Metformin!

[Kej13]

Hello,
Just over a year ago I had an MMC at 12 weeks and we've been TTC ever since. Recently my gp gave me Metformin and I'm up to three a day now but I have been really struggling with the side affects. Looking for some positive pregnancy stories from met or just someone to feel sorry with me about the side affects!!

@dinosauraddict welcome to one of the worst clubs 😂 I've been on three a day for a while now and though it generally gets a bit better my side affects haven't settled down much if I'm honest. I've had one cycle so far which managed to bring my cycle down from somewhere like 150 days between periods to 40 days which is huge! Fingers crossed for a bfp this month. How long have you been TTC for now?

Xxxx

Just a different side to the story, I was on 2000mg it met for a year and it did nothing for me other than leave me with an upset stomach for about 4 years after! Clomid however worked a treat!!

Thanks @kej and that sounds positive. Only been TTC since May but diagnosed with PCOS 12 years ago, very irregular cycles and this month had a 15 day period so they decided metformin was worth a shot (which I was very pleased about - anything that may help - but hadn’t anticipated the side-effects). Was on 3 a day many years ago as a teenager when first diagnosed but can’t remember the affects being this bad! And @iamloading that does not fill me with confidence

@iamloading that doesn't sound good!! Did you get a bfp on clomid? I'm so hoping some day I can go a whole day without stomach pains haha 😂 xxx

Sorry for being the voice of doom - it just really destroyed my insides for a long long time. But that might just be me.
Yes I had severe PCOS, and 150mg of Clomid worked for me first time (the 50 and 100 didn't) Sadly my little girl was stillborn but amazingly I then fell pregnant naturally 6 weeks after giving birth to her, and I'm now sat breastfeeding my two week old. So when you do get pregnant be careful as the old wives tales of a pregnancy resetting your system can be true - despite me trying for four years before that!

@Dinosauraddict if you feel really rough I recommend delaying increasing the dose for another week or two.

My consultant was really impressed I made it to 1500mg by the start of week 3, she said that was way too fast. It was what my GP instructed though.

I feel tremendously better right now. Bit sick earlier but not too bad. My tummy gurgles a lot and I have to eat in the mornings now which I hate, but I'm feeling better. My BBTs have been all over I think this is the first cycle in about four or five that I am not ovulating... it's weird I hope the met will help but I don't think not ovulating is my issue.

Hope everyone feels better soon.

Yeah I was on 3 tablets a day by week three and it's so hard! Generally I only feel really bad in the evenings (now!) I haven't really don't bbt because I'm a terrible sleeper and wake during the night so I don't feel it would be accurate? (Please correct me if I'm wrong?) But I've been doing ovulation tests and since taking met ive been much more regular so fingers crossed! We've been looking after a friend's 6 yo this weekend and just makes me want it even more 😍 xxx

@orcinus - delaying is probably very sensible (and I appreciate the suggestion) but i’m way too stubborn for that!

@dinosauraddict I was the same, take it from me, if you're not getting on well now it's so much better to take your time. I write this at 01:42am, the second time tonight I've got up for the toilet 😂 xxx

Metforminmisnt licenced for treating infertility in the UK, it’s an experimental treatment. If you’re taking it orally, and have immediate bowel movements, you’re unlikely to be absorbing the drug to its desired strength and it may therefore be futile.

Whilst diarrhoea is an ‘acceptable’ side effect of taking metformin for controlling diabetes, that isn’t something that should be tolerable for everyone taking it. Also, having diarrhoea for longer than a few days is a medical condition in itself, it certainly shouldn’t be making you housebound, and prolonged upset tummy could lead to serious bowel conditions and malabsorption of essential nutrients and a possible knock on effect to your fertility.

If you’re having consistent issues in this respect, I would highly recommend you stop taking the drug and see your GP. At the very least, you should take a lower dose until you are tolerating it.

Metformin is not an over-the counter, gentle drug. It’s used to treat one of the most serious and like altering chronic conditions in adults. It is not licenced for Fertility and many GPS wouldn’t prescribe it as such. Please take the side effects seriously and make sure you read the data that comes with the medication.

I know it's been a while since I posted on here but just wanted to give you an update. I changed over to the slow release and it's been perfect! No side affects at all. Once I did that, I got pregnant, and were now 11 weeks pregnant 💕 had a scan 3 weeks ago because I had a little bleed and MMC history and baby was fine and heartbeat was good so just wanted to share that with you, Metformin was worth it for me! Xxx