Metformin is a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, commonly used as the first-line treatment. It is taken after meals or eating food to reduce stomach side effects like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and gas. These side effects usually go away within a few weeks. Common gastrointestinal (GI) issues include heartburn, diarrhea, and constipation, often caused by nerve damage from high blood sugar levels.
Metformin is a drug that belongs to the biguanides group and is typically taken two times a day. A common side effect of metformin is diarrhea, which is improved when taken with food. Alogliptin is another medication with common side effects such as headaches, indigestion, diarrhea, and skin rashes. It does not usually cause weight gain but may cause headaches, indigestion, diarrhea, and skin rashes.
Metformin is an effective agent with a good safety profile and is widely used as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. However, it may rarely cause a serious, life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis. People with diabetes have a higher risk of chronic or persistent diarrhea, which can last from several weeks to several months. Different types of diabetes drugs work differently, each with its own possible side effects and ways they can interact with other medicines. Understanding these medications and their potential side effects can help patients make informed decisions about their treatment options.
| Article | Description | Site |
|---|---|---|
| Diabetes and diarrhea: Treatment, diet, and diagnosis | Diabetic enteropathy is a form of neuropathy that affects the digestive system. Diarrhea is a common occurrence among individuals afflicted with this complication, with an incidence rate reaching one in five. | www.medicalnewstoday.com |
| Oral & Injectable Medications for Type 2 Diabetes | The medication is typically administered twice daily. A potential adverse effect of metformin is diarrhea. However, this can be mitigated by administering the drug with food. | diabetes.org |
| 6 Metformin Alternatives to Consider for Type 2 Diabetes | Metformin (brand name Glucophage) is the recommended initial treatment for individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is a member of the biguanide drug class. | www.buzzrx.com |
📹 Metformin Side Effects (& Consequences)
Metformin Side Effects (& Consequences) Metformin is a common medication used to reduce blood glucose levels in diabetic …
What is the best diabetic medicine without side effects?
Official answer. Most experts consider metformin to be the safest medicine for type 2 diabetes because it has been used for many decades, is effective, affordable, and safe. Metformin is recommended as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
What diarrhea medicine is safe for diabetics?
Antidiarrheal medications can help stop episodes of diarrhea. Medicines that help people with or without diabetes include: Diphenoxylate and atropine (Lomotil®), available with a prescription. Loperamide (Imodium®), available over the counter.
How are diabetes and diarrhea related?. Diabetes can cause diarrhea, along with several other gastrointestinal (digestive) problems. Diarrhea is a common symptom of diabetes. It’s more common in people who have had diabetes for a long time.
Sometimes, people with diabetes-related diarrhea also experience fecal (bowel) incontinence, especially at night. That’s because nerve damage (neuropathy) due to diabetes affects the anal sphincter. The anal sphincter is the muscle that opens and closes to allow poop to exit your body.
What is diabetes?. Diabetes mellitus is a condition that happens when your body can’t produce or use the hormone insulin. Insulin allows blood sugar (glucose) into your cells so your body can use it as energy. If you have diabetes, your cells don’t respond to insulin as they should. Your cells don’t absorb the glucose, so the sugar builds up in your blood.
What is the safest alternative to metformin?
What are the best alternatives to metformin for Type 2 diabetes?Ozempic (injectable semaglutide)Rybelsus (oral semaglutide)Trulicity (dulaglutide)Victoza (liraglutide)
Is there an alternative to metformin?
Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, also known as “gliptins,” are other metformin alternatives. This class includes Januvia (sitagliptin), Tradjenta (linagliptin), and Nesina (alogliptin). These once-daily oral pills lower A1C up to 0. 8%, making them less effective than metformin in general.
Does everyone get diarrhea from metformin?
Metformin is an oral medication used along with diet and exercise to treat people with type 2 diabetes. According to the manufacturer, about 53% of people taking metformin immediate-release tablets experienced diarrhea in one clinical study. In another study, 10% of people taking metformin extended-release tablets reported diarrhea as a side effect.
Why does metformin give you diarrhea?. Diarrhea can happen when your dose of metformin is raised too quickly, or if you take too high of a dose. It’s not fully clear why metformin causes diarrhea as a side effect. Researchers believe it could be due to the following reasons:
- A change in gut microbiome
- Increased bile acid concentration in the intestines
- Increase in glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) concentration
- Higher amount of serotonin activity in the intestines
- Disruption of histamine breakdown in the intestines
- Increased intestinal glucose
What is a safer alternative to metformin?
Alternative optionsDipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. These medications may help to improve A1C scores without causing hypoglycemia. … GLP-1 and dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists. … Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. … Sulfonylureas. … Thiazolidinediones (TZDs)
In May 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended that some makers of metformin extended release remove some of their tablets from the U. S. market. This is because an unacceptable level of a probable carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) was found in some extended-release metformin tablets. If you currently take this drug, call your healthcare provider. They will advise whether you should continue to take your medication or if you need a new prescription.
If a person with type 2 diabetes experiences side effects of metformin, they may wish to contact a healthcare professional about alternative options to help them manage their condition.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) occurs when the body’s cells stop responding to insulin appropriately. As a result, levels of glucose, or sugar, in the blood rise too high.
How can I fight diabetes without medication?
Get moving. Starting a regular exercise routine can help people with diabetes lower their A1C by an average of 0. 3 to 0. 6 percentage points. “Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise—such as walking, riding an exercise bike, or swimming—at least five days a week,” Kalyani suggests. Add two to three light strength-training sessions a week and you’ll build muscle, which uses blood sugar for fuel. In one notable study of 251 people with diabetes, those who participated in aerobic exercise and strength-training every week for nearly six months saw their A1C fall by nearly 1 percent—a drop big enough to reduce risk for diabetes-related microvascular complications by a substantial 35 percent.
Know your ABCs—and beyond. “Because your risk for heart disease is higher with diabetes, it’s smart to see your doctor regularly for checks,” Kalyani says. Have your:
- A1C tested as often as your doctor recommends
- Blood pressure checked at every visit
- Cholesterol tested once a year
Is there a diabetic medicine that does not cause diarrhea?
Conclusion. Our study has shown that there is no difference in diarrhea risk between sitagliptin and controlled therapies. Moreover, sitagliptin is not a medicine that potentially increases the risk of diabetic diarrhea. More studies are recommended to further investigate this association.
Keywords: dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, adverse reaction, odds ratio, incidence, subgroup analysis, data analysis.
Introduction. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most prevalent worldwide endocrine system diseases. According to a report by Wild et al 1 there were 171 million patients diagnosed with DM worldwide in the year 2000, and this number is predicted to increase to 366 million by the year 2030. Characteristics of DM include hyperglycemia and disturbances in carbohydrate levels and, typically, there is also insulin deficiency and insulin resistance. 2 In clinical practice, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is more common, 3 and the main monitoring indices of T2DM are glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) levels and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels. 4 Thus, the main strategy for T2DM therapy is to control the levels of HbA 1c and FBG. At present, oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) are the most commonly used treatment for T2DM. Some of these OHAs include sulfonylurea, the biguanide class of drugs, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. 5.
Is there a form of metformin that doesn’t cause diarrhea?
You might also see the ER formulation written as XR — they’re the same thing. Compared to metformin IR, the ER version releases medication more slowly and is less likely to cause gut-related side effects. Making the switch to metformin ER may be one way to tolerate metformin better.
How do I stop metformin from giving me diarrhea?
The most common metformin side effect is diarrhea. You may be able to prevent or manage this side effect by taking it with a meal, switching to an ER formulation, or working with your healthcare provider to slowly adjust your dose.
📹 The Side Effects Of Metformin & How To Avoid Them – Dr. Berg
Find out how to minimize Metformin side effects with this vitamin. Google Review: http://bit.ly/DrBergReview 0:00 Introduction: …
I was having all the gastrointestinal issues, so I asked my pharmacist if there was a way to alleviate the problem with metformin. He said never take it on an empty stomach. Always have a meal or substantial snack and take it with the first bite. This helped me a LOT! Doctors know diseases but pharmacists know drugs!!!
I was taking metformin for a few years and when my blood glucose went up again, so I ask my doctor how can I lower it and he said I just increase your dosage! I almost fainted when I heard that and realised that my doctor is not helping me at all! I began to read up on how lowering my carbohydrate intake and cut off sugar as well as processed products in my diet can help me to overcome diabetes. True enough, within few days of changing my diet and closely monitoring my blood glucose on a monitor, I realised that I do not need at all to take metformin. After my doctor review of my blood works, he took off my medication!
Im 32, pre-diabetic, my doctor prescribed Metformin, even though i have issues with my liver. And Atorvastatin for cholestorol. I went through a severe trauma 2 years loosing my Mom in a car accident. It was very tragic. After that year of grief, i really think grief got me sick. Thankfully im pushing forward, but this metformin, is messing with my everyday life. I want to workout but the lack of energy is getting to me. I have 4 children and 2 toodlers on the spectrum and i can barely function. However not giving up, im supposed to drink it twice a day, i lowered it to once a day and hope next visit im good to go prayers for everyone 🙏🏼
I seem to experience stomach cramps and diarrhea. The problem is you never know when they will occur. It could be at work or at home, or even just driving your car. You suddenly get these cramps and ripping belly aches and you then have to go to the bathroom! Then they go away. but it can be disturbing when it happens!
I’ve been on Metformin for over 10 years, for T2. Started at 500 x 4, am now on 500 x 1 daily. I’ve never had any problems at all. I see my doctor 2x’s a year(to check my A1C)and have full labs once a year, with good results across the board. My AIC averages 6.6, my kidneys are fine and I’m almost 70. My doctor told me about B12 early on. Metformin is safer and cheaper than many other drugs on the market for T2 and has a much longer track record than any of them. Per my doctor, if I can get below 6.5 and maintain it, she’ll take me off the medication altogether, but until then, I’m sticking with Metformin!
My vitamin B12 and Magnesium deficiency coincided with me starting Metformin. I never had these deficiencies before. My blood panel was always good. I started using B12 and Magnesium supplements as the recommended doses, but it just slightly increased my levels. All the doctor said is, you need to double the dose. I also get constipation and again all the doc says, is to increase water consumption. For goodness sake, i drink a ton of liquid every day. Since I never had these issues before, I was wondering why the heck this just started one day. I analyzed my medicine and thought there was a correlation. I then researched online and found that Metformin is exactly the reason for these deficiencies. I am going to work on getting off of it. More exercise, less carbs.
Ive been on this drug for going on 2 years . Main symptoms have been excessive gas, diarrhea, and constipation. Honestly i have endured alot of pain and anguish that comes from these side effects that is until today that i decided not to take it anymore. Part of the problem is that i have spoken to the doctor in several occasions and have asked for him to take me off of this med but he is reluctant and finds ways on how to dance around the question . I dont know why but doctors dont like to prescribe other glucose meds besides this one. So i will spare myself the anguish by not taking it and finding myself another doctor.
I had to leave Metformin alone about two years ago. For several years as a T1 Diabetic, I had successful use of the drug. However, after about three years, I began to have Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting and just feeling “sick”. While it does work, after a while it becomes not worth the health problems associated with it.
Thank you do much for your detailed article. I just started yesterday metformin xr750. But had all symptoms that are very rare. I can’t even tell how painful my body was. Had constipation. Stomach, low blood pressure and hypoglycemia low sugar by 75 and flatulence some other symptoms. My doctor was not accepting my complaining. He said it’s not possible. I’m going to stop it. Only two days got me so much trouble and pain. I had very hard time to breathe and feeling tired and weak.
Reading many of the comments has given me great justification in Not listening to Doctors, when they have recommended or tried prescribing drugs for me to take! Hence, at 70yrs of age, I have never taken prescribed medications, get Colds or the flu, visit the doctor, and still work a full day! There are many natural healing alternatives, and I prefer to indulge in those instead!
Metformin acts by suppressing cortisol production, most of its side effects are related to adrenal insufficiency. My take is dont prescribe it to patients who are elderly or are underweight. They go on to develop serious problems, whenever they fall sick due to other reasons like viral fever, surgery, etc.
Well, I am almost 44 years old, all my life I loved sweets, and Cuban food, and American food, and what not😅 however, I’ve always tried to stay in decent shape, exercising and controlling my food consumption a little but not enough since I was diagnosed with pre diabetes and high blood pressure. I take 50 mg of Losartan daily for about 4 years already and for a month and a half now I started taking 500 mg of Metformin. So far I have not experienced any noticeable side effects other than some weight loss. I should really try to start eating less sugar and carbs and get rid of this medication if possible but I will continue for sometime and watch my body’s response as closely as I can. 🤷🏻♂️
Helped me a lot to lose a lot of weight and stay on intermittent fasting protocol (2 years) but I became suspicious and did read an article that metformin can cause decrease in red blood cell count which I was experiencing. I never experieced any of these side effects listed here but was aware it could. I have quit now for 4 months and will be retesting RBC in another month. Note: I have lost faith in Dr. Sinclair.
I was on metformin 2000 mg/ day. Side effects were horrible. Dr. Switched me to ozempic. Side effects even worse. Insurance cancelled me so I’m back to metformin, but this time it is extended release and starting off at lower dose for a while. This seems to be helping reduce severe side effects. Will see
Been on metformin for a couple of years. I do have upset stomach often and gas. I did have diabetic acidic acidosis a couple of times. I have had several episodes of hypoglycemia …. I dont drink, but alot of the symptoms you listed I have but have other diagnosis….I have tested for the anemia for two years so I will talk to my dr about it! I have to watch my blood sugar many times a day. but the extended release helps me more.
Sever diarrhea in the form of brown stinky water that kept me in the bathroom from morning till night and even during the night along with constant dizziness landed me in the hospital with dehydration and vitamin deficiencies. This happened a couple of years after beginning metformin . Within days of stopping metformin the diarrhea went away. It kept me home bound for years till we figured it was.
Thank you for sharing this information. I have been taking Metformin for over 20 years. I haVE SEEN A ND FELT SOME OF THESE SIDE EFFECTS bit I will have to check on my Vitamin 12 . I ve blood tests every 6 months and so far so good. I also take Zocor together with metformin. One tablet a day, usually at night.
Of the 13 possible side effects of Metformin, I experienced 9, including blackouts. My GP advised to cease taking Metformin immediately. Another medication was prescribed, but I also had adverse reactions to that, so I was prescribed a third and the same things happened. Now, I am not being prescribed any meds for type 2 diabetes. My GP referred me to an endocrinologist, but even he doesn’t know what to do with me. Truth is, all meds are toxic and I don’t which is worse; taking them or the disease they are meant to help regulate.
So what is the remedy instead of metphormin? Please advice me. What ever you explained here are absolutely right. I am taking metphormin 1000mg in a day since 15 years. So please advise me a substitute harmless medicine instead of metphormin. Really appreciate for your discription and side effects of metphormin.
That crap wouldn’t let me get halfway through a meal before I had to run to the bathroom. It made me grumpy and irritable as hell. I suffered from a heart attack and died twice while on that stuff! The problem was that the side effects came on gradually over a year after first starting the medication. It wasn’t a case of take the medication and have a reaction. It was a buildup over time! I was also diagnosed with GERD while taking it. I had never had heartburn more than twice in my life before starting that crap. And I’m a chili 🌶 head / pepper head, eating the hottest peppers I can get my hands on! After quitting the medication I haven’t had a single problem with GERD / heartburn since I quit taking it over 10 years ago!
1f I had listened to my doctor and the diabetic nurse I would now be diabetic and on metformin. I was diagnosed 3 years ago and refused to take it. I instead started the fast 800 way of eating by Dr Micheal Mosley after 12 weeks I was no longer diabetic and havent been for the last 3 years. This way of eating also lowered my cholesterol from 7 to 6.3 somthing I’m now lowering by taking olive oil I was told I should take statins also somthing I have refused. I belive you are what you eat.
This is all true,I’m due for renal clinic ..to have kidneys checked out,I was given an ultrasound last month,the day I was taken off metformin doctor said it metformin who hurts kidneys ..I can’t take Voltaren, aspirin,allot of meds I cannot intake anymore due to stomach gastrointestinal ..but you know what doctors knows this but don’t care what it creates,they kill us with these meds ..but I’m strong,I don’t give into the illnesses,I don’t drink any killer’s,I rather sit with pain than let a tablet function my body.thank you doctor.for this information ..may God bless you.
I never used this. What I have learned to do – Is to keep my total carbs low most of the time, take a couple of Tbsp. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil(the real thing) before a meal, and drink watered down Vinegar of which I like Balsamic Vinegar the best During a meal. These 2 things allow me to eat simple carbs at times in safety.
I still believe that this medication killed my friend . I pleaded with him to stop taking it when the headaches started but he wouldn’t because they told him that he had become diabetic . He told the doctor that he believed the medication was too strong for him, but instead of reducing the dosage, his doctor increased it . He developed a brain tumor after taking this medication ; eventually had to stop working, and shortly afterwards was given a time line for life . He went into a nursing home for care and died approximately 4 months later . I may develope diabetes n my life time ; though I am trying to be vigilant, but if I do, I will not allow any doctor to prescribe this medication to me in any form . It’s sad when you feel that you can’t trust your doctor . Some of us are used as guinea pigs only to satisfy a hypothesis . We truly live in scary times .
I started Metformin for long haul covid summer 2023. I got covid in 2020 and was hospitalized with myocarditis. I started to heal and was back to biking 30-40 miles a day but ended up with myocarditis again after receiving a covid vaccinate in 2021. I have suffered from long haul covid fatigue, POTs and heart tachycardia since then. When my infectious disease MD prescribed Metformin I didn’t think it would work. I am now back to almost my pre covid exercise routine and I’m experiencing less symptoms. Metformin is the only drug that has helped with my long haul covid besides steroids. And being on steroids long term has more side effects. If you are in the same situation I recommend finding an infectious disease MD and asking about Metformin.
My blood pressure was in teens. Within a year my blood pressure doubled and now the last time I had it, on Christmas break, they wanted to admit me. I’m 58. Since age 24, i have been borderline. My blood level averaged 100. I get dizzy when laying down or getting up. My kidneys are normal now but earlier they said I had slight kidney problem. Using it with glypicide. I take 4.I do have blurry eyes. I had covid 2019 winter and June 2022. I had better than 20/20 before covid.
When I read that one of the deleterious effects ( i.e. worse than mere pesky side effects ) was the exacerbation of peripheral neuropathy, I immediately quit all metformin and 100% of my numbness and discomfort in my toes vanished. Yes…anecdotal, but it comports with the proven declared side effect known for Metformin !!!!!!!
My primary placed me on this within 3 days I experienced explosive diarrhea overnight – I have no washer and dryer – stopped medication – told my doc you pay me to take this to replace bedding, and loss of time from work and I’ll take it – then I read up more on it and the use to me is not worth it for being a 10+ year border line type 2. Placed me on it after one spike in my sugar.
I developed the WORST diarrhea and vomiting I’ve ever lived through after two years of being on max dose. ER and the doc were convinced it was a stomach bug and nothing else. I don’t know if it was lactic acidosis or overdose but I do know When I stopped it, things got better and when I went back on it, it came right back. Drs, PER THE PDR BOOK, are supposed to titrate the initiating dosage up to therapeutic levels but most, including mine, chunked me on the max dose from day one. Constant stomach issues with it I stopped taking it and reduced my carb intake to very low levels and 10 yrs later, I’m still completely meds free. Met causes diarrhea because the molecule is so atomically similar to another molecule that causes it.
It is astonishing to see that several authors are giving details on ill effects of Metformin so far, but no single person came forward to suggest an alternative medicine to it that could e used safely by diabetic patients throughout the world. Question arises, if there is any valuable and correct medicine to replace it effectively.
For years my doctor would do a blood sugar test every year. They would draw blood and send off to a lab and my blood sugar was always 99 or 100, but never over 100. Then two years ago after my yearly blood test they called and said my tests showed I was diabetic and that this metformin had been called in for me. I immediately asked what my numbers were only to be told that a different test had been done. Some sort of three month estimate. I said no, I need to be tested like I had been all the years before. That test came back the same as it had been for all the years before…99. I don’t trust that 3 month estimate test.
Metformin depletes vitamin B12 and Magnesium But there are other vitamins – minerals and enzymes that can also suffer on an individual basis My advice is to have twice yearly blood checks to see where you as an individual stand with these vital ingredients We are all different and medicines have different reactions outcomes
Type 2 diabetes can be cured with a low fat and oil diet despite genetics. Intramyocellular fat causes the insulin resistance. Sugar does not cause diabetes. Its regulated to manage diabetes. The root cause is insulin resistance from ingested oil that goes in our muscle cells and liver. This basically affects the insulin receptor action
I recently found myself prescribed drugs after a heart operation. When I got the drugs I was floored. No energy, sleeping half the day and generally poor feelings. I had a look at the possible side effects of the drugs I take.and I was gob smacked by the side effects. One even included death ! I just can’t help wondering if the only benefit of these drugs is the money the drug companies get. I am 69 and previously an active normal person. I had a valve replaced and I have lost muscle tone, no balance, I shuffle around like an old man, get sleepy through the day, get vague and now I am completely impotent. My dear wife is so supportive of me, to the point I get a tear in my eyes sometimes I don’t know how I would get by without her. My mother threw her medications in the bin at 83 and lived to be 94. She lived and at quite normally. I am thinking of doing the same thing.
I have type 2 diabetic and have been on 1000 metformin 2 times a day. It gave me screaming diarrhea for the first couple years and they just said get used to it and it makes me feel like crap. I have been on it for almost 20 years and I ache and hurt all over and generally feel like crap all the time. I don’t know if it is age or the meds I take. I talk to my Dr about the metformin and they just ignore it like, it don’t give you any problem, I guess it is a matter of opinion!
Im not fiabetic and no where near being one but i have pcos and have been prescribed this. It gives me diarrhea, gas, acid reflux but worst of all it makes me emotional and cry alot. Metformin is the only thing which gives me my period back. I wonder if that is why… what specifically does it do to give me my menstrual cycle back?
Thank you for the notations of this pill I had told my Doctor No to is med She will always wake up late for me but in the afternoon after I had breakfast and lunch and it was high I told her it’s just common sense but she wanted to put me on the pill and I told her no then four days later she has her stop calling me telling me she wanted me to go back in a week so she can put me on insulin I told her no I honestly believe that we can control that them being put on meds
Been taking it for 9 years very few problems it was very effective in the beginning, but it is beginning to lose it effect I am currently taking the maximum dose per day of 2000 mg. and notice very few side effects if any. Doctor has started me on Glimepiride 1/2 a mg. a day with the Metformin which is currently working well, last A1C was 6.8.
Hello, I have very sore muscles, tiredness & already have neuropathy from nerve damage, pernicious anemia & have to have iron infusions from low ferritin. I was just put on metformin for insulin resistance….is there another medication that is better for insulin resistance? I’d love to take Ozempic since I have had my thyroid removed but not certain it helps insulin resistance & can’t get a straight answer anywhere…can you answer this question? Thank you so much for sharing this article!😊
I had been on Metformin for about 2 years, maybe 3, and I was never told about the B12 need as a side effect. This past March I suffered a Massive Pulmonary Embolism and the hospital could not find any source for the clotting issue. It is possible that Metformin causes my two deaths from the Massive Pulmonary Embolism. I originally went to the doctor for feeling lethargic and constantly weak and needing sleep and the next thing I am told is I have T2 Diabetes and need to take Metformin. The lethargy and fatigue never did get fixed. I sometimes feel foggy and have blurred vision and I noticed that what cures it is eating one snickers bar. What’s that all about?
I have forgotten how long I’ve been on Metformin, plus other stuff so hard to nail down exactly what med is giving trouble. This drug claims more benefits than chemo in reducing cancer metastasis; cancer loves sugar so this is probably correct. Sugar is guilty of numerous damaging effects on the body, so there are positives to keeping the stuff low. The neuropathy effect has me puzzled. Why does this happen?
My husband was diagnosed with adult type 2 diabetes. He was put on insulin metformin and jardiance. Long story short he got tired of sticking himself. So he lost weight and was able to stabilize his sugar simply by losing weight. They took him off all diabetic meds. Fast forward, his weight stayed down and sugars stayed normal. But he gets nauseated in mornings and vomits. Again he had not been on any meds for quite some time. Any thought?
I think it is disturbing that no one EVER mentions or warns that when you first start taking it it makes your vision blurry AF for a few days as your eyes adjust to the lower blood sugar levels. This was SO scary to me and I am really very angry that I wasn’t informed about it and couldn’t find any information explaining it.
Got type 2 diabetes last got medformin than I stopped taking it in October last year I had a pain in my abdomen right side lower down thinking it was appendix had CT scan showing nothing found out it could be nerve damage have numbness in my hands fingers and legs and feet and lips got terrible headaches some days gone back on medformin but now doctor put my on cholesterol tablets got really bad muscle pains been putting magnesium oil spray on my legs feet and hands find it helps a lot with the pain, also I been suffering from anxiety but things getting a bit better.
Someone should do a study – I tried Metformin and had excessive dirrehea for 6 weeks straight – then my blood pressure went through the roof – this all went away as after the second day of feeling like my head was going to explode and I started getting jaw and should pain – everything got better once I stopped this medication. Not everyone tolerates this medicine.
SADLY after much persistence..!! They finally changed my meds. !! I have severe unbalance!! Nerve damage in both lower legs. !! ( Like constant frostbite..!!) Bloating by gas!! & Worst of all major constipation With horrendous pain.!! ( Sometimes couldn’t go for a week..!!) Naturally this has created anxiety issues. !! ( Trying not 2 do an Elvis.. !!) Metformin is the cheapest type of diabetes medication..!! Hence its size…& Most doctors avoid the “better” options 2 reduce cost..!! So definitely percivere..!! They don’t like being proved wrong..!! 😉👌
JJ is surely thorough, and he makes some interesting points. As an RN, I’ve treated hundreds of patients with Metformin. This article, however, is a complete overstatement of the negative aspects of Metformin. Yes, Metformin can make 10-20% of patients a little nauseous or give them diarrhea– and JJ does a great job of describing how these problems subside after patients become acclimated to their dose. But the laundry list of side effects here is really deceptive. The big problem with Metformin, in my experience, isn’t that it causes a bunch of side effects– but that, if you have advanced diabetes, it doesn’t make much of a difference. It just not that powerful a drug. So great for early stages of diabetes (and maybe pre-diabetes). But for advanced diabetes– kinda ‘meh.’ But Metformin isn’t going to cause a bunch of terrible side effects.
My mother had taken this drug for more than 20 yrs, type 2 diabetes. She now goes to dialysis 3 days a week, it destroys the kidneys! Let’s not talk about what she has gone thru to get the ports for those treatments. BUT hey it is a cheaper drug for ins, is it cheaper in the long haul? There’s other options. Once to stage 4 kidney failure diagnosis doc decides to take her off the drug. She realizes then it caused the damage to the kidneys. She is not alone per conversations w other dialysis patients. The doc pretty much said it’s the lessor of the 2 evils at that time. She listened & trusted the doctors. Do not take side effects lightly as if its a “small percent”. Research your choices & you decide. Seriously.
I’ve been on metformin for about 5 years on and off, I’m virtually a prisoner to the bloody drug, I have all the mentioned symptoms but what they don’t mention is you can get explosive diarrhoea from the cramps and gasses.i have to plan my life around being within 5 mins of a toilet if not I cannot control myself. I’ve tried other drugs, with no side effects, but they don’t control the diabetes as well. I’m been waiting for major surgery for 2 yeas and metformin is the only drug that gets my levels lower enough for surgery
Ok question former heavy alcohol consumer or being a heavy alcohol consumer because i use to drink a lot before I was found out I had diabetes /// I have found that taking the slow release metformin does help with the diarrhea but some of these other side effects i am getting too the altered taste, myalgia, diaphoresis, and rhinitis I’m a freaking mess
used 2500 MG metformin a day went from 120 to 60 kilo diaria was standard, had no power left felt dizi, and one day had to go to hospital, first they told me I could have cancer, after more recearch I had a slow working stumic, needed liquid food because I could not eat anymore, even te smell made me puke, Needed to go to toilet only one a week. Had a feeling of blowed up stumic did heart enourmes. Dizziness was always if I stud up, and ofter had to puke. I lost my totally taste for food. I stopped with metformin, after few month everything went away, I started using Glicazide, and now injecting with fast and slow insuline. In all the years in have gotten painful neuropathy in my legs, and my eyes are going back. Feeling way better now still not great glucose, I stopt drinking sugar drinks and candy’s only without suger. Had 26mmol on a dayly base, it’s lowered to max 15 and sometimes to a 3 and sweating like hell Still have breathing problems Tru my nose, but boy I feel better. Just can’t sleep well from the pains in my legs, and my brains keeps working nonstop planning the next day..
Is it true that one of the major Side Effects of Metformin is the Sexual Problem that includes Erectile Dysfunction? I am worried. I am diabetic and undergoing Metformine 500mg Administration for the last 10 days and may continue for four more days before consulting my Doctor. I have no other side effects as you said in your article other than constipation for the last two days. YOUR VALUABLE VIEW IN THIS MATTER IS EARNESTLY SOLICITED.
I’m perusal my mother decline, I don’t know why this is even on the market, i have watched several people lose there limbs because of this product, it’s a money maker, it’s not for everyone, and if isn’t beneficial stop taking it! It’s that simple, I wouldn’t take something 1 if it’s going to give a side effect, why would I want another problem. When I’m trying to fix one😢 make it make sense, 2 use something that is going to balance your diet like eating something that’s going to give you that start in the morning, and not make you feel like you need to go back to bed, give your body happiness and energy, like fruit or vegetable or even protein, the medical industry if failing America! You don’t feel good rest that’s what the body needs, we need to practice eating healthier that’s what needs to be done! Then there will be less people being sick, that’s my word off the day,. Research everything you consume, pretty sad they don’t tell you that on labels! Stop eating fast food use it as a treat not a go to because you want to fuel up!
A doctor I should have sued took me off the thyroid meds I had been on over 20 years,(1.25 Synthroid), and put me on Metiformin. I now suffer with many health issues because of his stupidity. My labs did not even show me to be diabetic, not even close to it. Doctors playing god with people’s lives, need to be in jail.
I was recently diagnosed as pre-diabetic.Was prescribed Metformin(oddly) by my NP. She told me it was going to help me lose weight. Yeahh. I have Hashimoto’s Hypothyroid Disease, and had a strange (maybe..)perceived side-effect of a rash-like area on my throat-over the area of my thyroid. I stopped taking it. Does anyone know(by experience or research) if Metformin causes any issues with the thyroid? Further, I recently heard of a (now redacted) study that showed Metformin helped people manage their Fibromyalgia. I’d like to know if that was ever peer-reviewed, as I suffer greatly from it, and I am desperate. It’s still in my cabinet, and as I am suffering from a severe fibro attack(or as others say ‘flare up’ -wrong word all around, imo). Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.
I have parament nerve damage can’t feel the ground when walking, off balance when walking, liver damage, weakness, dizziness had to start using a cane doctor had me on it for borderline type 2 diabetes for 10 years. I stop taking it three years ago and the doctor is still mad about. I never had these problem before taking the drug.
hello, I found the article very informative, thanks, yet, I have a QUESTION. Why Drs keep on prescribeing it, is the porpouse to decimate population, or, is to create new farmacos, to help the beatten Body,, I hope you do have an acceptable answer. and I asked this becouse you have the cojones of exposing this situation, Thanks again, GOD bless Juan
I think I’m going to throw my meteoric in the bin. Why has my doc noticed be about this information. T1he1y are supposed to be honest and tell us. I am giving up all my medication, from my doctor. If I die an e was rly death then so be it. This information has put me into absolute confusion and fear. How do we trust our doctors. Life socks.
I was prescribed Metformin and insulin shots over ten years ago as a patient with diabetes. Once I developed heart failure, I was taken off that medication. I believe taking Metformin contributed to my development of heart failure. I changed my diet and beat diabetes on my own and Glucose levels dropped solely due to my food choices. My heart failure has improved immensely also. Adding organic turmeric with black pepper to my daily foods plus other organic spices and vegetables is the best way to improve ones health. I like your articles Dr. Eric.
This was very helpful. I started with a statin and even losing weight I became diabetic. I felt horrible. I kept turning to my Dr’s for help and they only gave me more drugs. Metformin 2000mg daily. Last year I learned about Keto and feel better than ever. I fired my Dr’s and threw away the drugs. I’ve been researching about the side effects of these drugs. Thank you.
I take Metformin for PCOS and if I ever miss a day or two when I go back the stomach pain and diarrhea always gets me. Metformin can really kick your butt if you’re not careful. ALSO take it with food if you’re not hyperglycemic because I have totally normal sugar and if I take it without eating I get super dizzy and weak until I eat. Just a few pointers if there are any others taking it for PCOS who aren’t diabetic.
Dr Berg you are my new Guru!! My glucose tests 102 -108 without Metformin. I am so pleased with the Keto program. Yes, I WAS diabetic but I have faith and proof that it’s a condition that can be reversed. You have taught me so much about how to also manage improved health w/o a gallbladder. I could go on and on but these two examples are WHY I call you my new GURU!! Thank you!!
Thank you so much Dr. Berg. I am on Metformin and I cannot tell you how much it has helped me. I am Native American and Aztec/Spanish so I am pretty sensitive to the American diet. I am presently doing keto. My naturopath kept measuring my blood sugar and it would come out okay. Finally, we tried Metformin and I could literally feel the sugar leave my cells. In fact, I thought I had really strong muscles, but it wasn’t muscular at all – my cells were just overloaded. I also lost about 40 lbs. with Metformin and getting my thyroid regulated. I kept telling my naturopath – I think I’m allergic to all food. It was because I had such a reaction after eating – even salad. I did not know what was going on. I also take B1 and my husband gives me b12 injections because of the side effect of being low on b12 when you’re on Metformin. It has been a life saver for me and all the early side effects went away after a couple of weeks.
I took Metformin once when I was on Keto. I was only on the diet for a month when she (my PCP) thought I still needed it. She prescribed it. I was in the car, thank God I wasn’t driving and told my husband to stop. I kept vomiting. I felt like shit afterward and so weak. I then drank vitamin water and finally started to feel better. I told her what happened and she was amazed at my new bloodwork. She couldn’t believe how great the diet was helping me. She then kept saying keep doing what you’re doing.
Dr. Berg, me again, I was on Metformin for a long while, you are so right about it, taking Level now, best ever, have you checked it out . I value your opinion, I quit taking 36 pills a day because I am 62 and memory not as active as was when family were alive and other kids grown. Took so many pills I couldn’t seem to keep up with them. I loved my Doctor,( Gods gift to people) so stong a meds that i didnt even know my daughter. I needed to take back my life, I was raised the old ways and I never took anything, not even aspirin for my migraines. I knew what to do since my mom and sister both had migraines and I was the last of nine . When my husband died in a truck accident, I had heart attack and they put me on a lot. Not complaining just letting you know a little where I’m coming from. Like my mom, I’m a tough ole bird and I get up ever morning with a smile on my face, now even more since since The Good Lord got me through my Cancer. I like it where, you no grilles, no sugar coating, you tell it like it is. That’s the way I am, I want it straight. Thank you
Dr Berg, I suffered side effects seven years ago, I was eventually diagnosed with Lactic Acidosis after collapsing in a pub toilet with vomiting and Diarrhea, with the most unbearable pain I’ve ever experienced. Ambulance turned up and took me to A&E, the hospital stopped my metformin and I spent 4 nights there.
Please also address that metformin depletes vitamin B12, wherein leaving people more susceptible to getting neuropathy nerve damage. Thank you Dr. Berg, but I really wish you would do a longer in-depth article about metformin. It is very important, because it is becoming a routine medicine that physicians are putting paitents on as a so called preventative med. And also giving out for weightloss med. It will lower your blood sugars even if not diabetic. So this can be as much of a unhelpful medication as it can be helpful. Thank you for sharing this article and letting me share this information with everyone. I’m writing this from experience not what I read on the internet. I had lactic acidosis induced from metformin and also vitamin B12 deficiency. Now dealing with severe neuropathy pain from low b12.
I have type 2 diabetes, and have been taking 2000 mg of ted for 12 years. At first, I had weakness, sweated a bit, and what I used to call the metformin 2-step. Over about 3 months these symptoms disappeared. A lot of commenters have said that it is better for you to lose weightand reduce your intake of high glycemic carb foods and that you might even “cure” your diabetes and not have to use metformin at all. Listen to them!! They are right. In my case, I am already normal weight and moderate carb diet but notable to achieve correct blood glucose readings, so I need to stay on it.
I am on Metformin(500 mg) for PCOS and regulate menses,my blood sugar and insulin have always been normal,but metformin has helped my PCOS, I am on day 5 of keto diet and my blood sugar is getting low 60 and I feel awful when it dips. I recently had a hemoglobin A1c done and it was excellent at 4.9. My doctor told me to half the 500mg, but my glucose is still dipping.. I am wondering will this level out or should I stop metformin, I really want to try to do this keto diet.. I have NO cravingS!
I’m not diabetic nor do I have PCOS but I have high testosterone due to insulin resistance so I’m on Metformin. I tried it earlier this year and I couldn’t handle it because I dieted heavily and had hypoglycemia on it due to it. I started this drug again and now I’m just extremely exhausted after it.
People are recommending berberine instead. Problem is that we dont have 50 years of data like we do on metformin. I have had clients on berberine with no blood sugar improvement at all. Those same people did respond favorably to metformin however. So… I have no issue with metformin when used properly and supported with B vitamins. In fact, it has been shown to increase akkermansia in the gut and for most that is a really good thing!
I’ve been taking metformin for years . And actually went off it because of intermittent fasting and a keto diet . I only do the keto diet 4 to 5 days a week . I’m questioning the B1 Deficiency claim . My doctor said it’s B12 that it causes a deficiency in . And I also looked it up, it only says B12 on all medical sites ?
Dr Berg, I’ve been on Metformen 1000ER twice a day since I was 24yrs old. I’m now 54yrs old. My GYN put me on it because I have PCOS & Endometriosis along with Uterine Fibroids. I wasn’t Dx with DM type 2 until I was 49yrs old. I was trying to conceive. IVF several times & my cycles were very infrequent. My Endo Dr said I should remain on it along with 3 different Insulin’s now. I had a TVH when I was 38yrs old. Should I talk to my Endo and discontinue this? My sugar runs 47 to 194. Thank you in advance, Kim
I was prediabetic before KETO, A1c around 6.3. Since KETO I’m at 5.6 after 2 mos. BUT not losing any more wt, at a long stall. No more metformin, stopped it after 1st month of KETO. Just taking vitamins now. Why the big long stall? Discouraging. I also started w/a personal trainer in the gym and body building. Slow, but it’s working.
I had to take that for a month. I had started a new job where I’m now very active. I was taken off it when I had low blood sugar levels during the day. I was experiencing headache, profusely sweating, then my legs felt like rubber. Two times I passed out. Even though I have been off metformin for sometime. I still experience low blood sugar. Never had this issue before metformin, but I do now. How would I go about getting back to normal?
Dr Berg what is your advice to a type two Diabetic who has followed Keto to a T, ACV, Berberine, Low carbs, Healthy fats, intermittent fast, lost a significant amount of weight, have gained more energy with no medications and yet the fasting blood sugar is still above 200 as what it was prior to Keto lifestyle. The needle hasn’t moved. What is happening in these people? Is the pancreas not producing insulin at all? Does larger amount of healthy carbs need to be introduced to stimulate insulin production? There are a lot of people with this type of situation and can you make a article addressing this?
At what blood sugar level would you decide to stop taking metformin? Does metformin actually do anything to help repair/improve insulin resistance, or is just keeping you where you are. I understand it makes you more sensitive to insulin. It seems to me that diet IS the only way to beat this and it takes time with low insulin rates in your body, hence low carbs/sugars. I see sugar as a drug that your body has developed an addiction to which then makes you less sensitive to the high insulin rates that occur as a result of the sugar intake. My dr. Missed diagnosing me with diabetes two years but instead gave me pills for everything else which is actually related to it. Keto has changed my life. My goal is no pills. I am down from 263lbs to 231lbs this morning. The dietitian said if I were to follow the Standard American Diet I could possibly prolong taking insulin for 10 to 15 years. I told her that might be her plan but it is not my plan and thanked her for her time.
My husband takes metformin and for years has had horrible side affects. He wasn’t overweight by any means but because of the constant diarrhea (sorry to be so graphic) he has lost so much weight. He’s always tired as well. My question is, is there another medication he can take? Thank you for your time
My husband took this Med, and he always felt Bad, he got Acid reflux, and at the End, at the hospital, which they didn’t take care of him well, he got “BEDSORES” AND THE NURSES DIDN’T take LET me take pictures, but the ointment they used was a White tube with an orange top! It will be 2 Years in December 4th!
My gut response to METFORMIN and all I read and watch about it, is something to be avoided. I was on it for 12mth at 2gr a days and it did NADA. Exercise and losing weight brings my numbers down to 6 (almost normal range). I feel so better OFF it. I have umbilical hernias and CFS/ME so the lactic acidosis is a big issue for me. I have to take an anabolic steroid to be upright instead of bedridden.
Thanks for the article Dr Berg. I’ve been researching Metformin and contemplating taking it since hearing David Sinclair saying he takes it on JRE (plus NMN + resveratrol). As I already regularly fast, exercise, good diet and generally very healthy it seems like it could be a unnecessary risk to take it. Lots of smart people taking it though (Peter Attia too). Thoughts?
Thank you so muc, Mr. Berg or Eric. I put the Merckformin 1000 mg XR into the trash bin. I will never take it, but I found that even the ASPIRIN is also bad and can also (acetyl salicin) cause Lactic acidosis. I started 2 weeks ago the KETO diet, sometimes I change for low carb and now I gave up every sugar. I bought Coconaut fat or oil, a lot of vitamins. I was so surprised at the 3 times and 600 mg of Alpha Lipoic Acid. I raised it up now…..till now because of neuropathy in my legs (toes) and it started to reduce the pain, it is much more better and I use every day special natural creams for my legs (toes), which I can buy in Hungary where I live. I always hear here in Hungary that a patient with Diabetes type 2 must treat his or her legs EVERY DAY, and to use creams, and other helping materials.
¡¡¡¡Alguien que me ayude!!!! por favor no se ingles tengo 4 años tomando metformina y me gustaria saber si la metformina tiene contra indicaciones he bajado de peso de 80 kilos ahora peso 68 kgs.pero ha sido bien para mi, tengo un problema muy severo de Deficiencia venosa ( mala circulacion) quisiera saber la opinion de este Medico se que explica algo muy impirtante, este problema de mis piernas se me desarrollo al mismo tiempo que me dijo mi Dr. Que tenia diabetes😓
Hi Doctor i am type 2 diabetic diagnosed last February my sugar 14 I weighed 165lbs when i started taking Metformin in a week along i got experience blurred vision and another week i had this Freezing hands and feet and i have acid reflux and heartburn i mention this to my primary doctor why when i start taking this Metformin everything’s pop up Doctor said i had too much sugar after a month and a half my sugar is 9 my weight is 125lbs but i still have this acid reflux and heartburn especially this numbness and coldness of my hands and feet even i walked atleast 45mins daily after work.. do i need to quit this Metformin as this early?
Thank you for your articles, I descovered them in the summer 2016, for over forty years since 1976, I have been on medication, and I was developing more symptoms and more was going wrong with me. I have been drug free since February 2017. I was told in 1982 after a mylogram X-ray that I had ankerlizing spondylitis, the due from the X-ray went up to my head after I had a bad reaction to the lumbar puncture, and ended up in recovery, I developed headaches and seizures, they said that it was not related to the X-ray. I have body dysmenorrhoea affecting my left arm ribcage never had a bust on left side, left hand a lot smaller than the right, I slowly got worse and when I married and had children my symptoms were mild when pregnant but, got worse after my 2 children. I couldn’t walk, and I couldn’t pick my children up, I used to wear a neck brace, a sudden movement of my head and I would black out. Then I started having bowel and bladder problems, I had a heart attack age 39 then told that I had asthma, many hospitals and procedures. The last straw was being given some tablets to help my bladder inconvenience and I was rushed to the hospital I couldn’t pass urine, I was shown how to self catheter. I suffered then from type 2 diabetes. Put on metaformin and I suffered bad symptoms, I kept asking if the symptoms were related to the treatment, but they said no, but every time I was given a new treatment I developed more symptoms just to be given a further prescription to treat the new set of symptoms.
Gosh, that all sounds absolutely horrific. I must be one of the lucky few – I’ve been taking it twice daily (for PCOS) for more than 20 years with zero side effects. Possibly because I’m also taking quite a few herbal/vitamin/mineral supplements and always take those midday when I’m not taking the Metformin. Whenever I meet someone who is also PCOS, I strongly recommend them to see a naturopath/herbalist as well as their GP, and a nutritionist for a healthy life eating plan.
dr berg you r such a great person iam on kito and if my weight reduced, and waist line but after one month of diet my weightloss is stop. my doctor recommanded me to take metformin i have headace and diarea, what can i do can i stop because next month i have opration and it is necessary to down my diabitic.
ED is also a side affect. My husband was put on this for about a year, he experienced many side affects, including ED. Which has never returned in 2 years, something the marriage is struggling with, considering I’m in my mid 40s with zero physical contact in my marriage now. Please people, approach this med with extreme caution.
Is there anyone who does IF and takes Metformin 500mg twice a day and does NOT take it with food? I was told to take it with food to avoid the GI issues. The only way I am going to be able to really do IF is if I can take my morning dose without food. I can’t take it later in the morning because my blood sugar can be normal when I wake up but will keep rising to about 130 til I take the metformin even if I don’t eat anything.