Embarassing

[Tiger321]

I have been on Glucophage for about 3 years and recently changed to Avandament because of the bowel problems with the Glucophage. I am still having severe diarheaa in the mornings and am afraid to go out as I have had a couple of accidents. The only thing that controls this is taking anti-diarheaal meds every other day. I am worried about the effects of this also.
Any suggestions re meds that have cured this problem. Change of med? Also do the new meds cause weight gain?

[modert]

Did your doctor explain how this new medication works compared to the glucophage you were taking? Its so important that you understand how any medication you take will effect your body.

Avandamet is a combination drug - it combines metformin(glucophage) and Rosiglitazone(avandia) together. The metformin attempts to control your diabetes by restricting the amount of blood glucose your body produces/absorbs. Rosiglitazone attempts to control diabetes by modifying your cells so they are more receptive to insulin - allowing your body to become less insulin resistant. The most important thing to know is that these medications are POWERFUL drugs that effect your metabolism and your body chemistry.

You are probably still having diarreah because your new medication is still part metformin/glucophage. A common side effect of both metformin/glocophage and avandamet is diarrhea (and other digestive problems like bloating, nausea, and upset stomach). Glucophage works primarily in the liver to do its job, and these specific side effects are caused by the effect of the medication on the liver function. They claim that these symptoms typically subside after 2-3 weeks, but if you have had continuous problems on glucophage for 3 years, it is likely that this will not change for you.

Do you take your meds with food, as they recommend? This might help. Have you had complete liver and kidney function tests? (these meds are not recommended for those with weakened liver or kidney function, which many diabetics have!) I recommend that you contact your doctor and let him know this is a problem for you, and that this condition has not changed with the new meds.

There is no medication that will "cure" the problem as you say, but you could try a different type of medication or no medication at all. There is a 3rd type of diabetes drug that does not work the same as those listed above. Glimipiride (Amaryl) works by stimulating insulin production in the pancreas. While this is likely to reduce or eliminate the digestive problems you are experiencing, it does come with its own set of problems - Insulin and cortisol are VERY powerful hormones and this drug modifies the production of these hormones. The most common side effect is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar episodes) and anxiety (if your body produces excess cortisol in response to your higher insulin production.) You may find that this medication works better for you, however. Have you ever explored attempting control without meds? It doesn't work for everyone, but when you get really sick of taking meds and how they make you feel, its worth looking into.

[Tiger321]

Thank you so much for your prompt reply. The doctor knows this and has not suggested another med. He thought the Avandament would help as it is a lower dose of Glucophage than I was taking.
My diabetes is very controlled. I have a fasting blood sugar of 97 to 110 in the morning. I take my meds at night as that avoids serious discomfort in the afternoons. If I take it at night the diarheaa usually subsides by 10 AM and I can go about my business.
When I started taking meds my highest blood sugar was only 177 so I don't know if I could control my diabetes with diet and exercise. The docs have not been very prone to allow me to do this.

Thanks again

[jtu91952]

Originally Posted by jdimassimo

Did your doctor explain how this new medication works compared to the glucophage you were taking? Its so important that you understand how any medication you take will effect your body.

Avandamet is a combination drug - it combines metformin(glucophage) and Rosiglitazone(avandia) together. The metformin attempts to control your diabetes by restricting the amount of blood glucose your body produces/absorbs. Rosiglitazone attempts to control diabetes by modifying your cells so they are more receptive to insulin - allowing your body to become less insulin resistant. The most important thing to know is that these medications are POWERFUL drugs that effect your metabolism and your body chemistry.

You are probably still having diarreah because your new medication is still part metformin/glucophage. A common side effect of both metformin/glocophage and avandamet is diarrhea (and other digestive problems like bloating, nausea, and upset stomach). Glucophage works primarily in the liver to do its job, and these specific side effects are caused by the effect of the medication on the liver function. They claim that these symptoms typically subside after 2-3 weeks, but if you have had continuous problems on glucophage for 3 years, it is likely that this will not change for you.

Do you take your meds with food, as they recommend? This might help. Have you had complete liver and kidney function tests? (these meds are not recommended for those with weakened liver or kidney function, which many diabetics have!) I recommend that you contact your doctor and let him know this is a problem for you, and that this condition has not changed with the new meds.

There is no medication that will "cure" the problem as you say, but you could try a different type of medication or no medication at all. There is a 3rd type of diabetes drug that does not work the same as those listed above. Glimipiride (Amaryl) works by stimulating insulin production in the pancreas. While this is likely to reduce or eliminate the digestive problems you are experiencing, it does come with its own set of problems - Insulin and cortisol are VERY powerful hormones and this drug modifies the production of these hormones. The most common side effect is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar episodes) and anxiety (if your body produces excess cortisol in response to your higher insulin production.) You may find that this medication works better for you, however. Have you ever explored attempting control without meds? It doesn't work for everyone, but when you get really sick of taking meds and how they make you feel, its worth looking into.

Hi JD, me again. You sure give great advice. I was on all 3 of the meds you mentioned in your post. Sometimes all 3 at the same time along with insulin. I wish I had found this board then. I was interested in the glucophage part of your post. if glucophage works via the liver, can it cause cholesterol to go up. B4 I took glucophage i never had high cholesterol. After taking it I started having cholesterol problems.

[modert]

Originally Posted by jtu91952

if glucophage works via the liver, can it cause cholesterol to go up. B4 I took glucophage i never had high cholesterol. After taking it I started having cholesterol problems.

You bet it can!!! Your liver is responsible for metabolizing and/or excreting any fat you consume, including dietary cholesterol. There are many things that can cause the liver function to be compromised, including perscription meds, illegal drugs, alchohol, and poor diet. Also, when the kidneys are not healthy or the body is dehydrated, the liver lends a helping hand to the kidneys in an effort to keep the body detoxified. When the liver is doing the kidney's job, it can't do its own very well. The body is an interesting machine... one would think that the metabolism of fat and cholesterol is the liver's least important responsibility, because it is the first thing it stops working at when it is unable to do all it is supposed to do!!! In summary, a healthy liver is vital in regluating blood cholesterol levels, AND high cholesterol can be a sign that your liver is not healthy.

Besides eliminating the specific cause of an unhealthy or overburdened liver, there is one thing you can do that will improve liver function rather dramatically - drinking LOTS of water. The recommended formula is 1/2 of your body weight in ounces... in other words, if you weigh 150 lbs, drink 75 oz of water... If you weigh 200 lbs, drink 100 ounces of water. It seems like a lot, but supposedly this will help. I may not have mentioned this before, but this is one of the reasons I drink nothing BUT water. And it may be one of the reasons why my cholesterol dropped so quickly. I also had extremely high liver function tests which are now back down to normal range, again with no meds.