I was started on Metformin last week and a question.

[Donegalmike]

I was started on Metformin Thursday of last week and would like to know from others also taking it how long does it take to see an effect? A few days? a week?
Many thanks,
Micheál :D

[HeatherP]

I think I've heard up to 6 weeks.

[liz32]

I saw effects in about two weeks, that with a change in diet. Everyone is different and bodies react differently. I can't stomach more than a half a pill in the morning and one in the evening. Others can handle lots more. What amount are you taking? How is your body handling it? Love to hear how someone else does with it.

[Donegalmike]

I saw effects in about two weeks, that with a change in diet. Everyone is different and bodies react differently. I can't stomach more than a half a pill in the morning and one in the evening. Others can handle lots more. What amount are you taking? How is your body handling it? Love to hear how someone else does with it.

Hi Liz,

My doctor has me taking 500m at bedtime and so far I am handling it well. I changed my diet about two weeks ago to having less carbs in it. I am amazed at the number of carbs in things you thought were good for you :nerd: I walk or use my Nordic glide at 30 mins 4-5 times a week. I feel pretty good :thumbsup:

[srgw]

Been on Metformin for 1 year 500mg 2x a day. It took about 3 weeks to take effect with diet change. It does have an effect on your digestive systemhttp://psax001.data393.net/~diabetesforums.com/images/smilies/eek.gif but does get a lot better after a few weeks.

Stevehttp://psax001.data393.net/~diabetesforums.com/images/smilies/smile.gif
New Jersey

[SVanderkolff]

It took about 3 weeks for the it to affect my BS but about 6 weeks for my body to get sortof used to the effect. I am on 2000 mg a day (4 pills) and it still makes me feel a little queasy if I eat to much fat and protien (like a pork chop) .

Steve
Ontario

[HypnoToad]

i was put on metformin about 2 weeks ago, noticing a little change not too much yet i heard it can take a few weeks tho

[Peter Lee]

With me it took about 8 weeks to show anything significant but about 6 months to get used to the side effects to the point where they don't worry me any more.

Good Luck! :1eye:

[mg_2204]

... A good 6 weeks for me for a noticeable change. Then I had to get accustomed to lower levels, which wasn't fun. I felt shaky all the time. But it didn't last very long.

[Peter Lee]

... .............I had to get accustomed to lower levels, which wasn't fun. I felt shaky all the time. But it didn't last very long.
I had a similar reaction. As the sugar came down, I felt rotten and then suddenly one day, I woke up and felt 100% and have been ok since :thumbsup:

[King]

How long did it take until you felt normal from your sugars dropping?
I feel drugged myself.

[Peter Lee]

:thumbsup: How long did it take until you felt normal from your sugars dropping?
I feel drugged myself.
It's a bit difficult to be accurate because I started on Metformin, which started to bring the sugar down but the doctors felt it wasn't acting fast enough so we were adding other medicines at the same time.

However, what I can tell you is that from the time we stopped adding medicines (when I felt bad) to the time I felt well was about three months.

Don't get depressed!! :whistling We are all different and just because it took me so long doesn't mean it will take you that long. I am (probably) older and I started from a high level of 23mmole/l (414mg/dl).

All in all it took me from Dec 04 until May 05 to get stable. I understand that this is longer (much in some cases) than some people and about the same for others.

At least you can be reassured that what you are feeling is a normal response to sugar dropping.

Best wishes and good luck. :thumbsup:

[Gunnie]

I have been on Metformin for a few months now. It really kicked my butt when I first started taking it. I was very sick for weeks. Now I can take 500 mg. at a time on an empty stomach! Since I am pre-diabetic, I can't really tell you how well the medicine is helping me because I have also changed the way I eat, but my doctor wants me to continue on the medication, and is very pleased with my last A1C. I think one of the reasons she wants me to continue with the Metformin is because it also helps with another condition I have called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome which is not life threatening, but it causes adult acne, excessive facial hair, and ticks (moles). After reading about the POS on my own, it appears that folks that have this condition are also more likely to be diabetic. It's something I have had all my life, but I finally have a doctor who even had a clue I had this condition. Anyway, stay on the Metformin and let him/her know any side effects you have. The stuff can really be hard on your system, but seems to work well for a lot of folks who take it after the first few weeks.

[Andy_nut]

I have just been diagnosed as diabetic and put onto Metformin (2x 500mg per day)

I have not felt myself since being diagnosed, that may have something to do with a little bit of worry on my part and may be to do with the drugs themselves. I think had my first "hypo" episode at the weekend where by my heart was pounding and I was sweating in bed and couldn't sleep. I had been working in the evening and only had a small sandwich and a some fruit for dinner before taking the tablet A glass of apple juice and some bread & jam seemed to srt it out but I was so paranoid I didn't sleep all night.

Thanks to my brilliant (!) local health service I haven't seen a diabetic clinic yet 2 weeks after being diagnosed by my useless doctor, but I am thinking of seeing a diatician privately to try to sort out my eating habits. I am still unsure what to eat and when at the moment.

Andy

[Linda57]

Welcome Andy, my dad was also diagnosed, given Metformin (500mm x 2 ) and told to come back in FOUR weeks!!

I bought him a meter, and told him all I know about diet, he didnt know where the carbs were, the nurse had just told him to cut down on sugar.

It might be a good idea to subscribe to Diabetes UK, they have some really good publications, one of them is Diabetes for beginners, which my mum uses as a guide all the time.

http://www.diabetes.org.uk/home.htm

I am type 2 on Metformin too....no question is a stupid question. - ask away

Linda

[Andy_nut]

Thanks for the reply.

I am doing OK generally, just a bit scared by it all. I am doing my best not to show it to my wife or parents as they are the worrying type, just wish there was a bit more information be offered rather than me searching for it all.

I bought myself a BG testing machine yesterday and am going to monitor myself for the next few days. Diet is my big concern becasue after years of eating how I like, and enjoying all of my food I now need to be very careful about what I eat and when. I don't really understand the carbs and protein stuff yet as I have never paid much attention to it all, I tend to eat reasonbly healthy food with a good variety but now I am questioning it all.

To add to all the fun, my boss keeps making me work odd hours which makes it difficult to manage my food and keep things regular.

I am keeping an eye on things to get ideas and advice, even if it wasn't intended for me personnally, it appears people in here are more than happy to help and advise everyone, who knows in a few months I might be returning the favour.

Andy

[Dode]

As I have said before my husband and I found out that Metformin was not for us. The endo that we saw last week said that Metformin is a good drug however the side effects really bother more people than the manufacturers say. Instead of 5 in 100 it is more like 35 in 100. For those that can tolerate it, it does usually work well.

[Andy_nut]

You said ask questions.... here goes ;-)

Since having a bit of a scare on sunday night I have felt ill ever since. I have a continually upset stomach and trouble digesting food. Las night, 4 hours after eating I still had a bloated stomach despite a couple of antacid tablets. Am I just getting paranoid or are these things likely to be related.

I can't really speak to my doctor about it as he is an idiot. His idea of giving me the news of having diabetes was to compare it to a brain tumor, "these things just happen and you have to get on with it".

Sorry for the medical questions but I don't really have anyone to talk to about this and it is getting me down.

Andy

[Dode]

Andy, your symtoms sound a lot like what my husband experienced. Very flu like. He had sore eyes and mouth, no energy,just wanted to sleep all the time. It got so bad that he could hardly get off the couch. Eating was out of the question. In my case I was like this for years only a bit less severe. We have certainly felt better since we have been off it. I knkow there are side effects to most any drug,but metformin was bad news for us.
Hope you are feeling better soon or get on a different drug so you can feel better. It's no fun feeling sick.Good Luck.

[Andy_nut]

I am looking forward to seeing a specialist to dicuss this properly with them. My doctor just wrote out a prescription for 4 weeks worth of Metformin and rushed me out of the door.

I am doing my best not to use this as an excuse not to do things in work as I don't want to look like a moaner, but being so tired and being sent around the country at short notice don't really mix too well

[SVanderkolff]

Andy
Sounds like the metformin is kicking in. I had that for a couple of weeks then it mostly went away.
Hang in there and see if you can find someone in the medical community you can talk to. Is there a diabetes clinic near you? They may be more helpful or at least have abetter bedside manner.

Steve
diagnosed Feb 2005

[Lori M.]

I started taking Metformin 500mg 2X this past Saturday and I started noticing a difference on Monday. I had been waking up with a BS of 150 or so and Monday morning I woke up and it was only 117. This morning it was 111. Last night about 3 hours after I had had dinner, it dropped down to 82. So I guess it just affects people differently. ;)

[Middle Aged Man]

One other nice thing about Metformin . . . if you take it at the start of your meal, then it will double as an appetite suppressant. With so many of us also battling weight issues, that's a nice side benefit.

[arlenecarol]

What kind of 'side effects' are you getting on metformin?
i sometimes get a queasy tummy...often feel tired...sometimes bloated...

i didn't consider that it might be the meds...

what about Avandia? and what about long term consequences of using these medications?

thanks,

arlene

[mg_2204]

Arlene, how long have you been on Metformin for?

Side effects are so different from one person to another. You reach a point when you don't have the patience anymore... or you've had enough. I was switched from Metformin to Glucophage Slow Release because of headaches 24/7. Now my sugars run higher than usual on Metformin. Nothing's perfect. I hate this disease...

What is Avandia by the way? Was under the impression it was insulin... :dontknow:

[Andy_nut]

Arlene

I started on Metformin 4 weeks ago and felt tired, bloated and queasy for about 3 weeks. Now thanks to an improved diet and a little more relaxation about my disease I am not noticing it so much.

I have just had my meds increased as of today so give it a week and I could be back here complaining again ;)

Andy

[arlenecarol]

hi MG and Andy and everyone...

i've been on Metformin (glucophag 850mg) since June 20...twice a day. and someone mentioned that if you take it just before eating, it cuts your appetite...well, that explains it..i haven't been very hungry generally but i force myself to eat at least three times a day now. Avandia is roziglitazon maleat..(glaxoSmithKline). it's a tablet. i take it 1/2 hour before lunch. it's in the thiazolidinedione class.

i didn't know the side effects so when i had a headache, i assumed it was just a headache! :hahaha: so now i know!! i took two aspirin and it went away.

my BG levels were in the upper 300s a month ago...now they are still too high but a LOT lower...lowest i achieved this week was 140...i've been below 200 more than above it...i'm still struggling to get it around 100. i will eventually get there...i'm motivated. i'm too afraid of the results if i don't.

luckily, my eyes are okay and the doctor says my heart is strong...he thinks i may have done some damage to my kidneys, but we're not sure. it's possible that i've had diabetes for 4-5 years...it's been that long since i had real medical attention!! shame on me...

the only 'side effect' that i can pinpoint is fatigue...at times i get really tired in the afternoon. but after a short nap, i'm fine.

for the first time in years, i'm able to sleep for 5-7 hours straight. this is a really big PLUS for me. i'm not sure why i am able to do this now, it may have NOTHING to do with the medication i'm taking and more to the 'control' i think i have over my life at the moment and the fact that i'm actually turning OFF my PC before going to bed. i have a DSL connection and usually leave the pc on 24/7...i'm learning to 'chill out' and give myself the time off! (i'm a copy editor and so i am usually sitting here working all the time...middle of the night as well if i have a deadline...i was sleeping just 2-3 hours at a clip, getting up to work for an hour or two, then back to sleep...exhausting...i'm not doing that again)

haven't felt very 'flu-ish' but i do feel bloated once or twice a week. then i add more fiber to my diet.

i'm going to cut back serioiusly on protein because i'm reading that it's not a good thing for a diabetic to be eating much of. i have increased fish in my diet...2-3 times a week. we've just gotten great salmon at the fish market and we buy a kilo and freeze it in 'steaks'...

i've decided that it's time to get really healthy...whatever time i've got left on the planet is going to be spent in relatively decent health...hope i can do it.

you all take care.

arlene
south of troy

[Lori M.]

I've been on the Metformin now for almost 3 weeks and luckily I've had no side effects except for a little itching. I did get up yesterday feeling a little queezy, but it went away after I had a little juice. :o The doctor told me on Friday that I may get to come off it in 3 months when they do another A1C test. :rock:

[arlenecarol]

lori..has it helped lower your BG at all? are you self-testing?

so far, whatever side-effects i'm experiencing, they are tolerable...
and if they lower my BG (which obviously they are) i'm pleased...

i guess i'm too new to all of this and i haven't been very tempted
to stray...though i'd LOVE a big plate of french fries even at this
hour (it's almost midnight) i will continue to resist...

hah :vroam:

especially since intentionally there are NO potatoes in the entire house!!

i'm no dummy!!
:D

[Peter Lee]

Avandia is roziglitazon maleat..(glaxoSmithKline). it's a tablet. i take it 1/2 hour before lunch. it's in the thiazolidinedione class.

I take Glitazone before meals in addition to Metformin and Gliclazide (which I take during or immediately after meals) and did not get any side effects that I can attribute to it. The only side effects that I had were from the Metformin and these are the same gastro effects that other people have talked about - and the good thing is that they went away after 6 - 7 months :)

[mg_2204]

I'm on Glucophage Slow Release and since it's been increased to 1000mg a day... I have (1) no headaches and (2) enjoy very good sugar levels. I am so pleased! Two mornings in a row I was at 6.2 mmol/L (110 mg/dl) and during the day I don't go above 6.8 (125 mg/dl). And guess what? I can have dairy products with it, it doesn't upset my tummy anymore. :thumbsup: When you have the right medication, and the right dosage... everything is bound to go well.