Side effects Metformin when not diabetic

[teaontap21]

Hi all

Has anyone else had side effects from metformin after the initial stomach effects die down? I had the usual upset stomach in the first couple of days. But I've been taking it for 2 weeks now and I've slowly become so painfully weak and tired. I feel like it's making my blood sugar too low possibly but I don't know if this is just to be expected?

Background info; I'm taking it to help make sure I'm ovulating but I'm not diabetic. I've had some unexplained weight gain though in the past 6 months, gone from 10 stone to 12 stone but not changed diet and have had a steady weight all my life. I do get low blood sugar sometimes as I low my appetite a lot and can't eat gluten so tend to just wait and eat at home if I'm out and hungry.

I'm wondering if maybe I'm not eating enough to be taking the medication but that maybe the doctor assumed I was lying about what I eat because of the weight gain even though I've explained to them that I'm worried about the weight gain. I exercise a lot too as I thought this would help the weight gain but since taking the metformin I can't get through the classes that I was really enjoying before.

Has anyone else been prescribed it when they don't actually need a blood sugar decrease? Has it had negative effects? I feel AWFUL, today has been the worst. I didn't get a chance to eat anything until about 2ish today but I felt so weak and tired by that point that I just fell asleep as soon as I sat down. I haven't felt this weak since I had a Pneumonia off the back of covid. I just don't know whether the benefits of taking the metformin will outweigh feeling bad for a few days. Has anyone had this and then felt better and it resolved itself?

You can get slow release metformin which is better tolerated if the side effects of standard release continue on after the initial period.

Hi @Lollygaggle, is that for all side effects? I did read about the slow release version but I thought it looked like it was just easier on stomach symptoms. Maybe I'll see if I can change onto the slow release and see if that helps

I took metformin for ovulation and i found the slow release much better as well.

Have you been checked for PCOS. It never fails to amaze me how many Drs will see a woman with ovulation issues and weight gain and still rush to blame the woman for 'eating too much' rather than investigate for pcos

Also get your thyroid checked out. Hormone issues and thyroid issues are closely linked and both can cause weight gain and issues conceiving/ovulating

@Wonderingifitstimetogo ok sounds like the slow release may be better then.
They checked for thyroid problems and all came back ok so they kind of just washed their hands of looking into anything else. It really worries me though that they don't seem to care to look into it. I feel like they just don't believe that I'm not secretly eating loads and in denial about it.
They checked for PCOS as I already know from when I had my endo lap that my ovaries are very cystic but they said my testosterone is fine so I don't have the full syndrome.