I've started taking Metformin due to PCOS and feel blooming awful !!

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, the title says it all really. I started taking it two days ago and feel quite sick, tuumy aches on and off and diarrhea.
I'm not sure wether to stick with it and hope that it gets better or just not take it. Have any of you had this drug and felt the same way? Did it get any better for you? (this isn't supposed to mean envy, it just looks how I feel)

bump

My mum and friend take this for diabetes. Creates erm, a lot of wind.

Your dosage may need adjusting. Mum can't take the amount the Dr originally prescribed.

How are you starting off? You need to build up gradually, 1 tablet for a week then increase the next week and again the week after (if you're taking 3 daily for ex). Also, it doesn't seem to like high-fat anything, so try to avoid oil, butter, cheese and high fat foods at least until your body settles down. It does get used to it - normally and for me it's a good incentive to eat more healthily.

It's vile stuff but stick with it as hopefully you will start to see results. I agree with Ladybee that you should start on a low dose and build up from there - I was supposed to take 3 times a day but never got past 2 tablets a day as it made me feel so rough. I also embarked on a low GI diet whilst on Metformin, and it definitely helped to settle things down (and is also highly recommended if you have PCOS as you may be on the road to being insulin resistant).

It did get easier, and it definitely didn't do any harm along the road to conceiving DD, although we did end up needing IUI in the end. Good luck!

Stick with it! As the other ladies mentioned, increase the dose by 500g each week. If you combine it with a low GI then it definitely helps. BTW - I just got a BFP after 3 months on Metformin. Might or might not be related but am sure it did no harm...!

I'm on it too and find that it can give me the worst upset stomach. I was advised by GP to really very slowly build up the dose, starting out with half a tablet for a couple of weeks, then increasing by another half for a couple of weeks and so on. She stressed the importance of not rushing to get up to the prescribed dose. She also really stressed how you must take each dose with food. She even said that this doesn't mean taking a tablet and then eating 20 minutes afterwards.

I found that I got up to the desired dose okay but missed a dose and then when I tried to resume the full dose found I couldn't tolerate it at all. I am now back down to one tablet a day and trying to build up the dose. So I guess another bit of advice would be to be really careful about not forgetting to take a tablet!

I read somewhere that if you really can't abide the tablets the doctor can prescribe a slow release form of Metformin that apparently is easier on the stomach.

Good luck!

Metformin can often cause such problems. You need to build up gradually by starting on a low dose as well.

Thanks everyone. I did plan to just give up, especially after feeling so bad last night. I will try one a day with my main meal for a week or so, then try to up it to two a day.