Metformin

I take it twice a day. In the beginning I did have the stomach issues they warned you about but making sure I took them right before I eat helped and I think I have adjusted. I have been on it for about 6 months.

I was off to a rough start with metformin as had been warned by my doctor that it could upset my stomach, which I took to mean nausea and vomiting. Since I don't do well with vitamins, always having to cushion them with food to not upset my stomach, I thought this would be my biggest problem. Not to be, I found out the hard way during the holidays when I enjoyed a couple of cocktails and still didn't make the connection as I had been sick with a cold in those previous days. Another day at another holiday party, suffered intestinal troubles after a couple of drinks paired with fried food appetizers.

Once I read some forums about what foods to avoids to minimize the tummy trouble effects, and paired with taking the metformin at the end of a meal, I haven't had problems since. I was really discouraged at first until I realized the connection.

No more drinks at social events for me, I don't even want to test what I can get away with (Ie maybe only one cocktail, it's not worth it to me), and I am even more conscious than I was before about the glyemic load of all meals. I think next to alcohol, carb rich, fatty, and sugary foods are the worst culprits to pair with this medication. I joked to a friend earlier this month that metformin works because it forces one to avoid alcohol, carbs, fatty and sugary foods, but now a few weeks in I discovered a pleasant side effect (or maybe the main point?): less hunger.

I never thought of myself as a ravenous eater before, but for certain my hunger has decreased significantly, especially while I am eating foods. My fiance actually took offense with me only eating half of the wonderful meals that he prepared, even I didn't make the less hunger connection with this medication right away, I thought I was turned off by the food and was still full from the meal before.

No matter what I will be sure to eat a well balanced diet and stay in my recommended calorie zone, I think consuming too few calories is not healthy either, but I'm riding this less hunger wave to a healthier BMI (and have increased the workouts too! :-)

I've been on it 2x a day for about 3 years now. No issues for me. I also just started tradjenta with the metformin. I used to be on actos, which really helped control my sugar levels, but my doc took me off of it because he thinks it'll be pulled from the market soon.

When I first started using it about 3 years a go I lost weight quickly. But I was constantly having diarrhea. So I wasn't was diligent about taking it. But as long as I take it, it really does help control my weight and appetite.

I felt awful on it. Stomach issues in particular. My doctor agreed u could stop taking it and change my eating dramatically.... I went to moderate carbs (120g per day) lost weight and reversed my diabetes.

My bloods have been clear for over a year. A lot of people don't believe you can reverse diabetes when I tell them but it is possible because I have done it.

For most people diabetes can be diet controlled and in my opinion is better than taking medication. Never just stop your medication though, seek advice off a doctor. If you are experiencing too many side effects it is worth talking your options through with him.

Zara

Been taking it once a day for about a year. Has helped with the carb cravings, but I make sure that I take it right after eating my evening meal.

I took it for several months when I was first diagnosed with PCOS, and I have to say I couldn't take it. It made me extremely nauseous and upset stomach. I would take it after I ate and before I went to bed (on a fool stomach) and no matter what I ate (even grilled foods, veggies, whole grains, etc) it made me feel like I was going to throw up all day every day. Even after I stopped taking it the nausea stayed for a few months.

i've been taking metformin for 13 years now. in the beginning, i had constant, raging diarrhea and lost 30 pounds pretty quickly. i mean i couldn't go out in public because there were no warning signs - i just suddenly had to shower and change my clothes and wash a lot of laundry.

but it definitely helps control appetite, and there are no worries about a sudden drop in blood sugar, and a side effect is moderate weight loss.

...and then came EXTENDED RELEASE metformin! joy! hallelujah! intestinal problems solved!

i have NO IDEA why doctors prescribe regular metformin when they could just use the extended release formula. maybe some folks don't have this terrible side effect. or some people get over it in about 2 months. i didn't.

PLEASE tell your doctor if you are having distressing symptoms. cry if you have to. but try the extended release!

as a side note, i read on the internet (and we know it must be true if it's on the internet, because they can't put anything that isn't true on the internet) that a person who is taking metformin for an extended amount of time (3+ years) can become deficient in vitamin B12. common sense would tell me that if a person was on a restricted diet it might be even more imperative to remember this.

Yeah, what nashsheri33 said.

I've been on it 13 years too. I still take the normal one - not xr, but my stomach got used to it in less than a month.

Taking it with food helps if you get stomach problems - I'm at the point where that is pretty much optional.

No low blood sugars. It's cheap (and often free). And it seems to help with weight loss in diabetics. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9526970)