help!!! how do you deal with Met?

[lauramezzo]

I just started taking Met a few weeks ago, and am actually scared to take it everyday because of how ill it makes me feel! I recently went to the doctor and she lowered my dosage to 500mg a day. I would really appreciate help with this...
is it better to take it morning or night?
how do you deal with side effects such as nausea and fatigue?

I'm supposed to take 500mg per day for a few weeks, then attempt to move it up again, and I'm nervous! Any tips on dealing with this drug? I have to say, I was relieved to hear that a lot of other ladies deal with these side effects! Thank you SO much for any ideas you can offer! :D

[starrylaurie]

I actually asked the same thing a few days ago. I was also moved down to only 500mg a day. What I started doing is taking it at night and after eating. I wait for about 10-20 minutes after I eat before I take it. I don't know if it's because the food has settled into my stomach or what, but I haven't been sick at all since then. I also go to bed within the next hour or so... if I don't have a bout with insomnia. :roll:

I'm sure others have different ways of dealing with it, but that's what I found that works for me. hope it helps :)

[lauramezzo]

Thank you :) --sorry I missed your post from a few days ago! I'll check it out as well :)

[celestia]

I had a hard time getting on Met initially -- I am on just 500mg per day.

I'd be super hungry all the time (to the point of wanting to pass out), have to run to the bathroom, a bit of nausea.

After reading posts on here, I decided to take it at night so I'd sleep through some of the side effects. An hour before bed, I'd have a full bowl (so that's probably 1.5 cups) of Multigrain Cheerios with skim milk. I'd eat that, then take the pill with the rest of the milk leftover (like 1/2 cup).

It was a MIRACLE! No bathroom runs!

Make sure you drink plenty of water, I was thirsty ALL the time, but kept myself in check by watching the color of my urine. If it got pale, I knew I was hydrated (you can easily become overhydrated which causes other problems).

I always kept snacks with me --- those newer All Bran crackers and also the All Bran cereal bars. Unfortunately, I can't eat protein bars for a quick healthy lift b/c I am allergic to peanuts and most other nuts.

My side effects lasted about 3 weeks...each day getting better.

Since my doc isn't upping my dose, I'm taking those new One A Day Weight & Energy multivits --- has chromium in it.

Good luck, and hang in there! I feel much better in general with just 500 mg per day. I have a bit more energy and my hunger/need for sugar/bad foods is more easily controlled. I can "hear better" what my body needs (and it's not Wendy's fries!)

Adrienne

[buttrfli78]

Has anyone tried cutting the (500 mg) pill in half? I've been on Met for a couple of weeks now. I started with 500 mg the first week and was so sick I couldn't stand it. This week I started cutting my pills in half and feel much better. Is this okay? I have the pills that aren't coated or in capsules or anything. In the next few days I will try to go back to a whole pill a day and see how I do. I would prefer to do this gradually than to be so sick. I hate being sick! I can tolerate pain better than I can nausia! :?

[KIM67]

My doc put me on metformin 7 weeks ago. 1000 mg. and to move up as tolerated (500 morning 500 night) after 1 1/2 weeks I moved up to 1500 (500 morning and 1000 evening) after 1 1/2 weeks I moved up to 2000 and yesterday he said I can take 500 at lunch if I wish to make it 2500mg a day.

I have to say the main symptom for me was stomach pain. I ALWAYS:

take Metformin with food (immediately after breakfast and lunch) (once I did not and I was SO nausious).

The bigger (and most important dosage) my doc said - should always be taken at night. You sleep thru the symptoms.

I always take a heartburn pill with my Metformin.

I never miss a dose - ever.

If you fight thru the symptoms and just keep moving up the ladder I promise the stomach pain subsides and the nausia goes away - your body gets use to it - My sister is on Metformin as well she started a month before me - she started at 1000 - backed down to 500 - yo yo - she said rather than fight the symptoms - she would rather stay at 500 -

I promise you the symptoms of the new level go away within a week or so and your body quickly adjusts to that extra 500 - and I've lost 10 lbs.

Good luck!!
I haven't felt this good in 4 years.

[KIM67]

Oh I forgot - throughout the day if you feel nausous - it is my opinion that you need to eat to (soak up some of the medicine) is how I look at it - it you eat several times a day (small) you may not be as nausous.

[slightly]

I've also heard that people who have a really hard time with it will take met in the middle of their meal. That might help!

[ShyChicagoGirl]

I've only been on Met for a week so far (5 days to be exact) but my doctor was very specific about starting out with a week of 500, then 1000 the next week, then 1500 the following week.

He also said if I need to go back down for a couple of days to give my body more time to adjust to go ahead. I did some reading before taking it and I take mine in the evening with my dinner. I take it about halfway through dinner, so I have some food in my tummy and then follow it with a little more. Knock on wood, I've had no side effects yet.

Next Monday I go up to 1000mg, and I am worried but I've had a few friends that said if I didn't have side effects with the first dosage I should be ok next week too (fingers crossed).

~Mere :)

[peakkm]

It should be okay to split it up into two doses. I always took it morning and night. That might help if you are having problems with stomach issues.

[tryin'4#1]

Those of you having problems- have you tried the met XR (extended release)? I always take it with dinner, sometimes in the AM I will have poops if I ate poorly the night before....

Also, if you are taking the Met XR, you CANNOT cut the pill in 1/2 because of the 'coating' on it. It does not look nor feel like a coating on it, but you cannot cut it....I didnt' know if the person who asked about cutting it was ont he XR...

[Josephine]

I may be going back on Met shortly and am a bit anxious about it to be honest. when i first started taking it about six years ago i was fine with it, then my father died and i got depressed and stopped taking ALL meds, when i sorted myself out i got back onto metformin only to discover i had become intolerant to it and i was extremely ill, with the stomach pains and massive amounts of diahrea all the time and nausea, oh it was unbearable. i came off it after that. I have since lost a lot of weight and am about to go back on it agian to help with TTC, im hoping that with the wieght loss my body has sorted itself out and i will be able to withstand the met. has anyone else been on metformin, been fine and then back on it again later only to discover they cant handle it? i dont understand why i could withstand it one time and not the next and im hoping it changes again this time.

[sassyvegasmom]

I had the same problems. I then read that the extended release was easier on the stomach. I take 750mg in the am and 1 in the evening and don't have problems with nausea at all. It took a couple weeks but I can now take it even if I don't eat. I also take an Imodium caplet at same time. I have IBS and with all the different meds I am on for different stuff I tend to get diahrea alot. Taking the Imodium helps. Hope any of this helps.

[dutchfrog]

I had some pretty bad discomfort after first starting to take it. my first dose was a night time dose and that week wasn't AS bad the second week was HORRIBLE i took one in the morning with breakfast and one in the evening with dinner but in the middle of the day usually around 330 or so i would get shaky and sweaty and i had to carry smarties around with me. eating 2 or 3 of those helped. now i'm taking one with each meal. 500 each. and i have NONE of the shaky stuff. it helped that too when i started the 3rd pill i had 5 days to get used to it before i had to go back to work or really do anything too far from the house (thank goodness for thanksgiving break)
i feel like i'm on top of the world lately
It is just different for different ppl. I read that some of you take it after you eat i'd heard of other ppl taking it before. if i take mine right in the middle then i have the very least discomfort