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Metformin side effects...

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shamilton1984
shamilton1984 Posts: 21
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So I've been on Met for almost a year this time. I took it a few years back but quit because the side effects were bad. Well I decided to start it again and I recently had to up my dose to the full 2000mg (from 1000mg) a few weeks ago. I am still having the horrible gastrointestinal issues (nausea, BAD diarrhea not to be gross) so my question is: how long did it take those of you that had side effects to adjust completely if ever? I'm not going to quit taking them this time but I would like to know if I'm ever going to feel normal again. These pills seriously interrupt my life :( Thanks ladies!

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  • WifeofPJ
    WifeofPJ Posts: 312
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    So I've been on Met for almost a year this time. I took it a few years back but quit because the side effects were bad. Well I decided to start it again and I recently had to up my dose to the full 2000mg (from 1000mg) a few weeks ago. I am still having the horrible gastrointestinal issues (nausea, BAD diarrhea not to be gross) so my question is: how long did it take those of you that had side effects to adjust completely if ever? I'm not going to quit taking them this time but I would like to know if I'm ever going to feel normal again. These pills seriously interrupt my life :( Thanks ladies!

    I had GI issues but not the diarrhea I was actually more like constipated kind of. I started taking a probiotic like Culteral and that helped eleviate the GI isseus.

    Good luck I hope your body gets use to it.
  • tsign36
    tsign36 Posts: 14 Member
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    I'm only on 1000 mg and it has been 3 months... lets just say I carry Immodium in my purse ALWAYS! I plan to go up to 1500mg so it makes me nervous but I do have to say that it is starting to get better.... a little... so hopefully with time our bellies will agree with it more! Good luck to you!
  • shamilton1984
    shamilton1984 Posts: 21
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    Thanks ladies! It's so aggravating having to plan my life around the bathroom. I think I may have IBS any way so when I upped my Met dose, it got crazy :( I suppose I'll give it a couple more months before I talk to my doc. I'm trying to avoid THAT convo lol. Thanks again and good luck to you as well :)
  • CysterWigs
    CysterWigs Posts: 136 Member
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    For better or worse, I actually have decided to stop taking it. The side effects are too much for me. It was making me a gassy, bloated, depressed, housebound worrywort with drug induced faux Crohn's Disease...and that's not me. I have switched to a 100% organic whole foods diet and even started eating meet again after 17 years of being a vegetarian. Honestly, anything is better than Metformin.

    Edit: Then again, I have no interest in having kids, so slower results are ok by me. This may be a different story for someone TTC. :)

    Second edit: I have been on Met off and on since 2007. In my case, the symptoms never got better, even when I took the meds at the same times everyday. My weight and blood test results remained static and my endo still decided to up the dosage from 1000mg to 2000mg. 2000mg is MISERABLE, even if it WAS the extended release version.
  • mamosh81
    mamosh81 Posts: 409 Member
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    when i upped to 2000 mg i had the side effects for about 3 weeks then the pretty much got better from one day to the other but i never had any side effects when i went from 500 to 1000 and then to 1500
  • LoyalAngel16
    LoyalAngel16 Posts: 186 Member
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    Try taking smaller doses and upping it. I am taking only 500 mg and not having the issues that I had when I took larger doses.
  • ladypinktulip
    ladypinktulip Posts: 75 Member
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    So I've been on Met for almost a year this time. I took it a few years back but quit because the side effects were bad. Well I decided to start it again and I recently had to up my dose to the full 2000mg (from 1000mg) a few weeks ago. I am still having the horrible gastrointestinal issues (nausea, BAD diarrhea not to be gross) so my question is: how long did it take those of you that had side effects to adjust completely if ever? I'm not going to quit taking them this time but I would like to know if I'm ever going to feel normal again. These pills seriously interrupt my life :( Thanks ladies!

    I would give it 6 months to a year and stay with it. I have zero problems with it been on it for 14 years at 2000mg a day
  • shamilton1984
    shamilton1984 Posts: 21
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    LoyalAngel16, unfortunately I started with 1000mg (500mg morning, 500mg evening) and now I have to increase I would've loved to stay at that dose because i felt fine after a couple weeks but alas my last A1C wasn't where it needed to be :( mamosh81 I'm glad we don't all have horrible side effects at least lol :) And thank you thompsonkelly, I'm happy there's hope! My cousin takes it too but she doesn't have issues. She takes it on an empty stomach like it's a vitamin lol. I on the other hand, would suffer if I did that. But I'm not going to quit taking it, just wanted to see if there was a good time frame. I think I might finally be adjusting. The effects aren't quite as severe as before but I'm hoping before 6 months, I'm back to normal :) Thanks again for all the input ladies!

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