PCOS/Insulin Resistance Support - Metformin side effects--do they ever end?

Hi all,

I've been on Met for about 11 months now. My doc has increased my dose from 500 to 850, and now up to 1000. This has been very gradual and I always work up to my doses. I haven't even started taking the 1000 yet.

My question is: Do the side effects ever go away? I feel like I'll never be able to leave the house for more than a couple of hours. I get very physically ill in the morning mostly, but also late at night. I have changed my eating habits a lot, and have experimented with taking my pills at different times a day, and I still get sick around the same time. It's not every day, but at least a few times a week, and when ever I do go to the bathroom when I'm not sick, it's never "normal," always a bit loose. It's just to what degree... Sorry for the graphic description.

Anyway, I've been dealing with this for months. I am on scholarship for the debate team at my college, and I have been unable to attend tournaments, because I am afraid we won't be able to stop enough for me, and I cannot bring my own cooler of food as we have limited space as it is. Eating fast food is unavoidable at tournaments, and I get so sick from it. I also cannot interrupt a round to go to the bathroom. We drive everywhere, sometimes many states away, so I am afraid of the limited bathroom breaks we get on trips. I have stopped going to meetings altogether because I am embarrassed to talk to my coach (he's a man), it's an embarrassing subject, ya know? Anyway, it's getting to the point where I will lose my scholarship if I don't talk to him soon, and if there is just something I am doing wrong, maybe I can fix it and get on with my life. Does anyone have any suggestions or similar experiences?

I don't drink alcohol, eat corn, mushrooms, sugar, lettuce, or other "triggers." I limit my oatmeal and cereal intake to one serving a day.

Hi, I am on 2000mgs a day of Metformin ER ( extended release ), I did have the side effects that you are talking about for about 3 weeks or so when I first started it ( have been on it for about 2 years now )...but that was it, I hear the ER is much more tolerable than the regular...so you might want to check with your doc on that.

i'm on 2,000 mgs ER. and you basically just described my life. though things were fairly IBSy to start with, it's just waaaay more frequently now. but yeah it's sad how it has to be a factor in considering things like going out with friends and stuff. there have been several dates that i've had to bail on early to do, um, issues.

things aren't as bad now as they had been a month or two ago, but they're definitely not like a normal person. one of my friends suggested trying to add citrucel to my diet. i haven't done this yet, so i can't comment.

also, have you talked to your doc about this? people keep telling me to do that but i haven't. my position is basically that i don't think there's anything he can do about it other than take me off the met, which i'm not presently willing to do. i've lived with some degree of stomach issues for about 8 years now and have NEVER been able to lose weight. now i am finally losing weight. although my stomach issues are about 50% worse than they were before, i'm just trying to grin and bear it for the sake of weight loss. but i think this may be an individual decision of what you are willing to handle.

Sorry I also wanted to add that I do still have bouts of the stomach issues when I go way off my diet ( high fat, high sugar, etc )...

I keep forgetting to ask my doc about that (I know that sounds silly, considering what a big deal it is), but I think partly it's because I don't see what he'll be able to do about it. When he prescribed the Met initially, he said I should have no side effects... yeah, right! He's a great doctor, but he just got that one totally wrong. I read somewhere else in this forum about the Sugar Busters diet, and it may be beneficial for people with the same issues as myself. sws19, it's great just to hear that someone else has the same problems I do. I feel a little more normal now, but nobody wants *that* to be a normal part of life.

Please talk to your doctor. There may be other things in play. I have absolutely no problems with Met and have been taking 1500 mg per day for over four years.

Definitely talk to your Dr! Ask them about Glumetza too. It's NOT Metformin. I believe Metformin is the generic and the side effects are much more severe. I am actually on 2000 mg of Glumetza per day and have very minimal side effects. I'm talking maybe once a month I'll have an issue, and it's typically because I went out to eat and had greasy, fatty food. It does get better though! I'm not sure how you're taking them either, but I take one at a time when I'm halfway through my meal. I used to do 2 in the AM and 2 in the PM and that was horrible. I hope all this helps!

Everything these ladies are saying, happened with me too...

It took a few weeks (builing up to my 1000 mg) for the side affects to lessen and I always had that problem with the .. loose stool (sorry, no better way to say it). :) I think adding citricel to your diet is a good idea, getting some more fiber in your diet is a good idea. I think that is my problem.

Also, I wanted to put this tip out there for you.. it's been a life saver!

At the Wal-mart pharmacy aisles (near the motion sickness meds I think) they have these "sea bands" that go on your wrists to help with the naseau. And oh my they work! they have this little plastic nub that pushes on a pressure point on your wrist and it decreases the nausea.

They're not pretty, but they sure do work!! And they're cheap! My cousin got them when she was pregnant a few years ago because she was so sick during her first trimester. She swore by them, so when I kept getting sick she suggested them. They rock!

-Katherynn

Yea the met is rough. I've only been on it since late August 2008 but in that time I've gone up to 2000mg a day and my side effects have gotten a lot better but it's different for everyone. I still have boughts with tummy issues too and it's not fun. On those days I find myself popping ant-acids like candy. As everyone else has said, I would talk to you doc and see what can be done if there is anything. You might be surprised.

I would also talk to your coach for the debate team. You don't have to go into detail, just say you have a condition that requires you to take medication that causes some side effects that you need some special accomodations to deal with it i.e. being allowed to pack a cooler, make bathroom stops on the drives to tournaments as needed, etc. I think he could be very understanding if you play your cards right. There's no reason to jeopordize your scholarship when arrangements can be made. And if all else fails, pack yourself some depends.... just kidding. I hope it all works out for you.

I did talk to my coach today and he was very understanding. Since we have limited time to get places, there really is no way they can accommodate my "condition," but it won't affect my scholarship or anything. but boy, that was awkward... :-)

I take 2000mg a day. I only notice those symptoms when I increase dose. I also am sure to take mine with a meal.

I took the max dose at 2450mg for awhile and initially the side effects were horrible but then went away. If you have been on it that long and are still suffering like that then you need something else.

Yes, the same thing happen to me when I first started, so I finally learned to ALWAYS take the pills with food (halfway or immediately upon eating) my DINNER meal. Taking it earlier in the day made my sugars drop too low; so I changed to the evening only, and it has been much better.

As for 'loose' stools, I found that happens when I eat anything oily which my stomach isn't used to anymore. I have switched to mostly whole grain foods, the only exception so far is pasta which I measure out only 1 cup cooked pasta anyways. Some day, I will brave that as well and give them a try as they have mixed reviews (I will try whole grain spagetti first when I finish what I have left here).

My biggest problem now is my blood sugar levels spiking or more often ... dipping too low; so I have to watch that and make sure I eat regularly (meaning every 2-3 hours). Sometimes, if I eat certain foods like granola or cheese nachos (greasy) in the evening, I get upset tummy. I've learned to watch what I have for a snack in the evening now: cheese & fruit, or rice cakes, or a few whole wheat soda crackers, or popcorn, or a handful of nuts, or a piece of toast are all OK.

Try eating more protein and less carb foods. Go to mostly whole grains.

My typical food for the day

Breakfast
2 hard boiled eggs
yogurt
1/2 slice whole grain toast (3 times a week)


Snack: carrot sticks
cheese stick

Lunch
Mixed greens with deli ham and shredded cheese with lf salad dressing with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds or other nuts.

Snack
Sunflower seeds
Pear

Dinner
Meat
Mixed green salad with lf salad dressing
steamed veggies
Sometimes brown rice or sweet potato

Snack
8 oz glass of milk



I have been eating like this for 2 months. I call it my modified plan. My diabetic doctor told me to stop eating carbs and eat mostly protein because my blood sugars were way to high. This has really worked for me. It also stopped the issues I was having with my stomache.

You have a medical condition and there is not need for embarresment. When I was interviewed for my latest job I told my boss that I was diabetic and I needed to snack every 2 hours. Found out he was diabetic too. :)

I got diagnosed with IR and PCOS at the beginning of Feb. this year, so I'm pretty new to this. My doc put me on 2000 mgs of Fortamet (ER metformin) and a new bc (I just started taking the bc this week). My sister has PCOS and she warned me about the bad side effects of metformin, but it never really happened for me. The first couple of weeks I was slightly nauseous most of the time, but it went away. I also get gassy more often, but it's not a big problem.
My biggest side effect is that I don't get very hungry, and when I do eat I get full faster. Also, I seem to not want to eat greasy foods as much. I don't know if that's what it's supposed to do or what, but I'm grateful. I've lost about 10 lbs without even trying in the past 6 weeks. I just hope it continues like this. Anybody else noticed decreased appetite or similar?

Kitty,

you have my sympathies!

I've been taking metformin for 5 weeks now and still dont leave the house.

I've been on it 3 years and have been suffering since I got up to about the 1000mg/day, like some of you said, I don't make plans to leave the house, it's embarassing at work, and I wish someone would have pointed out that 56% of the people that take it have digestive issues/diarrhea and nausea before I agreed to take it. And I've found that I've gained weight, not had any help losing any from it as the doctor said was a good side effect. I am going in today to tell them they need to find an alternative, I'm on insulin so I can't understand why they are still making me take something that has disrupted my life so much. My goal is better control through weight loss, but that's hard when you can't go for a walk for fear of not being near a washroom and are depressed most days because of the embarassment and lack of social interaction due to a med that is supposed to be helping.

I take Fortamet ER 1000 mg twice per day, and I have had minimal bad side effects. Maybe your doc can prescribe it as an alternative.

I've been on it 3 years and have been suffering since I got up to about the 1000mg/day, like some of you said, I don't make plans to leave the house, it's embarassing at work, and I wish someone would have pointed out that 56% of the people that take it have digestive issues/diarrhea and nausea before I agreed to take it. And I've found that I've gained weight, not had any help losing any from it as the doctor said was a good side effect. I am going in today to tell them they need to find an alternative, I'm on insulin so I can't understand why they are still making me take something that has disrupted my life so much. My goal is better control through weight loss, but that's hard when you can't go for a walk for fear of not being near a washroom and are depressed most days because of the embarassment and lack of social interaction due to a med that is supposed to be helping.
i absolutely know what you're talking about. i actually had digestive, uh, issues before starting so the addition of met only made a bad situation worse. and in the time since this stomach thing started (i think around 2000-1) thinking about bathroom access has become a way of life for me, almost like second nature. it's such a burden to have to think about it and mentally plan your escape route all the time.
soooo....my friend who has ibs told me that i need to be eating more soluble fiber (read: pastas, potatoes, rices, and other no-no's for those of us low-carbing it). i said that wasn't an ideal option. so she suggested citrucel fiber. i've only been taking it for 3 days, but so far so good. :crossed::hat:i know it's not going to solve the problem entirely, but if it can at least significantly decrease the number of "episodes," that's a win in my book.

Lisa WY,

That is pretty much how I eat, sans meat. I eat fruit and everything whole grain. I can't eat lettuce, it makes my side effects act up a lot. I notice a lot of weird things make my side effects bad, such as corn (and other things that metabolize into sugar). Sugar alcohol makes me extremely sick. I know to stay away from that stuff, but my symptoms have never gone away even when I eat a very low carb diet. I'd say that 90% of the carbs I eat are complex carbs, along with the occasional cookie or goodie. It's weird, I can eat sugar and it does not trigger side effects at all (I have experimented with what causes what) compared to other foods. Anyway, I have been working on trying to get things under control more. Many times it still happens no matter what.

Also, I'm not even diabetic. I'm insulin resistant from the pcos. I just had blood tests which confirm this.

I've read that pcos can cause IBS, and I'm starting to wonder if that is what I have. I quit taking the metformin for 2 weeks before my blood tests, and I still got sick from eating the same "trigger" foods. This has me really confused, as the pharmacist I talked to said the met would be out of my body within 2 days after stopping it. I'm back on the met, nothing has changed. I'm going to ask my doctor about it next time I have an appt.

I've been on it 3 years and have been suffering since I got up to about the 1000mg/day, like some of you said, I don't make plans to leave the house, it's embarassing at work, and I wish someone would have pointed out that 56% of the people that take it have digestive issues/diarrhea and nausea before I agreed to take it. And I've found that I've gained weight, not had any help losing any from it as the doctor said was a good side effect. I am going in today to tell them they need to find an alternative, I'm on insulin so I can't understand why they are still making me take something that has disrupted my life so much. My goal is better control through weight loss, but that's hard when you can't go for a walk for fear of not being near a washroom and are depressed most days because of the embarassment and lack of social interaction due to a med that is supposed to be helping.


I've slowly added more fiber to my diet and that seems to help. Also, my doctor told me to take it at night before bed but I'm less bothered by the side effects taking it in the afternoon. (that just fits my personal schedule of homework, bath, and tucking the little ones in at 730) My MIL take both met and insulin, see what your doctor says but try not to get tooooo depressed! :hug:

I'm new to the Metformin thing- haven't even started taking it yet. Went to the ob/gyn this morning and he said that I must be more insulin resistant than either he or I thought.

He did talk to me more about my PCOS in much more detail than my GP did- sounds like he's more sympathetic towards my weight loss (or lack thereof).

I'm starting out at 1000 a day (one in the morning, one at night), then increasing to 1500 over a period of a few weeks; if I tolerate it. If not, then it's 500 until I can. But he did warn me that I would have stomach upsets.

Is it too late to talk to my pharmacist and see if I can modify my lifestyle further before embarking on the metformin? It sounds a bit like a pharmakon: a magic pill that will help me lose weight, but with unpleasant side effects. I barely eat sugar as it is: most of what I eat are whole grains, lots of low-fat/fat-free protein, lots of vegetables, not too much fruit or dairy.

My typical day is this:
Breakfast: 2 pieces of cinnamon toast with 1tsp butter on each slice; 250ml OJ (that's about the extent of my sugar for the day- then I go work out for 80-90 minutes)

Morning tea: piece of fruit

Lunch: peanut butter and jam sandwich (1.5tbsp PB and 1tbsp jam)

Afternoon snack: nothing

Dinner: grilled or pan-fried meat with salad and veg

Dessert: low-fat yoghurt

All my bread is whole-grain with very little sugar (I make my own bread). I don't drink sugared drinks. I make my own yoghurt with no added sugar. I use only olive oil when I cook. My salad dressing uses 1/2 the oil (I make my own salad dressing too). And I eat out once a week (Friday nights are no-cook nights).

Does anyone see any room for improvement? I suppose I could add a salad to my lunch and change my sandwich fillings to include something a bit healthier than peanut butter and jam (but it's quick and easy- I eat lunch around 2pm). Since I work in a small retail business, it would be very embarrassing if I had to bolt to the bathroom in the middle of serving someone.

Cheers.
Mollie :boxing:

I was given Met today and I am afraid to take it.

Should I take it -- how long was it before you saw your side effects appear?

I'm supposed to take 500 mgs with dinner the 1st wk, then gradually increase to 1500 mgs per day.