[may]

I did not know there was a generic for Amaryl.
I will stand corrected.
I do know the glimepiride is the ingredient in Amarly.

I have never heard of a first of third generation talk.
however..I don't always believe that newer is better.

I have taken mine (Glucatrol) for years, and even though I would like to get off "any" sulfonylurea type drug, it certainly has done me "no harm".
Sorry you had that bad reaction!

My best to people is to read about their drugs, and understand them, and then if they upset them to talk to their Dr. about getting them changed.

[gettingby]

Just found this thread. I am a type 1 but I will say this:
I have achieved better control of my bg's since I was put on Humalog/Lantus. The one side effect that I have found is that recently I have become very anal about getting tight control. I see great results but then the other shoe drops (so to speak). I start to have several lows a week and realize that I have to loosen up on my control. I really hate to loosen up but it's either that or end up in the hospital. It's just an ongoing cycle.
Sorry if this hasn't helped any but just wanted to put in my .02 worth.

[liz32]

No one has mentioned lantus, and I don't think I saw it on your list of meds. I'm t2 and injest that and I love it. No side effects and the results were almost over night. I too suffered from the lovely side effects of metformin and only take 250 mg morning and night. I don't know how you guys can stomach it It make me so sick it wasn't funny. I would rather have high sugars than that. thankfully the lantus does the trick! :p

[Dode]

Well here goes. First of all I will tell you about my husbands meds. He was first put on Metformin - 1-- 500 mg 2x daily. He became very very ill and had to be taken off it, then they tried glyburide - 1 tab 2x daily, didn't work. Upped it to 2 tabs in the morning and 1 at night, didn't work- 2 in the morning -2 at night. Worked a bit. Put on Avandia as well 4mg didn't work-- upped to 8 mg. The two meds together for him is working well and he is feeling well. I was put on glyburide when first dx, didn't work so they added metformin. That didn't really work either at first. I was in hospital for some surgery and while there they had me on insulin and the control was good. After I came home I went back to the meds and did well for about 3 years. I was in an accident and from then have had high readings and have been very ill. The doctor I was with at that time added Actos and that helped but I seemed to continue to go downhill. Finally taken off Actos- started to fell better and lost over 30 lbs. Have now been taken off metformin and put on 8 mg of avandia. I am now feeling much better in that I have some energy and can do some house work each day. I have been to an endo as my bsl are still high. He is putting me on insulin at night and will see if that works and if not I will be going on insulin during the day as well.
Long story but that's it.

[HypnoToad]

im on 500mg Metformin twice a day

they work great, had things comming out my butt at high speeds when i first started but that only lasted a couple days

[jacobsam622]

OK I wanted to revisit this thread since the last Time I posted my drugs have changed. Three years later i am now taking 4 mgs of Amaryl in the morning ( I switched them) and 2 mgs at night. I was had my doctor take me off actos and he suggested taking Januvia. So i started taking 100mgs of Januvia. I am also taking Cinnamon pills twice a day, Chromium once a day, super B Complex once a day and saw Palmetto once a day. I think the combination is working well I hope to reduce the amount I am taking by the end of summer. When I started this thread I did not follow any kind of diet now I dont have a choice.

[Hammer]

Originally Posted by liz32

I too suffered from the lovely side effects of metformin and only take 250 mg morning and night. I don't know how you guys can stomach it It make me so sick it wasn't funny. I would rather have high sugars than that. :p

I also had bad problems with metformin. I'd be curious to find out how many people here who are taking metformin and like it, also have had side effects. While they may like it and it's controlling their BG levels, have they experienced the diarrhea that metformin can cause, and does this side effect happen often.

[Jill-O]

What Kind of drugs are you taking and how often?
I take Byetta 2x a day, Lantus (insulin) 1x a day, and Humalog (insulin) before meals.

Do you feel the drugs are working?
Amazingly well! I had previously been on metformin but had to stop taking it. That made me need a lot more insulin and I was not feeling very good. Since adding Byetta, I need much (much!) less insulin and am feeling like my usual self again (energetic, etc.).

How many side effects does your drugs have?
Insulin makes it easy to gain weight because it encourages your body to store fat, but it doesn't MAKE you gain weight if you stay on top of it. They Byetta helps this as well as it curbs your appetite considerably.


Also, for what it's worth, the 6 shots I take a day (using pens) are not any bigger a deal / inconvenient than it would be to pop pills 6x a day. Doesn't hurt, is fast, and easy

[Cormac_Doyle]

Originally Posted by Hammer

I also had bad problems with metformin. I'd be curious to find out how many people here who are taking metformin and like it, also have had side effects. While they may like it and it's controlling their BG levels, have they experienced the diarrhea that metformin can cause, and does this side effect happen often.

I take Metformin, because it's the only thing that keeps my IR manageable ... WITH 1500mg (3x 500mg) Metformin per meal, I ONLY need 150-250 units of Novorapid per meal ... without it I simply cannot keep my BG below 20mmol (360+)

However, with those doses of Metformin, I feel eternally nauseous, and have developed IBS. (I will have a severe bout of Diarrhoea within 1 hour of eating ... a single glass of beer or shot of vodka will give me violent diarrhoea within 30 minutes, etc.)

Met is not pleasant ... but you do what you need to to control your BG

[Jill-O]

Would trying Byetta work for you? I had to stop Metformin because I had those side effects (but hadn't when I started and was on it over a year before it happened). They Byetta is like a miracle for me. It allows me to use so much less insulin and I feel A LOT better.

[Cormac_Doyle]

Originally Posted by Jill-O

Would trying Byetta work for you? I had to stop Metformin because I had those side effects (but hadn't when I started and was on it over a year before it happened). They Byetta is like a miracle for me. It allows me to use so much less insulin and I feel A LOT better.

Probably ... but persuading my Endo of that fact is difficult.

I'm sure I could get a GP to sign a private prescription for it, but then I'd have to cover the full cost ... if my endo writes the prescription, I get it for free

[Hammer]

I don't know if Byetta would work for you. Metformin lowers your body's resistance to insulin, whereas Byetta just causes your stomach to digest food slower so your liver releases glucose into your system at a slower rate.

I had the same problems when I tried taking metformin, so I stopped. Having IBS and adding metformin to make the problem worse was not my idea of helping my body. I had a 45-50 mile drive to work every day and I left at 4:30am every day to get there. There aren't that many places open at 4:30am that have public restrooms, and being on the road for an hour plus drive every day with diarrhea didn't appeal to me, so I stopped taking it.

[Achilles]

Good thread. Happy to see it resurrected because it is a great topic.

I'm on Metformin ER 500 mg in the morning and at night.

I haven't had any stomach problems or unusual bowel movements at all. In fact, seems like some days I don't do a number "2" at all in the bathroom. I seemed more regular before but then again I have also changed my diet to a lower carb less than 100 grams / day.

It looks like the metformin is helping me keep my numbers down. I'm in the low 100's every morning when I wake up. I do struggle with some 2 hour postprandial numbers spiking over 140 mg/dL though. Sometimes as high as 170 - 180 but I'm back down to 140 or less 4 hrs or more after eating. If I don't eat for 6 hours say between lunch and dinner, I'm often in the 90s.

My 14 day average has been 124 mg/dL. I haven't even had my first A1c completed yet but that should happen in about a month.

I've lost weight in the past couple of months. I'm 5'-10" and weighed 173 lbs this morning. When diagnosed, I was about 180 lbs. So that is 7 lbs in a couple of months. I really don't want to lose much more weight though as I'm also working out. I need to get all new belts for my pants because size 36 are too big and now I'm down to the last hole on my belts.

I'd like to get better control of these post prandial numbers and will discuss this with my doctor. Maybe he thinks it will be okay since I don't continue to stay high for long after eating. Maybe something like Byetta would help? I'm not really sure what I'm going to ask him. He is also my primary care physician and not an endo.

[Hammer]

If you want to try an oral med for your post meal spikes, there's always Prandin. I was taking Prandin, but like the metformin, it started to upset my stomach so I switched to Byetta. They both work the same way....slowing down the absorption of food in your body.

[matingara]

hmmm. i take a drug that is not on the list - but is in the sulfonylurea class.

it is called Diamicron MR (modified release). its active ingredient is "gliclazide".

the spiel says that it is "protective" of the beta cells as well as stimulating them into action.

it works for me (with a lower carb diet)

no side effects at all.



-- Joel.