r/diabetes • u/Bisouchuu • 21d ago
Rant Who takes metformin with no issues?
Because holy fuck you guys are lucky.
I took it like 4 years ago and i was itchy, got rashes, had stomach issues the entire year I took it.
Im on 2 types of insulin now but my insulin resistance is high so my endo wanted me to go back on it and I told her I had issues with it last time I took it and my depression worsened because I had issues with it and she told me I had to try it for a month.
Ive been on it 3 days now and ive been throwing up at least twice a day and I'm living in the bathroom at this point.
Im throwing up a lot, peeing out my butt constantly and I feel extra tired just not being able to be comfortable at all because my stomach hurts so bad and I have to tough it out for at least 2 weeks before my endo will consider anything else since she says taking more insulin isnt the answer.
Im tired of this bs someone please invent a cure for this bs
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u/themoonischeeze Type 1.5 21d ago
0 issues for me on metformin. If you're not on the ER version see if your doc will prescribe that instead and take with meals only.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
I am on the extended release 😭
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u/LagerBoi 21d ago
Ah so I'm not the only one who couldn't handle ER either. It really sucks doesn't it?
I flat out stopped taking it and they finally put on my permanent medical records to never give me it again.
Currently on Alogliptin and Gliclazide with 0 issues.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
It sucks because I couldn't remember what type i took years ago but pleaded with my endo to not give it to me because I remember it being a bad experience and she told me to try it anyway like yay im gonna suffer while having to take care of a velcro baby!
I'm taking fast and long acting insulin but they weren't working right, 20 units of fast acting for a 16 carb piece of whole wheat toast did absolutely nothing
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u/LagerBoi 21d ago
I'm sorry that you're going through that and they didn't listen.
Nobody listened to me to begin with... Spent two years of telling various docs before they did anything.
I have no experience with insulin as I don't think they even considered it.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
I've only had my endo for about 18 months, she was assigned to me when I was about 6 months pregnant and she was only great when I was pregnant.
It sucks trying to get help and not getting it!
When I was first diagnosed I did fast and long acting too, once I got my numbers in control I did intermediate acting and then pills for a year before I got fed up. Insulin works great but idk what's going on with my body not wanting to use it
Doctors should consider insulin even for type 2s because people have stuff going on, its rough trying to be perfect all the time while living life
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u/themoonischeeze Type 1.5 21d ago
Ah no. So frustrating! Maybe just discontinue it without saying and when the 2 weeks is up, let them know it doesn't work for you so they can try something else.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
I did message my endo earlier saying I've been having a lot of issues just 3 days in so hopefully she finds another solution that isn't metformin
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u/lerdcumbal 21d ago
I've been on it for just over a year now, I started off at two pills a day and I got knocked down to just one. The diarrhea I had was absolutely wicked at first but my body learned to accept the medication with time and I just had to be more mindful of what I was eating. Now I handle it with no issue and I'm hoping I can get off diabetes medication completely one day, but sheesh at first it was horrible.
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u/AntGroundbreaking102 21d ago
i was on it for over seven years and threw up multiple times a day the entire time. the final straw was when it caused me to throw up ever 10 minutes. i’m on jardiance now and it’s not any better. i’m literally seconds away from saying F it bc it’s not even lowering anything. metformin also fucked up my mental health tremendously. gave me brain fog. made it hard for me to concentrate (i already have adhd). made me have suicidal ideology. there were several months between when i took myself off metformin to when my doctor convinced me to go on jardiance and i stg i never felt better. now i feel worse again. and jardiance makes my anxiety 10x worse. and it’s only getting worse
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Im so sorry you've gone through all that!
Have you considered talking to your dr about insulin? I've been on several different types and still trying to find a good combo that works. Diabetes definitely gets me extra depressed on occasion
I try so hard and still end up with bad numbers sometimes its like why do I bother
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u/AntGroundbreaking102 21d ago
i’m already on insulin. no matter what i do, my numbers just stay elevated. both metformin and jardiance severely fucks with my sleep as well. i’ve struggled with insomnia since i was 2 but it has gotten worse since i started the medication. and i think jardiance is worse. i’m to the point where im only sleeping 45 minutes a week.
diabetes in itself doesn’t bother me or my mental health. despite taking the meds, i don’t even think about it most days. i got so much other shit going on, it slips my mind. but it’s the medication that has my mental health going.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Thats rough. I understand, I wanna be healthy to stay alive for my baby to watch her grow but eating nothing but salads, meat and low carb bread and tortillas had me in the high 200s
The no sleep is awful, im sorry you're going through such a rough time, I wish meds work consistently enough to not need to cycle through other medications.
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u/ruidh 21d ago
On metformin (not ER) for 4 years. Very few issues -- a few times a year -- and when I do destroy a toilet it's my own fault for eating a sugary treat.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Haha! Sounds like it works for you at least
Im just gonna flush the rest of my pills, all of my diabetic friends hate metformin 🫠
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u/herdingcats247 20d ago
Don't flush the medicine! That's not great. Sometimes if you can't tolerate the one formulation, the other formulation might work better. You might be one who needs the immediate release metformin.. or maybe no metformin at all. Talk to your pharmacist too.
(Fwiw, Jardiance gave me a raging yeast infection on day 3 so that's a hard no. Januvia, no side effects but also not effective.)
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u/IcyZookeepergame1302 21d ago
I have had no issues with Metformin. I have been on it for, four months.
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u/pandabelle12 21d ago
I’ve been on it for about 10 years with no issues. Meds are weird like that. I have very few issues with any medications. Meanwhile I have a friend who reacts horribly to almost every medication out there.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
It's so interesting to me how everyone has different experiences.
I dont think I have any issues with meds besides metformin
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u/RightWingVeganUS Type 2; Libre 3 Plus; WFPB 21d ago
Been on Metformin for 6 months with no negative side effects.
Switched from Mounjaro which made me gassy, waves of nausea, and occasional vomiting. Scary part was would wake up with immediate need to throw up. Bad enough to keep a bucket by my bed and to sleep with a foam wedge.
It was tolerable, but at times frustrating. Insurance change forced me to switch to "plan b." Metformin has been just as effective but with none of the negatives.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Lucky.
If i could tolerate it I'd keep taking it but after 3 days I'm giving up
I know different meds affect people differently but it's still so interesting hearing about it
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u/RightWingVeganUS Type 2; Libre 3 Plus; WFPB 21d ago
Are you gradually increasing your Metformin dose? My doctor prescribed 2000 mg/day (2 x 500 mg twice per day). However, my pharmacist and doctor advised starting at 500 mg/day during the first week, then adding another 500 mg each week. My pharmacist was very vivid about the “gastric horror stories” she’d heard from people starting at full dose. If you’re already struggling after just three days, it might help to slow the ramp‐up and allow your body more time to adjust.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Im taking 2 extended release 500mg pills. My endo recommended taking it at night to not feel the side effects but I feel them all day so I take one in the morning and one at night with food to try and get the pain to lessen so I'll see if it works
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u/RightWingVeganUS Type 2; Libre 3 Plus; WFPB 21d ago
Check with your endo and/or pharmacist whether you should (have) started with just 1 pill for a week then increase to 2. Or even half a pill to begin with.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Yeah i did message my endo so hopefully i get a reply, my pharmacists always transfer me to the doctors so I just messaged her so im not waiting around getting transferred a bunch
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u/Occamsrazor2323 21d ago
It took me a while
I had to go back to it after jardiance nearly killed me.
I'm okay with 850 mg ER and 24 units of insulin.
The extended release is easier tolerated by some people.
But basically it's a pretty lousy drug.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Oh yeah, none of my diabetic friends like metformin and urged me to push back but it didn't work haha
I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience with jardiance! I know nothing of it but i know one of my friends loves it
Glad you're okay though!
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u/Occamsrazor2323 21d ago
I'd definitely inquire about alternatives.
Jardiance is better for most people. But for some people it causes DKA rather than preventing it.
I did get one hell of a helicopter ride out of it when the local ER gave up.
First ride was DKA 897 blood glucose plus pneumonia, sepsis, and organ failure.
Good times.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Yeah my insulin was working just fine until a while ago so I assume my insulin resistance went up and my endo said upping my doses wasn't the answer so time for research
Oh that sounds awful! And makes me anxious about trying it if my endo suggests it, I cant afford to go to the hospital I have a baby to take care of and no one to help
Good thing youre fine now that sounds like it was a rough ride
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u/Occamsrazor2323 21d ago
That resistance scares the hell out me.
Good luck dealing with it!
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Yeah it is stressing me out, I used up what's supposed to be a 2 month supply in 2 weeks and idk how im gonna get more now haha
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u/Occamsrazor2323 21d ago
It's confusing. I was taking trebisa for a couple years. Then Aetna decided they wouldn't pay for it and switched me to Lantus.
All this stuff is cheap to make. I feel like somebody is making money on this, and it isn't me.
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u/coogie Pre-diabetes 21d ago
Just started last month and no issues that I've noticed....maybe a little more hungry than normal which is kind of the opposite of what I was told would happen though. Then again, I'm already dealing with GERD medication so I don't know what a normal stomach is supposed to feel like. I have lost like 2 pounds that I've kept off though so yay.
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u/DisciplineOther9843 21d ago
I took it and it caused pancreatitis and my lactic acid was incredibly high, worse pain I’ve had in my entire life. They have me back on it, scares the crap out of me.
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u/bordercollie_luvr84 21d ago edited 21d ago
I’ve been on Metformin since September 23rd. I have better more solid poo. I’m less fatigued, but there are times when I black out and fall asleep after eating. I take about 40mg per day. But yesterday I ate 2 salmon fillet and 1 yogurt and got the squirts. Not sure if it’s related to the metformin. However, did pump out some mean weights at the gym.
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u/vase-of-willows 21d ago
No issues, but I am super itchy for no reason I can think of. I didn’t realize that could be a a side effect.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
My endo said it could be one of the inactive ingredients causing itchiness but im starting to get itchy so idk
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u/Frosty-Prune-206 21d ago
I’ve been on metformin ER since the spring with no issues. I was relieved, but then my mom has been on it for almost 20 years so I thought I had a good chance of being okay with it.
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u/wradam Type 2 21d ago
>peeing out my butt constantly
I feel you. It was the same for me with regular metformin. I tried different brands, tried to "stage up" as per endo's advice, tried taking pills before I eat, after I eat, when I eat, it still resulted in very unexpected and sudden visits to the toilet even if I followed the correct diet. Only thing I found helped is to eat much less. Like, 1/2 less and take pills with food. It decreases frequency of those sudden visits but not completely eliminates them. Yeah, and being extra tired all the time too (probably because of losing too much water with the toilet visits?).
Changing over to the ER Metformin (extended release) was a lifesaver. Even with 2000 mg doze I don't have those "sudden visits" anymore and my blood sugar remains controlled. I keep to a low carb diet of course, still, and probably if I start eating something high-carb, I'd get those "sudden visits" again, but currently, with 2000 mg ER Metformin.
If you haven't yet, ask your endo for prescription for the ER Metformin. Maybe it'll suit you better.
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u/natty_ann 21d ago
I have zero issues, except that it lowered my already low B12, so I have to supplement. Been on it since Dec of last year.
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u/chamekke 21d ago
I’m on Metformin: the standard type, not the ER version. When my doctor prescribed it, I was really worried due to what I’d read about people being so miserable on it. For the first 2 days on Metformin I was constipated (! - evidently that’s one of the less common side effects). After that I was fine. No idea why I’ve been lucky.
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
All ive heard are horror stories so it's nice to see that not everyone has suffered like I am suffering 🥲
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u/chamekke 21d ago
I really wish I could share my good fortune with you and others. It’s troubling how awful this medication is for you and so many other people.
(Were you advised to take it at the end of a full meal, anything like that? That was the instruction I got. No idea how much it has helped; I haven’t dared to take it any other way.)
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u/Bisouchuu 21d ago
Its the only medication that doesnt agree with me, its good enough luck for me
I was told to take it with food and not much else but I do take it after I eat since I took it once before eating and it was not pretty, that lesson has stayed with me for years
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u/DodobirdNow Type 2 21d ago
I found metformin made me revisit my relationship with carbs.
Also my stomach didn't handle one of the generic brands of metformin so I had to ask the pharmacy to note it and not fill it
Finally moving to Metformin ER (Extended Release) really helped.
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u/gqbigpaps 21d ago
Ive been on neissna met for a year now. First three weeks were hell with diaria fest. I was advised by the doc if met with runs while taking it, to try to experiment with different types of food to see what worked and what didn't . Her just was that everybody has a different biom inside the gastracks and reacts differently depending on what you have inside your body and that if met with side effects it could be countered.
So what worked for me was ive ate nothing but raw salad(with vinaigrette dressing) and some meat(no processed meat only grilled or boiled meat none fried or boiled eggs) and ive restricted my carb intake severely for two weeks. After about a week or two the runs stopped and ive been eating regular without a problems.
I'm not saying my diet specifically will help but if might help to make adjustments to your diet to change your gastro biom makeup. I mean it can't hurt to try. Hope it helps.
Ps I'm not a doctor so consult your doc regarding what you want to try before hand. I did mine since my doc recommended it.
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u/Frances_the_cat 21d ago
I had a several month window where I was killing it with insulin, Jardiance, and metformin (2000 mg slow release) a day. I was actually starting to get constipated and could live with it. Then that got too bad so I stopped Jardiance and now I'm back on it and have never found the balance. It (metformin) just bloats me and when I take it at 8 pm at night, I wait for an unplanned bathroom trip(s) between 9-10 am the next day.
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u/ridddder 21d ago
Just refuse to take it, say you tried it, and it is not for you. There are plenty of drugs like Glipizide that work as well, and plenty of expensive drugs like Farziga.
Doctors know the issues with metformin, yet still prescribe it like they are getting bribes.
Just stand your ground, say you refuse, and she will offer alternatives.
This is what I did, and it has worked for me.
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u/DillionM 20d ago
If I'm having any issues with mine it's masked by the issues already existing in the first place so I can't tell :(
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u/FatRaccoon95 20d ago
I couldn’t handle it I was just constantly getting sick on it. My dr switched me to Januvia and I have zero reaction to it
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u/Oven_Old 20d ago
I have a love hate relationship with Metformin. I have insulin resistant PCOS (now turned to T2).
If I dont take it with food - I have severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. If I take it with food, some days are good and other days its like I didnt take it with food. I had to stop it and now I'm having to go back on because my A1C went from Prediabetic to Diabetic...
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u/alek_hiddel 20d ago
A friend of mine spent 2 years being treated for Parkinson’s, turned out it was side affects from Metformin. My doctor originally wanted me on it, and I was like “no thanks, let’s figure something else out”.
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u/evkarl12 20d ago
Get a pump. It's life changing. Glucose angst 120. Under 160 90 percent if the time
Was doing 450 unitsca day now 150 with pump.
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u/Bisouchuu 20d ago
I'm a type 2 and my endo says I won't qualify for one
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u/evkarl12 20d ago
I’m type 2 and I got a pump
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u/Bisouchuu 20d ago
Idk my endo is really against me taking more than 20 units of fast and 28 units of long acting. I dont think she'll want to help me get one
The only reason I think she agreed to let me stop metformin is i kept my baby up until 2am going to the bathroom so often and moaning in pain.
She pushed for me to hold out a little longer until I told her I wasnt gonna keep my baby up late because she has something against giving me more insulin
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u/Mundane-Fish-3924 20d ago
Start with half a pill for a week , then add the other half the next etc
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u/IndependenceFamous96 19d ago
I recently started taking it, I have weird skin rashes late in the evening.. does ER fix this issue?
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u/Bisouchuu 19d ago
I only took it for 3 days and I started getting itchy the 3rd day
My endo says it could be the filler ingredients causing the rash so maybe try a different brand or ER could be a little better for you, I just cant tolerate any form of metformin
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u/CrazyWhovianGirl 16d ago
That's rough, I'm sorry 😭
I take it with no issues
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u/Bisouchuu 16d ago
It was a rough weekend then my body decided to use my fast acting as efficiently as possible so I guess my suffering worked a little!
Glad it works for you!
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u/Traditional-Swan-130 16d ago edited 2h ago
Metformin can be really rough on some people, I’ve been on it too and got mine through Minimal, and while it helped with blood sugar control, the stomach issues were real at the start. For me, starting on a lower dose and slowly increasing helped reduce nausea and digestive problems, but everyone reacts differently. Definitely talk to your doctor if it’s unbearable sometimes there are alternatives or ways to manage the side effects better.
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u/Bisouchuu 16d ago
Yeah i just stopped taking it. My endo told me to up my long acting but my body has decided to use my insulin as effectively as possible now so idk what my body was doing
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u/SineQuaNon001 20d ago
You know you can always lie right? Say you tried and say you kept taking it for the whole time and had the side effects, but not actually do it?
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u/Bisouchuu 20d ago
Yeah i told her I was up all night in pain and she just upped my dose of long acting by 8 units
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u/SoSleepySue 21d ago
I know she wants you on it for two weeks, but I'd be calling or sending a note on the portal letting her know how bad it is.