Anyone here taking Metformin? Need your advice please

[farzu]

My GP called me this morning urgently as she got back the results for my HB1AC (haemoglobin) test and it didn't look so good. So she prescribed me to take Metformin. I heard that it also helps to reduce weight and PCOS, is it right? what side effects did u have? please let me know as i'm starting it from today.

 

[juni]

Hello Before my bypass I was on metformin for 2 years for type 2 diabeties but it wasnt for weightloss infact a side effect can be it can make you gain weight.....but since my bypass I have not taken it as they decided that all was ok and didnt need it now...just awaiting my HB1AC results...
You should be able to do some searching to find out more and there is a leaflet inside the box that could help you

someone else will be along soon I am sure

Juni

 

[BlueDiamond]

Hello

side effects from person to person, but my experience was not good..........i suffered breathing difficulties had to stop taking them.........not e1 is the same tho. Even tho docs will tell u its helps with pcos & weight loss this drug is was not manufactured for this perpose.....thats wot my gp told me....again others may have been told different

all the best - mejulie x x

 

[zetacatty]

Hi Farzu, I take Metformin - type 2 diabetes happens when the insulin produced binds with ingested sugar but can't release it to the cells for energy so dumps it in the liver to be converted to fat. Metformin 'unlocks' the sugar from the insulin and releases it to the cells for energy thus it isn't turned into fat. Someone who is fat from diabetes may lose the extra weight when they start converting the sugar properly through Metformin. It didn't happen for me! I haven't had any side effects from Metformin except that, when I started taking it, I couldn't drink. Two glasses of wine would leave me legless. It turned out to be lactic acidosis which can be really dangerous. I reduced the dose myself, monitoring my blood sugar, and now I can drink again. Sorry I don't know anything about the use of Metformin for any other condition.

 

[margaretmc]

Hi Farzu
I`v been type 2 diabetic for over 6 years now . And was given Metformin for a few years but because they were big and round they use to make me heave and be sick so they changed them to competact 15mg/850mg .
I have never had any side effects with them and my diabetes isn't to bad . For gaining weight I wouldn't know about that because I`m fat any way and I`v been about the same weight for years . My sister was given them as well because she has PCOS I think they helped her . Me and my daughter has PCOS as well . Take care .
MARGARET XX

 

[bexmoss86]

Hi, I take metformin for type two diabetes. Im on the slow release 500mg tabs x 4 a day. As Margaretmc said - they are big horse tablets so make sure you take them with plenty of water to make them go down easier. I found that I have not lost weight with metformin however they have brought my fasting blood sugar levels down a fair amount. As my diabetes is a new diagnosis, i think that my blood sugar needs to come down more and weight loss can only help this. Today I had my feet checked by the podiatrist and all was well. I think it probably varies from person to person hth x

 

[farzu]

Hello Before my bypass I was on metformin for 2 years for type 2 diabeties but it wasnt for weightloss infact a side effect can be it can make you gain weight.....but since my bypass I have not taken it as they decided that all was ok and didnt need it now...just awaiting my HB1AC results...
You should be able to do some searching to find out more and there is a leaflet inside the box that could help you

someone else will be along soon I am sure

Juni

Thanks for the info Juni,
Actually my GP told me that it helps for loosing weight.

 

[farzu]

Hello

side effects from person to person, but my experience was not good..........i suffered breathing difficulties had to stop taking them.........not e1 is the same tho. Even tho docs will tell u its helps with pcos & weight loss this drug is was not manufactured for this perpose.....thats wot my gp told me....again others may have been told different

all the best - mejulie x x

Thanks Julie,
Yes my Gp told me the same thing. I also have problems with breathing sometimes. should i discuss it with the GP again before taking the medicine?

 

[farzu]

Hi Farzu, I take Metformin - type 2 diabetes happens when the insulin produced binds with ingested sugar but can't release it to the cells for energy so dumps it in the liver to be converted to fat. Metformin 'unlocks' the sugar from the insulin and releases it to the cells for energy thus it isn't turned into fat. Someone who is fat from diabetes may lose the extra weight when they start converting the sugar properly through Metformin. It didn't happen for me! I haven't had any side effects from Metformin except that, when I started taking it, I couldn't drink. Two glasses of wine would leave me legless. It turned out to be lactic acidosis which can be really dangerous. I reduced the dose myself, monitoring my blood sugar, and now I can drink again. Sorry I don't know anything about the use of Metformin for any other condition.

Thanks for the info dear. Is Lactic Acisdosis caused by having dairy products? I don't have any idea on these. My GP told me to get another appointment with a nurse as she couldn't cover everything in only 8 mins. :sigh:

 

[Caroline101061]

just found this on the net about lactic acidosis -

Lactic Acidosis (LA) is a dangerous condition where the blood gets too acidic (acidosis). It is not a direct side effect of diabetic sugar highs or lows, but can arise rarely as a side effect of diabetes-related medications or diabetic nephropathy.

Think you are thinking of being lactose intolerant which is dairy products - bloody hell your Doctor was rude - Id go mad if mine said he was too busy to answer all my questions.

 

[BlueDiamond]

thanks julie,
yes my gp told me the same thing. I also have problems with breathing sometimes. Should i discuss it with the gp again before taking the medicine?

yes definately farzu coz my gp told me ppl with breathing difficulties to start with shouldnt take this products...........hence i didnt have it when i started thats why he advised me to stop taking it .......again some gps may differ xx

 

[farzu]

Hi Farzu
I`v been type 2 diabetic for over 6 years now . And was given Metformin for a few years but because they were big and round they use to make me heave and be sick so they changed them to competact 15mg/850mg .
I have never had any side effects with them and my diabetes isn't to bad . For gaining weight I wouldn't know about that because I`m fat any way and I`v been about the same weight for years . My sister was given them as well because she has PCOS I think they helped her . Me and my daughter has PCOS as well . Take care .
MARGARET XX

Thanks Margaret,
One of my friend had PCOS, she took metformin 3 months to help her conceive and it worked really well.

 

[salski]

Hiya hun - I have been prescribed metformin for a dark skin pigmentation. At all the folds of my body ie. under arms, neck and thighs my skin is very dark. It looks like I havnt washed for weeks. When I was little I used to scrub my neck with a scrubbing brush and bleach as it looked like dirt! 2just over a year ago I went to see Dr New at Salford Royal and he diagnosed me. He said it is insulin building up and metformin should help. I have had 2 diabetes checks and they have come back fine...so yep...my name is Sally and I take metformin! hehe xx

 

[farzu]

Hi, I take metformin for type two diabetes. Im on the slow release 500mg tabs x 4 a day. As Margaretmc said - they are big horse tablets so make sure you take them with plenty of water to make them go down easier. I found that I have not lost weight with metformin however they have brought my fasting blood sugar levels down a fair amount. As my diabetes is a new diagnosis, i think that my blood sugar needs to come down more and weight loss can only help this. Today I had my feet checked by the podiatrist and all was well. I think it probably varies from person to person hth x

Thanks dear. Glad your feet is ok.

 

[farzu]

Hiya hun - I have been prescribed metformin for a dark skin pigmentation. At all the folds of my body ie. under arms, neck and thighs my skin is very dark. It looks like I havnt washed for weeks. When I was little I used to scrub my neck with a scrubbing brush and bleach as it looked like dirt! 2just over a year ago I went to see Dr New at Salford Royal and he diagnosed me. He said it is insulin building up and metformin should help. I have had 2 diabetes checks and they have come back fine...so yep...my name is Sally and I take metformin! hehe xx

Hi Sally,
Thanks for the info, I also have the same problem with my neck and under arms but i thought it was becasue i am too fat, Is it working for you yet? i also used to bleach my skin to be fair as it really looks like i haven't take bath for months.

 

[PinkyButtonz]

My GP called me this morning urgently as she got back the results for my HB1AC (haemoglobin) test and it didn't look so good. So she prescribed me to take Metformin. I heard that it also helps to reduce weight and PCOS, is it right? what side effects did u have? please let me know as i'm starting it from today.

I Farzu,

I've been taking Metformin a while now and have had no problems. I take 2 twice a day.

I've been told they do help with PCOS. I know some that is on them for that. Not helped me much with the weight, but that maybe because I'm on steroids also.

 

[phatgirl]

Hi Fazu I took metformin for type 2 diabetes for 3 years before my surgery 2/500mg tablets 2x per day. I have asthma and never once was told I couldn't/shouldn't take it. I did lose some weight when I first started taking it and was told it could increase my fertility which was not a good thing for me at that time for health reasons so hubby & I used contraception. I did notice when I lost weight I was able to take less and keep my sugar down, when I gained weight I had to start taking more. I did have a bit of intestinal discomfort when I started it or when I increased the dose but it went away after about a week in both cases. I am currently completely off metformin, have been for a couple of months so I am dead excited!

HTH,
Nic

 

[Lyn8124]

Hi Farzu. I have been taking Meformin for 6 years now. My diabetes consultant increased my dosage slowly over a couple weeks to avoid any severe side effects. Started off on 1 tablet a day for a week, then 2 for a week and finally went up to 3 which was initial prescribed dosage. I noticed when I came off the pill (contraceptive, Cerazette) not long after that I was having a period every 31 days, with the pcos it was 2-3 periods a year. So I think it was to do with reduction of either insulin levels which were too high or sugar levels.

Last year my GP put me on Avandamet which are pink tabs which contain Metformin and Glitizide(sp) and I read on side effects leafelet a side effect is weight gain so my consultant took me off them and increased my metformin to 4 and now 5 a day. I notice on 2,500mg a day I get diarrhoea which seems to coincide with eating a fatty meal and I was wondering is this the effect that happens from a higher dosage to try to make you stick with low fat foods so you get less of the 'Xenical effect' as I call it (minus the orange oil)!

Sorry for rambling on but I hope this has helped you in some way.

ETA I have a small brown patch on my stomach which I heard was to do with insulin levels and I get skin tags on my neck (I have 2 or 3 new ones this year).

 

[thinkbethin]

I have been on metformin since my pre op assessment in december. Or should I say was on it up to having my op. Now though I can't get them down no matter how much I try and there is no way I can crush them. I saw my GP last week about this and I have to go back tomorrow to find how my sugar levels are doing and to find an alternative to the "horse pills" lol. must say though I never noticed any side effects from it before.

 

[BlueDiamond]

I have been on metformin since my pre op assessment in december. Or should I say was on it up to having my op. Now though I can't get them down no matter how much I try and there is no way I can crush them. I saw my GP last week about this and I have to go back tomorrow to find how my sugar levels are doing and to find an alternative to the "horse pills" lol. must say though I never noticed any side effects from it before.

Sorry gaynor when u sed horse pills i couldnt resist, lol