metformin / sick all the time

[mariadonna74]

since i started taking metformin, i feel sick all the time.

i'm like many...1 500mg the first week, two the second week and three the third week...and now on 1500 mg per day.

i recently got very depressed and suicidal. i feel there is a chemical imbalance in the making.

i had the diahhrea, dehydration, cramps (stomach) and charlie horses in my calves bec. of the dehydration. feel nauseous only enough to know it's nausea but i won't throw up...lightheadedness...and tired. i'm disconnected from my body and feeling very foggy-brained.

i want the medication to work. i communicated w/others from these boards who say, wait it out!! it's worth it. i just don't want to get deeper into depression. i'm having such manic mood swings...happy/then sobbing.

i have the skin tags, the cystic ovaries (including an episode of hemorragenic cysts)...am overweight (5'3" / 263lbs) and have been much of my adult life. I had dysfunctional uterine bleeding when i was 16 then 20....(started menstruating at 14). I have never really had a "normal" cycle...I would menstruate every couple or few months. I rarely...rarely had cramps.

i believe from all outward appearances that i am insulin resistant (it all makes sense now)....but....

I NEVER WAS TESTED TO SEE IF I AM INSULIN RESISTANT. IS IT OKAY TO ASSUME AS SUCH BECAUSE OF THE OTHER FACTORS? IS IT ACTUALLY SAFE TO BE ON METFORMIN WITHOUT BEING TESTED FOR INSULIN RESISTANCE. IS THERE A TEST?

SO MANY QUESTIONS...AND IT ONLY MAKES ME MORE UPSET TO HAVE TO SEARCH FOR EACH ANSWER.

IF ANYONE WANTS TO EMAIL ME, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE: MARIADONNA74@YAHOO.COM

THANKS AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL.

[slong007]

Mariadonna,

Met can have terrible side effects. You need to make sure you are eating properly...no sugars or refined carbs. Drink plenty of water. Dehydration can cause serious problems as well. If you are not on the extended release version of Met asked to be switched it is much easier on your digestive system. Additionally start exercising as much as you can. It will help with the emotional rollercoaster.

Met and changing my diet has done wonders for me. I am no longer depressed, have tons of energy and am a happy person again. There are days, but everyone has a down day now and again. Plus feeling so good I am so much more physically active than I was before and my weight has begun to drop.

As far as I know there isn't a specific test for insulin resistance. They look at the normal glucose tests to determine how your body responds the key is to find a doc who knows what to look for. If you have all the symptoms then you probably are IR. You need to give the medication time to work. It's a big adjustment for your body, one your doctor feels you need. Three weeks isn't long enough to see how it works. Be proactive and manage your diet and exercise. You will see results and feel better with time, but it does take time.

Good luck and if you have any questions please send me a pm.

[aprilchic]

I have been taking Met since January. Mostly I experienced a lot of diarrhea accompanied by gas and cramping. I didn't experience any of the emotional side effects (at least not that I know of :? )

But I wanted to reply and let you know that I wasn't tested for IR before being prescribed Met. THe dr. prescribed it based on the fact that I had PCOS and was struggling to lose weight despite diet and exercise.

There are tests for IR but my understanding is that they can be unreliable. In other words, the test may read that you're not IR but really are.

So the moral of the story is don't be afraid to take the Met just because the dr. didn't test you. Now, as far as your other symptoms go, I can't really offer any advice. :(

[mariadonna74]

i went back to a lower dose (1000mg) and am feeling better. i will up it once it's in my system a little longer. also, i found taking it later at night is better for me. i have been watching my diet, (less carbs/sugar)...and it helps.

what helps too?

the support i got from all of you!

thanks so much!!!!!
mariadonna74

[Ashton Morgan]

Maridonna,
I was never tested for IR. I was diagnosed with PCOS when I had problems trying to conceive. A couple of years before that I'd had a fluid cyst on my ovary the size of a plum. MY OBGYN put 2 and 2 together (you'd be surprised how many other doctors I'd seen over the years for cycle irregularity, acne, etc. who hadn't been able to add 2 and 2).

I was prescribed Glucophage XR (name brand), instead of Metformin (generic). I CANNOT take Met. With the Glucophage, my worse complaint was the spur of the moment hershey squirts (I had to have a sense of humor about it and laugh to keep from crying. I would tell my husband and close friends that I was having a Glucophage moment and needed to use the bathroom...NOW!) With Met, I had cramps that felt like horrible menstral cramps, diarreah, nausea AND vomiting. I don't mind paying more for my Glucophage (and getting the little notice from my insurance company each month telling me that there is a generic alternative. Maybe for people with steal stomachs, but not for me).

It took what seemed like FOREVER for my body to fully adjust to the meds. I could always tell when I'd had too much sugar cuz I was doing the porcelain throne shuffle! 3 weeks is not nearly long enough for the benefits of the meds to outweigh the side effects. It took me MONTHS to adjust.

The suggestions that one of the other ladies who posted a reply for you are SO valid. You have to eat low carb...at least until your body adjusts to the meds. My hubby even bought me low carb, whole grain wheat bread. Drink water until its nearly running outta you to combat dehydration. I would get so dehydrated my feet would cramp up and all I could do was cry. A little gatorade from time to time to restore your electrolytes helps (but don't overdo it because the sugar will have you shufflin!).

[DebbyC]

My doctor switched me to Fortamet due to the difficulty I had adjusting to Metformin (Glucophage XR).

The nutritionist that my doctor sent me to told me to try to keep the total net carbs between 60-70 gm per meal/2 hour period. When I did this, I usually didn't have the negative side effects like diarhea and nausea.

You might try switching your diet around a little to see what works.

I take 2000 mg daily - 2 pills in the morning and 2 pills in the evening and only have the occasional leg cramps at night. However, it took me about a year to build up to that level.

[Bluebee]

Are you taking 1500mg in one dose? If so, split it up either AM and PM or throughout the day!

I am not a doctor, but I've been there, done alot of research, and have a BS in Biology. Alot of these doctors, have no IDEA and they don't listen! Not my DOC!

It's the generic that will upset your GI tract. It's usually made up of molecules all the same size so they dump into your stomach causing upset. Any of the generics that leave alot of residue in the bottle are BAD. I have had some good luck with generics, but you never know what the pharmacy is going to dispense. I take the combo namebrand... Avandamet, it's metformin (1000 mg 2x/day and Avandia 4mg 2x/day). GSK uses various size molecules of the metformin in the product so that it releases into your stomach at different rates. Limiting the explosive GI behavior. You will probably have better luck with the ACTOS as a namebrand. It takes time!

KEEP THE COURSE!!!! It will get better! I've been on it for 2 years. I remember crying in the beginning. I lived on multigrain cheerios. Stay away from saturated fats and salads!

TO DATE:
Lost - 45 lbs (179 - 134)
Testosterone - from 106 to 42
Cholesterol - from 222 to 157
Triglycerides - from 132 to 54
HDL/LDL Ratio - from 4.7 to 3.3
Insulin - 23.4 to 7.6

I have limited new hirsuitism, regular cycles and I am not moody!

Make sure your doc treats the root cause.... Metabolic Syndrome... not the PCOS symptoms. If you correct the metabolic symdrome, it opens up the physiological reproductive pathways. Make sure your doc is testing the items listed above. They all go hand in hand. Not alot is understood about this disease, so the more you learn and take charge of your own healthcare, the better off you will be.

I was diagnosed in 1993 with PCOS, little was known and little treatment has been available prior to the last 5 years. I've had great results.

My doc is a clinical professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX and a Mensa (which means he's brilliant!).

[Pojo90]

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[Princess Tiggy]

Hi, could you make it a bit clearer about the combined pill you are taking, it's name, and which pharmaceutical company makes it. Thanks.

I'm on the Metformin Glucophage SR and only on one 500g pill a day which I doubt is enough to do anything. I've tried to increase it but I'm already having problems. I feel very tired all the time, my blood pressure which tends to be low in the mornings is low all the time, making me drowsy and I seem to be having some memory loss. I only eat one proper meal a day and I find if I take Metformin without enough food I feel like collapsing. Though I go to the gym several times a week and do part time cleaning jobs, I just don't get hungry enough to eat 3 meals a day so I have a snack mid morning, dinner and a snack late at night.

If you're not supposed to eat carbs, why does it tell you on the info sheet to eat plenty of carbs. Is that if you're diabetic? I'm in the UK and the knowledge of doctors here is even worse and they don't do the tests you get there or give you information like the test results! Doctors here seem to think it's better to keep the patients in the dark about the state of their bodies and if you get 5 minutes with your GP you're lucky.

Tiggy