from your body adjusting to the new lower BGL's you're having! It's been accustomed to the much higher numbers, and it's kind of a shock to your system when you all of a sudden are having the much lower good numbers! :wink:

When I first went on Metformin and Glipizide, for the first two weeks to 3 weeks I felt like I was on a continually rocking boat! It was VERY unsettling! I could barely walk with out holding on to the wall, I wouldn't drive, because I was afraid, because I was SO off balance, I wouldnt take a shower unless someone else was home for fear of falling and whacking my head on the tub (got one of them OLD heavy ones) or something!

The above explanation I gave you is what the doc gave me, and he told me not to worry, that it would infact go away! And thankfully it did!!! Now, if after 3 weeks you are still experienceing this, I would indeed bring it up to the doctor!!!

[Tricia452008]

thank you.....i am glad to hear this should go away soon lol

[i_love_cake]

I've been on Met 500 mg BID for about 3 weeks now. I've lost about 10 pounds and my BG has dropped quite a bit. I honestly haven't been working out much. I have adjusted my diet and sleep patterns. I never had any issues with Met.

[Roy Gardiner]

I've only been taking the stuff seven days!

Is there any possibility of mental effects? I've been miserable as sin the last few days.

[ladytaz]

I've only been taking the stuff seven days!

Is there any possibility of mental effects? I've been miserable as sin the last few days.

Not that I know or have heard of! Unless you are talking about light headedness, feeling like you're constantly on a rocking boat!

Have yourself a lookie here:
metformin Side Effects, Interactions and Information - Drugs.com (http://metformin.drugs.com/)

that outta tell ya all you ever wanted (or maybe didn't wanna know) about Metformin :wink:

[pinkytricia]

I take 2 pills a day and both WITH meals.....and i cut down my insulin so i am hopeing i wont stay low much longer.....i just tested before lunch and i am ONLY 71!!! geez
One Tricia to another:
My doctor has recommended that I stay between 70 - 110 bg because everything over that you are doing some kind of nerve damage somewhere in your body... From eyes to feet ...
Hang in there sweetie!! I know you feel weird, I guess the herbal tea didn't work... Sorry Big Hug Tricia... I have lost 24 pounds though !!! { Personally I can't drink orange juice any more ... too much acid bothers my stomach }

[cdaigle1]

I suffered with stomach upset for several weeks, but after that everything has been good. I have lost about 30 pounds, and I know the Met is helping with that. Hang in there...

[princesslinda]

Hi Tricia:
So sorry to hear about your side effects. I've been on Metformin since September. In the beginning, I would feel a little nausea just after taking it. This resolved after about 3 weeks. I take 500 mg twice a day. I have been spared the gastric/diarrhea side effects, thankfully.

I have heard there are less side effects on the "XR" metformin (extended release). Also, you will have more side effects the more carbs and fatty foods you ingest when you take your pills.

Since taking the metformin, my A1c went from 10.6 at diagnosis to a 3 month of 6.2. It also has curbed my appetite. Weight loss is supposed to be a side effect of it, but I have really watched my diet and exercise more and have lost 31 lbs, but i'm not sure how much the metformin had to do with that and how much my lifestyle change affected it. I'm hoping to get to a healthy weight and be able to go off the metformin, although i've heard some people never get to do that. Guess it depends on each person's body and metabolism.

Hope your symptoms improve. Hang in there.:santaclau

[Tricia452008]

wow linda...i am glad to see the great benefits of being on it....congrats on the weight loss and the better A1c!!! I cant wait to see him in Feb to see how i am doing!!

[Emm]

Personally I hate Metformin!

I was on it a couple of years ago when I was first diagnosed (they thought I was T2 at the time) and I felt horrible on it. I ended up on the maximum dose and every time I added a pill to my routine I went through 2 to 3 weeks of feeling horrible again!

The worst thing though was when I STOPPED taking it. I went from heaps every day to nothing, just like that, and perhaps that was a bad move? At least it only lasted 2 or so days, but wow, I was seriously sick.

I've been on insulin for a year now and gained some weight (mumble grumble) so I've started Met again. This time I have an endo who is wonderful and knows his stuff - I started with just half a pill twice a day, then one and a half, then two pills - going a week at a time to allow my bod to adjust. This worked wonders - I have felt a bit tired and a had a bit of an upset tummy, but nothing major, so life goes on.

Yet to see if it'll help me lose weight - but my fingers are tightly crossed as I have to wear a bridesmaid dress in 3 months and I don't want to be flopping out of it lol.

[Fenway]

I've been on Metformin 500mg BID since February. Never any diarrhea, but nausea that continues to persist. Makes no difference whether I take the med with or without food. The nausea will come once or twice a day - sometimes it wakes me in the middle of the night.

Have not vomited - thank goodness.

[Lance42]

I am still fairly new to being Diabetic. I was diagnosed just about 4 months ago. The first A1C they took was 9.7. I was put on Metformin and I started a diet with the help of a nutritionist. I was on 500 mg twice a day. In just 3 months my A1C is down to 6.5 and I dropped weight from 289 to 255. Now I loose about a pound a week. The doctor this month switched me to a time release Metformin. So I take one 500mg pill a day. My fasting BG is 115 ish I'll have another A1C test this month but I doubt it will drop or raise. I only had minor side effects with the Metformin but with the lower dose they are non existent. Tracy you might ask you doctor about these. Your levels seem much better controlled so the doc might consider lowering the dosage and switching the slow release. It’s so much easier just taking one pill with dinner each night. On the flip side If I do eat a few to many carbs or forget a pill my sugar jumps right away up to 170 but then falls back into place the next time I take my pill.

[did2007]

I used Metformin for 3 years and hardly had any side effects. Now I use ActoPlus which has 500 mg of Metformin. It seems to get my blood sugar down well along with using Novolog 70/30.

[msdebagain]

i've been back on my Metformin for about a week or so. i had the nausea as well. i'm starting off with one pill at nite. i was waking up nauseous, but found that if i had a sugar free popsicle that helped me. Also i love club soda (its an aquired taste) and found a small glass of that helped as well. The nausea is just about gone, and my BS are looking good! (i'm also on Actos and glyburide)

[bryan42]

Tricia...My doctor had me start with 1/2 tablet of 500mg the first week,then week 2, I took 1 whole one. Then week 3 I took 1-1/2, then week for 2 full pills. NO side effects at all, and I have or had acid reflux disease.