Take Met pills all at once or through out day?

[AllisonMc]

Hi everyone,
I can't seem to find this out. I've heard both. Are you supposed to take Met pills all at once during a meal? Or are you supposed to take them one by one through out the day? I am taking 1500mg of met and have been taking them one in the morning, at lunch and then again at dinner time. Is one way better or not? I haven't really had much side effects from it, just occasional loose bowels (sorry tmi). I've been taking it since October 2004. Actually, I haven't noticed it doing much of anything.
Should I be noticing some improvement with my pcos? I'm having very long Af's....I've been bleeding since Jan.6th. although, this is nothing new for me, as I have been having AF's like this since I was around 16yrs. What causes me to have af like this? I would think the Met should be helping me by now. Any answers?

Thanks ladies!

[kk]

Hey!
I heard its better to spread them out during the day. My doctor recomended I take 2 in the morning with breakfast and 2 at dinner. So one at each meal sounds about right to me if thats what your doctor recomends.

kk

[Summer M]

it depends on if you are taking regular met or met xr. if you're taking the xr kind, you're supposed to take them all at the same time. if you're taking regular met, you should space them out evenly so that you have a continuous dose of met in your system. taking them at the same time each day helps.

[lsstallings]

Summer is correct, it depends on which version of Met you are on, the extended release (all at once), or the regular version (spread througout the day).

[AllisonMc]

I am on the regular Met. So what I have been doing is correct then?.taking them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner..

What is the xr version of met supposed to do? What is the difference between the two? I know many of you say you are on the xr version. Does it have to do with the side effects?

[lsstallings]

The XR version is a time-release that releases slowly over time over a 24 hour period. It does tend to help with some of the unpleasant side-effects, and it is just more convenient to only have to remember to take it once a day.

Other than that, it is the same actual drug or medication in your system.

[kljoyce]

Allison, If you are not seeing any improvement with your met maybe you need a stronger dosage? I take 2000 mg a day. 1 1000mg in the morning and 1 in the evening. I think 1500 is a coomon dosage to start at but it is often upped if it is not doing anything.

[Donna33]

Hello,
I just switched to the 750 XR so are you saying I am suppose to take two pills at the same time? The bottle says 2 x a day? I've been taking one with breakfast and one with dinner. Thanks

Donna

[lsstallings]

If you are taking the XR, they are designed to take only once a day and then time-release the medication throughout the next 24 hours. Maybe the bottle is meant to read 2 a day, or take 2 once a day.

You might want to call your doctor about this and find out if this is a misprint. You know doctor's writing on the scripts is almost completely illegible, unless he called it in of course, and then the office assistant may have read it incorrectly when calling it in.

[gina]

I take 1500mg met xr per day. I was told to take all of them (after the initial ramp up to 1500) at once one hour following dinner each night. I kept forgetting to take them after dinner because I am so busy and hardly was home at the time to remember. So, I asked my RE if I could take them in the morning, and since I didn't have any side effects after the first week, he told me to try it. I have felt fine since the change and don't miss my dosage in the morning.

He did tell me that it is important that I take them all at one time, so I think you should talk to your doctor to find out if that is what you should do for the XR. I do know that my mother takes 500 of the regular met with each meal.

Hope that helps!

[Ratslayer]

I'm on the XR and I was told to take mine twice a day. Maybe I had better check with my doctor.

Kelly

[Donna33]

Hello,
I checked with my RE and he said to even though it is the XR to still take it twice a day. 750mg Am 750mg Pm. So I'll stikc with it.

Donna

[julianyc]

Summer is correct, it depends on which version of Met you are on, the extended release (all at once), or the regular version (spread througout the day).

Fortamet is the extended version right? I up my dosage on Sunday and was planning on taking them both with dinner, but wanted to make sure I was correct.

[daybyday]

So then why did my doc. perscribe 500 mg of the regular met for me just once a day?

[sweetsunshine72]

Because 500 mg is a small dose. Theraputic dosage for women with PCOS is 1000 mg - 2500 mg/day.

When you are just starting out, they start you with a small dose and then gradually up it because if you start with a larger dose all at once, you can end up with some pretty harsh side effects!! (diahreah(sp?), nausea, gas... etc.)

Next time you see him, he will probably up your dosage to 500 mg 2 X day.

HTH! 8)

[daybyday]

But he put me on the dose for 4 months in hope that it would produce a period.

[sweetsunshine72]

I would ask him about that. Generally speaking, it has to be at least 1000 mg/day before Met can really do anything for PCOS.

It is true, however, that after taking Met for a few months, it can induce a period. Some women even get AF after taking Met for only a month or two. It all depends on how bad your Insulin Resistance is, and the dosage you are on.

[mary14]

my doc just prescribed me the Extended release..he said take 2 at night (500Mg) and one in the morning but then i read you should take them all at once. is it wrong to do it this way? (split them up?)
thanks!