Wellness

[Q4u]

I've taken Metaformin for 9 years.  My first month was harsh.... I was warned it might be but I contiued on and eventually got used to it (maybe two months total with the second month tapering off).  Mine were all stomach issues.  After that no problem.  I take one pill in the morning (with Glipiside) and two in the evening (nothing else.  I've never had problems swallowing the pill.  If you are able to get used to it.... here's some interesting benefits from the drug.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/an-old-line-diabetes-drug-may-have-new-uses-a...

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2001/9/report_metformin/Page-01

Also be wary (careful) of recommendations to take the new class Incretin drugs, which include Jardiance, Januvia, Byetta, etc. because (at least) Januvia (made by the Merck Co.) did animal testing on it and kept the results from the public.  A study done in 2013 by the UCLA Medical School discovered that these drugs can often develop the type of tumor (in the pancreas) that develops into cancer.  There is a lawsuit pending regarding a man whose wife took it for a year and died of pancreatic cancer.  Had they known it's disposition, they never would have taken the drug.....

Really worth researching.

Good luck and I really hope you are able to adjust to this medication.....  

[151949]

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@AKgirl2 wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

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@AKgirl2 wrote:

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@Anita Hug wrote:

If you aren't on the extended release version, then ask your doctor about changing to that. And start at the lowest dose and work up to where it needs to be.  Taking it with food helps. Good luc@Anita Hug

@Anita Hug ~ @151949 ~ I need to ask my nurse practitioner about the extended release Metformin.  I'm sure it would be a lot gentler in the system...most likely higher in cost though:/  May I ask what your daily dosage is?

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 Mine is the lowest dose - 500 mg. And the tablets are huge and hard to swallow. My doctor said that keeps many people from being able to take the ER - the size of the pill.But I gulp them down with a huge swallow of coffee every AM.

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@151949 ~ I'm taking 2000mg a day...the max dose.

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MOST people who are on metformin are on one of the combo drugs - metformin with glucovance or some other blood sugar lowering drug. It sounds like that may be a better choice for you. I imagine that such a high dose of metformin would cause anyone to have stomach problems. My DH did not get good blood sugar control from just metformin but he does very well on metformin with glucovance for the past 15 years.

[151949]

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@Q4u wrote:

I've taken Metaformin for 9 years.  My first month was harsh.... I was warned it might be but I contiued on and eventually got used to it (maybe two months total with the second month tapering off).  Mine were all stomach issues.  After that no problem.  I take one pill in the morning (with Glipiside) and two in the evening (nothing else.  I've never had problems swallowing the pill.  If you are able to get used to it.... here's some interesting benefits from the drug.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/an-old-line-diabetes-drug-may-have-new-uses-a...

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2001/9/report_metformin/Page-01

Also be wary (careful) of recommendations to take the new class Incretin drugs, which include Jardiance, Januvia, Byetta, etc. because (at least) Januvia (made by the Merck Co.) did animal testing on it and kept the results from the public.  A study done in 2013 by the UCLA Medical School discovered that these drugs can often develop the type of tumor (in the pancreas) that develops into cancer.  There is a lawsuit pending regarding a man whose wife took it for a year and died of pancreatic cancer.  Had they known it's disposition, they never would have taken the drug.....

Really worth researching.

Good luck and I really hope you are able to adjust to this medication.....  

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In my diabetes class they told us that 10% of the people who take one of these drugs develop pancreatic cancer. The other warning was the drugs they advertise on TV that release sugar thru the urine - over 20% of those who take that get renal failure. Those numbers are absolutely too high for me to even consider using eith of those.

[Moonchilde]

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@151949 wrote:

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@AKgirl2 wrote:

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@151949 wrote:

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@AKgirl2 wrote:

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@Anita Hug wrote:

If you aren't on the extended release version, then ask your doctor about changing to that. And start at the lowest dose and work up to where it needs to be.  Taking it with food helps. Good luc@Anita Hug

@Anita Hug ~ @151949 ~ I need to ask my nurse practitioner about the extended release Metformin.  I'm sure it would be a lot gentler in the system...most likely higher in cost though:/  May I ask what your daily dosage is?

---

 Mine is the lowest dose - 500 mg. And the tablets are huge and hard to swallow. My doctor said that keeps many people from being able to take the ER - the size of the pill.But I gulp them down with a huge swallow of coffee every AM.

---

@151949 ~ I'm taking 2000mg a day...the max dose.

---

MOST people who are on metformin are on one of the combo drugs - metformin with glucovance or some other blood sugar lowering drug. It sounds like that may be a better choice for you. I imagine that such a high dose of metformin would cause anyone to have stomach problems. My DH did not get good blood sugar control from just metformin but he does very well on metformin with glucovance for the past 15 years.

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I'm on 2000 mg/day NOT XR/ER, and while I have symptoms they aren't every day or so bad I can't function. I have a good A1C (5.6) on metformin with *occasional* (maybe one pill 2-3 times a week) Prandin. I've been on this regimen 6+ years and my A1C has never been higher than 6.

Most people have issues with metformin to greater or lesser degree, but some can indeed take it long term with A1C success. I may get put on a combo drug some day, but for now I haven't asked because of the increased risk of going low, which I'd just as soon not have to deal with if I can avoid it.

[Moonchilde]

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@151949 wrote:

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@Q4u wrote:

I've taken Metaformin for 9 years.  My first month was harsh.... I was warned it might be but I contiued on and eventually got used to it (maybe two months total with the second month tapering off).  Mine were all stomach issues.  After that no problem.  I take one pill in the morning (with Glipiside) and two in the evening (nothing else.  I've never had problems swallowing the pill.  If you are able to get used to it.... here's some interesting benefits from the drug.....

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/an-old-line-diabetes-drug-may-have-new-uses-a...

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2001/9/report_metformin/Page-01

Also be wary (careful) of recommendations to take the new class Incretin drugs, which include Jardiance, Januvia, Byetta, etc. because (at least) Januvia (made by the Merck Co.) did animal testing on it and kept the results from the public.  A study done in 2013 by the UCLA Medical School discovered that these drugs can often develop the type of tumor (in the pancreas) that develops into cancer.  There is a lawsuit pending regarding a man whose wife took it for a year and died of pancreatic cancer.  Had they known it's disposition, they never would have taken the drug.....

Really worth researching.

Good luck and I really hope you are able to adjust to this medication.....  

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In my diabetes class they told us that 10% of the people who take one of these drugs develop pancreatic cancer. The other warning was the drugs they advertise on TV that release sugar thru the urine - over 20% of those who take that get renal failure. Those numbers are absolutely too high for me to even consider using eith of those.

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Same here. My sugars would have to be consistently very high and out of control before I would take the newer "wonder drugs."

[RedTop]

@Q4u,

In support of what you are referencing about the Incretin drugs, I want to add the information that my husbands doctor at the VA is very anti Januvia---alone, and as a combo drug.  Based on what she has read about this drug, she feels it is very dangerous for diabetics long term.   This drug is not in the VA formulary.

My doctor thinks Januvia is a great drug, and prescribed it for me, but as soon as my husbands doctor stated her opinion about it, I stopped taking the medication and insisted my doctor prescribe a safer drug.   

[Q4u]

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@RedTop wrote:

@Q4u,

In support of what you are referencing about the Incretin drugs, I want to add the information that my husbands doctor at the VA is very anti Januvia---alone, and as a combo drug.  Based on what she has read about this drug, she feels it is very dangerous for diabetics long term.   This drug is not in the VA formulary.

My doctor thinks Januvia is a great drug, and prescribed it for me, but as soon as my husbands doctor stated her opinion about it, I stopped taking the medication and insisted my doctor prescribe a safer drug.   

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My doctor wanted to get me off Metformin and Glipiside saying that my pancreas was being "slapped silly" by these drugs.  And she felt I'd get better results.  It cost me $120 for a bottle that covered 3 months! (Both my Metform ($2.80) and Glipiside (2.40) were for 3 months).  But I said I'd try it.  My sugars would not go below 180~!! For 9 years I've been maintaining a 6.3 or under  A1C and I was alarmed!  After three days of this, I went on the internet to find out more.... that's when I discovered the 2013 research from the UCLA's Medical School.... and that wasn't all.  I found a lot out there regarding this class of drug!

My doctor is very good.... she's also VERY busy and I believe when the drug reps came around she liked the sound of what they were selling.... but didn't have time to research it herself.  I don't know how she could have...  these new drugs scare the bejeebies out of me and so do the companies who "shape" their results in order to bring them to market.

Metformin has been on the market since the 1970's

Glipiside has been on the market since 1984

That's a lot of prior testing.....  

[Moonchilde]

@Q4u the general trend for the past 15 years or so is to to have the true "clinical trials" occur AFTER FDA approval; we are the guinea pigs these days - with every new drug, not just for diabetes. I no longer trust the FDA to tell me what is safe vs unsafe, and I haven't for a while.

[Q4u]

I agree with you 1000% and had this discussion with my Dad in the 70's regarding new drugs and trials.  He always told me to be highly suspect of new drugs, find out as much as I can before using them and even then wait to use them until you've seen what has happened after 10 - 20 years of use!  

I am unfortunately predicting a rash of pancreatic/kidney cancer in users of the new Incetin drugs the next ten years.... IF it's reported to the public!

[Moonchilde]

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@Q4u wrote:

I agree with you 1000% and had this discussion with my Dad in the 70's regarding new drugs and trials.  He always told me to be highly suspect of new drugs, find out as much as I can before using them and even then wait to use them until you've seen what has happened after 10 - 20 years of use!  

I am unfortunately predicting a rash of pancreatic/kidney cancer in users of the new Incetin drugs the next ten years.... IF it's reported to the public!

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What's sad is that I'm sure these patients think "But my doctor gave it to me, and I trusted him/her! Why would they do that if they knew?" Good question. I do understand that for some the dangers of diabetes outweigh the side effects - but not for the majority.