Metaformin queastion

[gardenandcats]

My Husband was diagnosed 4 months ago type II. He started on 1 Metaformin HCL 500mg then in a week 1000 mg Metaformin HCL. Sugar was still running close to 300 so he then started on Metaformin HCL 1000 mg morning and night.Still high sugar so The Metaformin 2x a day plus Glyburide 25mg with his suppertime Metaformin HCL. Hes doing really well with his diet.Sugar is 105 morning then after supper which he eats very little its up to 150 or even 170. But he feels horrible. He has constant cramps and feels so sick to his stomache. Often just the sight of food makes him feel like vomiting.He used to weigh 200 and hes down to 168! Everyone is making comments on how thin he looks and he is thin for his height.Hes a fit active lobsterman. He says he feels like dieing if he has to feel this sick all the time. Its not getting any better as the doctor said once he adjust to the meds the cramps and diareah which he now has will get better.
I'm so worried he barely eats. And some days he doesn't eat anything because his stomach feels so bad. BTW hes 49. He realizes the importance of eating at set times daily to help control his diabetics but he just can not eat. If he does he actually does vomit sometimes. He has no energy hes so tired.His energy level used to amaze me! Now he has to push himself to work and some days he doesn't. As hes self employed he can take days off. He would prefer not to but has to due to the stomach ache and tiredness.
Has anyone had this type of problem with these meds? What should we do? Any thoughts and direction would be very much appreciated.

[ZV7]

I’m taking 1000 mg of Metaformin twice daily, have been now for a couple of years, but have never experienced what your husband is going through. My diabetes began when I was 49 and I will be 59 in June. It sounds to me like your husband has had allot of rapid weight loss, and what he is going through may not be due to the Metaformin but may be due to something else. I’m just guessing here, because what you have described requires blood tests, urine tests, and a through physical examination, which apparently his doctor doesn’t feel is necessary.

Again, I‘m just guessing, it seems like with your husband only being on pills for his diabetes, and not pills and insulin as I am, that his body is still producing a good quantity of insulin. Metaformin makes the body more insulin sensitive so that the insulin in the body can be better utilized. My doctor put me on insulin because my body was not producing much and he did not want the pills to deplete and wear down my pancreas. The pancreas is what produces insulin.

My best suggestion for your husband is to get a second opinion. I believe that anytime a person has a life threatening illness, which diabetes is, they should get a second opinion, which not only includes diagnosis but also a suggested treatment strategy. I went through about 5 different doctors over a period of months, when I initially got diabetes, before I found a doctor that I was comfortable with and a comfortable treatment strategy, because while all of them told me I had diabetes, some said I had type 1 while others said I had type 2, and all of them had different treatment strategies. My first two years as a diabetic was an incredible adjustment period, not only for my body but also for the type of treatment I was receiving. I was hospitalized for low blood sugar just months after my diagnosis, but now have adjusted and have had no further hospitalizations for my diabetes. Another important point is that your husband should attend diabetic education classes, usually given at most hospitals by a diabetic nurse, and includes a dietitian, etc. Call your local hospital and inquire about diabetic education classes. I attended a number of these classes, you can go with him, most are approved by the American Diabetic Association, and they have allot of information to offer diabetics.

[strong_one]

My mother is now off metformin because of those same side effects. For the first time in weeks, she began to eat something. She had it pretty severe like you and when you don't eat already then vommit then that's not very good. She was always feeling as if she was going to vommitt all day. Just the thought of food and even water made her ill. Now she is on Actos or Actol and she is able to eat and her BS is still staying down. I must admit though her numbers were great once she started taken metformin (at near perfect). She just started to actol - I'll give you her avg numbers after it kicks in.

[SamQKitty]

A friend's mother had this same problem, and in researching solutions for her, I discovered that Avandia has fewer stomach effects than Glucophage (metformin). You may want to ask your husband's doctor to switch him to Avandia instead. Caveat: Do NOT let him give you Avandamet, as that is a combination of Avandia and Glucophage and would have the same side effects.

Ruth

P.S. My friend's mother did fine once she was switched to Avandia.

[gardenandcats]

Thanks for the replies.Hubby sees the doctor this Monday. I will be going in with him and insist that he change his med. At the last visit we told the doctor about all the stomach problems, he said hmm thats odd usually if there is any stomach problems they clear up in a couple of weeks as your body gets used to the metformin. Well Helloo its going on 4 months and its no better. Atleast 3x a week people that haven't seen my husband inquire lately about his drastic weight lose. So its obvious to everyone that sees him hes way underweight. If you can't eat because of the severe cramping and naseua then your going to keep losing weight so something has to be done. This is a life long disease and he will always need meds. So they will have to get him in a med that agrees with him.
Its reassuring to hear that others also could not tollerate the metformin. So it does happen to some people. We will also ask if it could completely unrelated to the metformin. But I'm positive it is as the stomach problem started when he started the metformin. I'll update after his doc appointment.