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Global Patient Feedback for Metformin ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
I have had a very positive experience so far with Metformin. The one thing I do NOT like is that when the dosage changes, I experience digestive issues. But to feel the way I do the majority of the time is worth a day or so of discomfort. Now that I'm on a regular dose and have been for some time, I haven't had those issues.
As for weight gain, I have not experienced that side effect, either. In fact, with a very minimal adjustment to my diet - simply by eating the correct balance - I have lost over 30 pounds. Granted, it's been a year plus, but I've continued to lose. No complaints here!
43 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-05 16:10:12
Question/Comment:
I have been taking Metformin for the past 50 days (ever since I am diagnosed with type 2).
I am experiencing occasional breathlessness, dry mouth, muscle pain.
But my quality of life in terms of energy and well being has improved. Also, my libido has improved a lot better than in the past several years! Btw, Along with the medicine, I have also changed my diet: Lots of raw vegetables and walking 45 minutes a day.
Thanks,
Satya
45 year old male.
44 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-31 13:32:45
Question/Comment:
I've been diabetic since I was 50. It may have even been sooner than that, but that's when I started takings meds. I take so many also (8) per day. It is hard to keep track of with doctors and meds, and prescriptions and appts....I know what you mean 62 Yr old female dated 12/22/08...It's very time consuming and you just get tired! At least I do! Good luck to you and hopefully there will be something new on the horizon for us!
54 Yr Old female
55 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-27 17:28:04
Question/Comment:
I have been using metformin for the last 6 to 8 month and my weight has gone from 145Pound to 180pound inthis time doctor is driving me crazy making me it less all the time I' m about to stop eating until I die since it is what I have left unless stopping metformin makes me loose this weight again ,I just stop today 12/26/08 so now is wait for results Luis A Rivera 70 y old Florida
71 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-26 09:49:57
Question/Comment:
Metformin- has anyone had a higher blood sugar reading after using metformin? I seems when I stick to the directions from my Dr that my blood sugar goes up. Also I see one of the side effects is weight gain so if weight loss is a means to controlling blood sugar levels then why would I want to take a Rx that causes me to gain more weight? It seems like I am being run around in circles, very frustrating.
66 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-25 11:24:32
Question/Comment:
hi
i m 27yrs old, i missed my periods for a period of more than 3months, went for check up n was diagnosed as bilateral PCOs 4 months back, with little increase in size of ovaries. after taking metformin 500mg BD just for a month i became pregnant.now im continuing my pregnancy. but sinc the time i took this drug i started feeling much jungry, i eat more than double but still cant reduce my appetite much. i feel this is bcz of metformin, is this so, than what should i do? i will b thankful for ur advice.
28 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-25 01:31:05
Question/Comment:
hi
i m 27yrs old, i missed my periods for a period of more than 3months, went for check up n was diagnosed as bilateral PCOs 4 months back, with little increase in size of ovaries. after taking metformin 500mg BD just for a month i became pregnant.now im continuing my pregnancy. but sinc the time i took this drug i started feeling much jungry, i eat more than double but still cant reduce my appetite much. i feel this is bcz of metformin, is this so, than what should i do? i will b thankful for ur advice.
28 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-25 01:20:49
Question/Comment:
For nausea from Metformin: try taking a 550 mg ginger capsule once or twice daily as needed.
Ginger also works great for motion or sea sickness.
56 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-18 12:25:47
Answer/Reply:
Metformen did work for me a long time,i was put on 15 meds for so many different things,there in not enough time during the day to take all of them seperately so i have to take alot of them together to get all of them into me,now the metformen does not work alone,i am on Lantis and humulin also on a sliding scale,i am also tired on taking meds all day long and have to take all of them with me when i go away and the law here if you do not have the prescripton bottle with you to proove a doctor put you on them you will be arrested,i am terriblely scared what all of them will do to me and i have so many other things also wrong,I understand how you feel,i am going through it also.My heart goes out to you.
63 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-22 13:45:08
Question/Comment:
I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in July. I have been checking
my glucose level every morning since diagnosis and I don't think the
Metformin 500mg 2X a day is working. My blood glucose has never
gone down to where it should be. My doctor thinks it is working, but,
this month he told me there was Albumin in my urine and now I have
to take Lisinopril to fix that. Gee, I wonder what caused that??!! I listed all the meds and vitamins and minerals I am taking on this site and there seem to be interactions with every single one of the prescriptions. Is my doctor just giving me these meds to keep the pharmacutical companies in business? I will copy my results, make a new doctor appt and get this straightened out. I am not going to take pills that are going to kill me sooner than necessary!
And learning how to follow the diabetic diet is the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with. How can a person on a fixed income
afford it?
I'm getting tired of taking all these pills. I have 7 prescriptions total now. I'm tired of it.
I want to go back to only 2!!
59 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-06 12:47:08
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I am studying to be a Diabetic educator. After reading several of the posts here I just want to mention that Type II Diabetic's have a precious opportunity. This disease is created by a poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. You can get off of all medications if you make changes to your lifestyle. It isn't easy... I know ! But the latter is taking medications with side effects!!!! We are not meant to consume what we are consuming... Americans need to find another past time other than eating! 54 million people have prediabetes... 21 million already have it. So lets take control of our eating habits... We are lucky to have medications that prolong our life... but they are man made... and do have side effects. I'm sure your doctor told you to lose weight and exercise... that is the answer!!!!. The medications are last resorts when people do not take control of their health. Type I diabetics do not have the opportunity to reverse their disease.. But most Type II do ! Cease the day! Eat to live.. don't live to eat!!!!
Posted: 2008-12-09 09:21:23
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Watch out for the Lisinporil! I was taking it (5 mg) as a preventative medication to prevent protein in the urine (my level is still normal at 24); but developed a bad side effect from the Lisinopril known as Lisinopril Cough - a dry hacking cough that won't go away! If you start coughing, stop the medication immediately and call your Doctor for an alternative solution.
Posted: 2008-12-10 16:33:31
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I'm a 58 year old male, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes about 6 years ago. I was originally prescribed Glucophage 1- 80MG pill per day, about 2 years ago my insurance company suggested that I have my Doctor change me to Metformin. So far Metformin appears to work for me, but I still try to watch what I eat, I have determined that French Fries, Baked Potatoes, Rice, Popcorn, bread and anything with a lot of starch or sugar will drive my blood sugar levels up, So the key thing for me to do is to avoid eating these types of foods and try to get more exercise. When I was first diagnosed with diabetes I weighted 177 pounds I lost 27 pounds and my weight now stays in the 152-155 range and so far, knock on wood all my checkups are good.
Posted: 2008-12-30 16:54:00
Answer/Reply:
I too, am an a fixed income so I do understand about getting the food they say is needed. I have had type 2 diabetes for 5 years. The best thing to help me is to exercise. Take a walk, it doesn't have to be long, take a few shorter ones each day. Also, taking 500mg of cinnamon 2x/day helps maintain a balance. At least, it has in those I've visited with. One man I talked to said he had to up it to 2 in morning and 2 at night. I do wish you luck. I know that doesn't help the problem, but knowing someone understands sometimes helps deal with it.
65 year old Female
Posted: 2009-01-09 00:58:31
Answer/Reply:
Trust your phamisist. he should know all the pills you are taking and if he doesn;t, give him the list and ask him if there are inter reactions. For years my Dr. had me taking Naproxin and an aspirin a day. Nothing was ever said until i was in Calif and needed to refill my prescription of Maproxin. I also asked for aspirin and the druhhest told me aspirin detered the use of naproxin and should not be taken at the same time. After that, the Naproxin seemed to help some with my arthritis. Bee pollen however helps me much more.
69 year old male from illinois
71 year old Male
Posted: 2009-01-21 13:37:55
Answer/Reply:
I have been on Metformin 500mg 2x daily for almost 10 years now and I still don't think that my glucose levels are good enough. I guess that we are more aware now that someone has pointed out the problem. You're numbers are probably fine. Are you A1c tests less than 7? If so you're fine. If not, your doctor would be prescribing something else or increase the Metformin. I, too, take Lisinopril in order to assist my kidneys (and high blood pressure). Lisinopril SHOULD be prescribed when one has diabetes because of the damage diabetes does to the kidneys. I think that you should be alright with the medications, diet and exercise. (I, as well, have interactions for ALL of my meds. )
Female 51 years old
51 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-18 15:57:42
Answer/Reply:
When I was diganosed with Type 2 a year ago the doctor put me on Metformin 500 twice a day and Actos. That help a lot and I am now able to give up the Actos and stay with the twice daily 500 Metformin. Ask your doctor about taking Actos with your Metformin.
67 year old Female
Posted: 2009-02-18 17:57:25
Question/Comment:
I was placed on Metformin in June, then on Welchol in July (treats type II diabetes along with helping to lower cholesterol). I Have a history of allergies to all statin meds. By Sept, I had muscle pain and weakness to the extent that one morning it was all I could do to get to a bench at the end of my bed. I thought I had pulled muscles. After a week of this, I had to refill my prescriptions and I asked the pharmacist if either of these caused any problems with muscles.. He said both of them are listed as can cause muscle pain and weakness. I called my one CNA and she took me off the welchol, I also went off the metformin. I have since been able to gain strenght back and walk again, though not yet to the extent I was walking. I have osteoarthritis in my joints and have been recovering from a knee replacement. I still have "pulled muscle" pains in my left leg into my hip. I feel those two meds had something to do with it, since I hadn't started or stopped any other medication.
62 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-25 04:26:26
Question/Comment:
I am concerned that my doctor is not treating my diabetes with clear attention. I was placed on metformin 1 year ago. About 6 months into the treatment, my diabetes was not under control, even with proper diet. I also have a renal kidney disease, nephritus. The treatment began at 500mg 2x per day. When taking with food, I would experience severe stomach cramps. Doctor was notified but instead of changing drugs, she increased the dose to 1000mg 2x per day. I took the medication as prescribed but began some research as I experienced the same side effects. But during my research, the drug company clearly states not to take if one has kidney problems. Should I stop taking the drug? I can't seem to get my doctor to work with me on this and I don't want to loose kidney function.
48 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-22 00:00:26
Answer/Reply:
I, too, am on metformin and my primary care doctor didn't seem to think that my liver or kidneys would be affected,eventhough i have a damaged liver . Irecently went to an internal specialist,and he will be taking me OFF metformin, as he says NO one should take it with comprimised liver or kidneys .It can kill you .check out webmd on the issue .Get a better doctor .
48 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-23 03:12:34
Answer/Reply:
I'm a type II diabetic for the last 8 years and was on maintenance dose of Glucophage (metformin) for the last 8 years. My experience in taking the glucophage is to take it after food which is approximately 15 - 20 minutes after a meal. In this time you can at least avoid having stomach cramps, stomach pain, gastric irritation, upset stomach, nausea or even vomiting. Try it and see the difference it might help.
Regarding your kidney problems you have to see and consult a neprologist not a urologist. The neprologist can determine the cause of the chemical effects of drugs that affects the kidneys. 52 yrs. old diabetic
53 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-02 14:33:16
Question/Comment:
i was on metformin , dryed my mouth ,and i didnt feel well upset my stomach too. no matter what i take upsets my stomach . i stopped taing it im trying to control my sugar, my A1c is 6.9 but im sure if it doesnt go down im back on it ..but since im other meds .dr prescriber me prevecid.
56 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-20 10:07:26
Answer/Reply:
Nausea or upset stomach may be helped by eating some of your meal before taking Metformin. I think that side effect is partly why this medication doesn't cause weight gain for most people.
56 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-20 12:33:03
Question/Comment:
Been using it for a month - 500mg once a day - Insulin Resistant.
Otherwise than nausea and not feeling hungry, I had no other side effects.
Changed my diet - brown sugar instead of white sugar and less than I normally take.
Started swimming again every day and do exercises on my Health Walker.
Felt fine until the doctor gave me Betaretic on Monday. Since then I've been depressed, very tired and sleepy, feels as if I have no heartbeat, my arms and hands feels as if they are going numb.
47 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-19 12:50:24
Answer/Reply:
You sound as if you should go back to your doctor and tell him about your new symptoms immediately!!!! The new drug seems to be giving you serious side effects. Depression is serious! Please see your doctor and tell him/her about this. I wish you well.
41 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-17 18:57:23
Question/Comment:
I am a 39 year old female with Type 2 diabetes and I was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago. Was on Avardaryl for 18 months and loved it but suddenly started gaining weight (might have something to do with the fact that I quit smoking about that time too) but insurance changed and would no longer cover meds. Doc put me on Metformin 2x 500mg 2x a day, (nausea and Diarrhea came shortly after) along with Glipizide XL 10mg 1x daily and then the hives started about 2 weeks ago - itching major badly. Doc doesn't think it is meds but wants to see me again in 1 week after giving me anti itch meds - was never told about side effects but the itching is unbearable sometimes.
40 year old Male
Posted: 2008-11-18 16:55:27
Question/Comment:
My doctor took me off Metformin because I was getting nausea and didn't want to eat. Now she has put me back on . I'm taking 2 500mg twice a day. I'm getting nausea again and I'm eating with the medication. What am I doing wrong? Should I take the Metformin before or after I eat?
53 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-17 22:49:56
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Many people feel nausea when first taking metformin - so don't worry about doing something wrong. Metformin should be taken with food - you can experiment with the timing to see if taking it in the beginning of the meal or at the end of the meal makes any difference in your nausea.
The nausea may be less severe or avoided by slowly increasing the dose over the first 4 weeks of taking the medication - and for many people the nausea side effect will eventually go away. However, there are some people who still have trouble will the nausea even after being on the medication for awhile - if you are still concerned about the nausea you should tell your doctor - he or she may want to adjust your dose.
Posted: 2008-11-20 12:43:22
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
i take metformin 500 mg 2twice a day i always take it after i eat breakfast or lunch and then again at dinner, have very little side effects hope this help been taking this over year
Posted: 2008-11-28 10:39:16
Answer/Reply:
Try taking glucophage after meals approximately 15 - 20 minutes after to avoid any abdominal discomfort especially stomach aches and gastric irritation including nausea and vomiting.
MAF - 52 yrs. old, Male - diabetic
53 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-02 14:40:09
Question/Comment:
I am a 48 yr old female have been taking metformin for almost two years now I am taking 1000 mg in the am and 1500 in the pm. After I take them anywhere from 1 hr to 1.5 hrs. I am on the toilet and it hits right now! I know it is the metformin but boy I would sure like to not have that side effect especially when it his me when I am out at the store or in the publc.
49 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-15 01:47:42
Answer/Reply:
to me i had the those side effects , usually when i have had more than im suppose to on the carbs and sugars , plus i believe the pancrease may have had something to do with it , try lowering your fat intake too and see if that may help.
42 year old Male
Posted: 2008-11-17 11:10:38
Question/Comment:
Fortunately I have not experienced any side effects. However, I am beginning to wonder if the Metformin and Digoxin are causing my BP and pulse to rise: Once in December and once in September. I know that my A1cH went from 9.0 to 7.0 and they put me on Glipizide. I think now I am overmedicated for my Type-2, hypoglycemia 2 or 3 times since they added the Glip.
57 year old Male
Posted: 2008-11-14 08:50:14
Question/Comment:
I am a 72 year old woman. I have been taking metformin for over a year now . I take a thousnd mg twice a day . Does anyone else take that much? It seems like an awful lot. I was taking Lantus insulin too. I haven't taken that for 6 months. Sometimes my sugar gets pretty low. The doctor doesn't seem to be worried about it. I also had 2 heart attacks.
72 year old female
73 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-13 12:26:06
Answer/Reply:
Yes I take for Diabetis T 2
the combo:
Metformin 1000 Mg with food
and
Glipizide 40 mg on empty stomach is ok!
side effects so far - only soft Diareeha in the morning.
61 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-26 16:57:11
Question/Comment:
I am a 41 yr old female who has been taken Metformin for around 5 months and my Dr has not discussed any side effects with me as of today. My A1C level is 7.5 and he's talking about shots coming Jan. 2009. I take the 500mg tablets one pill twice daily. I think he should give it some time. I have muscle cramps and pains in my legs and they burn sometimes is this normal?
42 year old Female
Posted: 2008-11-12 11:14:48
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
Hi..I am a 41 yr old female (42 at the end of the month) and have been taking Metformin for almost 2 yrs...same dosage as you. When I started, my A1C was 9.0 (I was going through a divorce at the time and suspect stress contributes) I have lost 20 lbs and my A1C is now 6.2 my doctor told me to lose 10 more lbs and I might be able to get off them completely!
I got the weight off pretty quickly (3 mos) and suspect the Metformin helps. 30 mins of cardio 3 x /wk and cut carbs/sugar out of my diet as much as possible. Love Splenda!
Take control of your symptoms and diagnosis! Good luck!
Posted: 2008-11-18 12:52:11
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
i am so glad i read this, i have such pain in my muscles, legs, and joints that i never had before. When i questioned the Dr. he told me sometimes you just have to deal with the side effects for the benefits! I'm not happy with the answer and will be going to a new Dr. I have been on metformin for about 2 years trying to cooperate with the Doc. I don't deal well with medications and seem to be a candidate for the side effects. The stomach cramps and diarrhea is just unbearable at times and makes me not want to go anywhere or do anything due to the fact i don't know where the bathroom will be or how much my body hurts when i move! It always seems to feel like i am defeating the purpose of the medication and the disease. With the high and lows because of the medication, work, and additional med, with the weight gain because you need to eat to help with the lows. I have gone from a size 3,4 to a 5 to 7. With a dr. that doesn't want to listen. Thanks for making feel that it's not just me.
Posted: 2008-11-23 15:09:26
Answer/Reply:
i too had muscle pains and cramps in my legs, and started taking daily iron and potassium supplements (i was also anemic) and haven't had them since
52 year old Female
Posted: 2008-12-23 20:34:38
Answer/Reply:
I had muscle cramps BEFORE starting on Metformin, but not anymore. However, based on what I am reading here, I understand it's my raw (mostly leafy) vegetable diet that's working!
Regards,
Satya
44 year old Male
Posted: 2008-12-31 14:28:39
Question/Comment:
when i started taking glucophage i started having chest pain when it would not go away i became very concern. i thought it was my heart and visited the doctor she ask me to stop taking it for a while and when i took it again i had the chest pain again. so i would not take it every day and it went away.
i also would have diarrhea and did not know what was the cause it is now that i am reading the comments made by other people i am learning that it might have been cause by the glucophage.
43 year old Female
Posted: 2008-10-09 21:54:10
Question/Comment:
I would appreciate some find back on the side effects of metformin.I have only been taking itfora few days but diarrhea has been awful. My doctor told me to just bear with it and it would stop on its own. Has anybody been told anything different?
58 year old female
60 year old Female
Posted: 2008-10-03 08:40:12
Answer/Reply:
I have been taking Metformin at 500 mg 2 times a day since August of 2007 and the diarrhea will stop, now the only time I have that side effect is when I over eat or eat something I maybe shouldn't have, other wise it has worked great for me, stick with it, it can be a great tool for you if you let it. It is one of the few drugs we can take as diabetics that actually allows you to loose some weight if you watch your diet, this 1st year I have lost just under 20 lbs and my A1c number went from 9.7 to 6.2, I only take Metformin and hope to keep it that way.
Best of luck to you!!!
40 year old Female
Posted: 2008-10-08 22:20:03
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
hi ive been diabetic for 21years and im 53yrs old and had been put on metformin several times but gave up because of the same bowel problems as you .i also take insulin but since my doctor asked me to try the slow release metformin i haven had any problems so its worth a try. ask your doctor you may be pleasently surprised.
Posted: 2008-10-09 09:12:02
Answer/Reply:
Yes, I had the same problem but now I take mine on a FULL stomach and it has stopped. I also had extreme chest pain when I began taking metformin. To the extent I was hospitalized for chest pain; but when I knew it was the metformin and not my heart and I began taking the metformin on a full stomach it slowed down and then stopped.
54 year old Female
Posted: 2008-10-09 09:44:33
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I am taking glucophage 750mg 2 at bedtime. I have never had diarrhea.. I wish.
g. copeland
57 yo fe.
Posted: 2008-10-10 14:18:52
iGuard.org Answer/Reply:
I have been taking metformin for about three months now, and i not only have very loose bawls, but the gas is bad enough that I can clear out a room ful in a matter of minutes. My Doctor told me to stay away from dairy products, but that isn't the problem. If I miss a dosage, the gas problem goes away, but look out when I take the nexy dose. I will be bending my doc ear the next time I see her
Posted: 2008-10-28 10:16:15
Question/Comment:
I have been on 500 mg Metformin and 40 mg of simvastating for about a year and a half. When I first started taking them both I had horrible stomach cramps. I stopped taking both for 1 day and the cramps went away. I took them again the 3rd day and had the cramps but not as severe. I stopped for another day, then started again. It took about 2 weeks of "every other day". Now I don't experience any problems. I guess I had to "ween" myself onto the drugs. Since then, My A1c went from 8.1 to 5.8 and I lost 35 pounds since. My weight goes up and down according to the food I have/don't have in the house. I just need to remember to stock up on "good" food vs. "bad" food.
43 year old Male
Posted: 2008-09-29 11:59:10
Question/Comment:
I am 60 years old, exercise with weights, take protein supplements and am concerned about taking creatine because I take 1 500mg metformin tablit and one 10mg lisinopril tablet. Should I be concerned?
62 year old Male
Posted: 2008-09-29 09:35:26
Question/Comment:
FYI, Metformin is also commonly used for the insulin resistance that goes hand-in-hand with polycystic ovarian syndrome, which is why I use it. I do not have diabetes.
36 year old Female
Posted: 2008-09-26 14:16:42
Question/Comment:
I take 2 850mg tablets each day (12 hrs apart).. I have had no problems until lately, when about 2 hours after the first tablet I get very dizzy and unstable on my feet..
It doesn't seem to be because of low blood sugar as I have tested my self.
I also take 100mg Januvia once a day.
and
Aggrenox 200/25mg cap twice a day.
and
injection (dose 20) levemir before bed.
76 year old male
77 year old Male
Posted: 2008-09-23 16:09:51
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