Metformin, side effects anyone

[Kimi]

After a long while being a type 2 diet controlled diabetic I have now been given Metformin, my bloods have been 8 to 8.8 a lot of the time.
I am over weight I know by 3 stone size 16 and 5 feet 7, I am doing something about it.
Dr said I may get quite a bad upset tummy, night sweats, dizzy and so on.
Anyone take this have any advice.

My dad's on it and I know he blames his chronic wind problem on it ( however I remain unconvinced as he has always farted like a trooper!).

Give it a go, and see how it affects you, if it's not right GO back to the doc as there are alternatives to try til you find one that works for you.

TBH in the olden days, when I was working it was one of the most common drugs presribed to diabetics and few reported any real problems with it, but your doc was being totally upfront and correct in informing you of possible side effects.

Good luck,

Dorisx

When my mum was on the max dose of Metformin, her farting had to be heard to be believed !

But no problems otherwise, and she's been on it at differing doses for 14 years

Thank you both.

Kimi I had it for PCOS a few years ago (2 DCs later) i didn't suffer from any of the possible side effects except nausea at the beginning.

Tips (some from me, some from others):
build up the dose (sure you're doing this already)
take at bedtime so you sleep through the worst of things
never take on an empty stomach
take with a glass of milk/milky drink

Good luck!

(oh and don't know if you're ttcing, but it was a wonder drug for me, ov'ed 3 weeks after starting, got pg straight away!)

thank you JKS.
I am not ttc, done my bit there

I have Type II diabetes and have been on Metformin for 4 1/2 years. I started on 500 mg once a day then it went up to twice a day. Last November because my bloods were all over the place was put on 850gm twice a day. Stomach upsets were the only side effect I have had in fact I did ask on a thread here a month or so ago if anyone else had side effects. I was getting really fed up with having to rush to the toilet so much I decided to really try with my diet. No sweet things if at all possible and it seems to be doing the trick am feeling much better and my bloods have really gone down. I am also overweight but otherwise healthy. I have also started taking two tablets of Acidophilus each day and lots of natural yoghurt, suppose to help to make your gut healthy. Always make sure you take your tablets on a full stomach. I don't seem to have been troubled by wind.

I'm a newly diagnosed diabetic and been on this for a month (1 tablet, twice a day), but I keep forgetting to take it at mealtimes as my meals are erratic

How important is it to take with food? I have medication I take every morning and evening and I never forget those, can I add the metaformin to those times does anyone know?

I have just seen I have to avoid alcohol I had a lovely bottle of wine in the fridge I was looking forward too...oh well

err...i didn't

though i left it a few weeks for the meds to 'settle in' then tried just a tiny glass to see how i felt.
i was fine so carried on, though i was ttcing so didn't drink that much anyway (oh except for the 2weeks holiday when rum cocktails were standard fare ).

I was changed to metformin slow release as this has much less side effects tummy wise.

Get your gp to prescribe this for you (it costs more, so gp's are reluctant to prescribe it.

I had no side effects whatsover, but I always took care to take it after food, as if I didn't do this it made me feel slightly nauseous. Actually, you can drink A LITTLE alcohol, you don't have to abstain, but just one or two. That's what my doc said anyway.