Metformin weird side effect pattern--help?
 

I started taking Metformin 8 days ago. I'm on a low dose--500 mg at dinner. I'm supposed to increase to 500 mg at breakfast and dinner, well, today, but I'm just not able to do that today.

The first two days, I woke up with horrid nausea--akin to morning sickness. Really bad.

Then that passed. Felt fine.

Yesterday, right after lunch I begin to feel badly: sick to my stomach, even had some diarrhea. It passed.

Today, I woke up feeling so dreadfully wretched--sick to my stomach, stomach pains, dizzy--that I went back to bed after a half hour and slept another two hours and change. Woke up still feeling puny, but got up and ate. (Thought that might help.)

The stomach pain and nausea abated and then came back again pretty strong.

1.) Is it normal for the side effects to seem to be leveling off and then come back?
2.) Should I be concerned?
3.) Will this pass??? School starts back in about 6 weeks. I can't function like this.
4.) Is there something I can do to lessen this? I take it with food, but is there something more specific? A certain type of food? A certain time of day?

Any suggestions will help. I am committed to the new diet and medication regimen, but I feel so terrible today.
(Sorry for the whining.)

Call your pharmacist.

I myself take 500 mg twice a day with food and it does say "Severe vomiting or diarrhea may cause dehydration. If these occur call MD" on my bottle. I use to have the side effects sheet, but I don't. If you do have your sheet, check that as well. Your symptoms could be bad side effects that means you should be consulting someone.

I would call your doctor, however, now, if this continues, or if it gets worse. I haven't had these side effects, except dry mouth lol, but everyone reacts differently to medications. Just call and see to be sure.

I did call the pharmacist. He was positively no help. Lol.

I was hoping to hear from others who've taken it and dealt with this.

Unfortunately, my doctor is apparently out for vacation, lol.

When I first started taking it, I think it was about a month before the side effects went away. Try not to get too frustrated with it because it really is a good medication after you get used to it.

Lol, why is it when you most need them they're always never around. Hehe. Sorry ^_^. What about just not taking it, for now? Could always be an option since you haven't been on it long and it just keeps getting worse until you can see your doctor.

Sorry not that much help since I didn't have to deal with the side effects.

Best wishes! Hope you feel better definately!

:hug:

I ended up in the hospital because of metformin. If your doctor is away go back to just the one pill at dinner... Hopefully you can figure something out. I dont take it anymore.

Victoria--how has your weight loss been impacted by not taking it?

I'm so frustrated after five years of trying everything and getting no results, I'm afraid of not being able to take this drug. But it is making me so sick I can't function. I'm at the lowest dose right now. I was doing fine, but all day today I've basically been in bed.

I agree, go back to the dose you were okay with (1 with dinner). Any number of things could be going on with your body and it's better to be safe until your doctor returns.

I wouldn't just assume this is normal, so please be careful!

I never changed doses. This reaction is happening at the opening dose.
I began with one at dinner. I stayed there. The reaction began before I had time to up the dose.

I would stop taking it until you can get ahold of your doctor. You don't want to chance your health for help in weight loss. I would rather have the same number on the scale for a few more weeks than be unable to function... at least until you can get with a professional who can give you more advise.

I personally took it, 500 mg at breakfast and dinner, for 6 months and it did very little to help me lose weight. I didn't have any side effects but also not significant weight loss.

It has not stopped me from losing weight at all in fact im down 11 pounds in 8 weeks:) I try and do at least 7000 steps a day and at least one hour of activity (going to a hike, a walk, bootcamp, anything really) I haven't really changed my diet much just try and eat more of the good stuff. But i do think since starting progesterone and actually getting periods that the weight is now coming off i think they are connected.

I had to drop metformin after like 2 months because it completely wrecked my liver function. When the blood work came back and said that I suddenly had the liver of a 50 year old alcoholic, the endocrinologist hardly batted an eye and said "yeah, that can happen with your meds...maybe a different dose?" Needless to say, I didn't go back to that endocrinologist again and stopped taking it immediately.

Even with IR and pretty ridiculous hypothyroidism I've been able to lose weight without metformin (I didn't lose any on it, but that was probably because I was on it for such a short period of time). I'd say putting it on hold until you can get in touch with your doctor is a good idea...

I take 4 of the 500mgs metformin pills, the extended release one's ( which don't have as many side effects as the regular ones )...I do remember being sick to my stomach, having little to no appetite, and having some major stomach problems for the first few weeks but it did go away completely...I don't know if it has helped at all with any weightloss as I have been on it for about 4 years now and just recently started losing weight ( in Feb ) because of diet change and exercise...so it may help some if you are working on it, but not totally sure.

Good Luck, hope your dr comes back soon so you can discuss what needs to be done.

Carri

I haven't taken it, but I might start it soon. I read on another board that most people have these symptoms with metformin while still eating a lot of carbs and that lowering the carb count can help. Idk, it may be worth a try???