I’ve been on 850 mg Met three times daily. I used to take IBprofen for my arthritis and everything was fine, until the new doc said no more IB and changed it to Tramadol — which basically is like taking an M&M for pain. But I digress. Now that I take the Met alone…or after a meal, I find my stomach is so upset that I am vomiting at least three times a week. It stinks! I hate to do that anyway, but that’s my meds for now. Also, the pharmacist asked about some sores on my head and she said that they are probably caused by an excess of met in my system and this is how it is getting out…they take forever to heal up…and with my very fine hair are very obvious, also.
So I don’t see my doc until April…have talked to the DNE and all of this, and got a wait to see the doc answer.
So can anyone give me some insight into using Met, cause I really am ready to quit and try anything but this. Doc wants to drop my amaryl if A1C is good…and I’d rather start byetta and drop the met instead.
I want to be able to go in for the appt with something that sounds intelligent not just a wanna quit attitude.
Tell your doc what you want, you are the boss of you. Not everybody can take metformin. My doc makes suggestions, then we discuss what “I” want and go from there. So far I have gotten my way. :o)
That’s my philosophy, SheRa, I am the boss, she is the consultant. There are many things I don’t know, but I get the feeling from her and her staff that I am not the “normal” medical consumer. Her nurse called yesterday to tell me that they would okay a refill, but I had to come in for a checkup…I told her I had already made the appt and would see her next week…she was very surprised that I would have done that already, like do they have to drag people in to take care of themselves? That’s not me, I am usually on top of things. There are some tests I will do and others I refuse, there are some change I will make or not make. I thoroughly do my homework and carry my “MEdical book” with me whenever I go…being new to each other, I guess we’ll learn that, won’t we.
I am not sure why the CDE is not passing on your symptoms to the doc so you can get an interim response from him/her. Is there not a phone line where you can describe your symptoms and ask his opinion before your appt? The question is whether you are on the correct dose or if you really can’t take Met. As She Ra said, some can’t. But it may be worth trying a lower dose, if it is appropriate for your situation. But only you and your doc can decide that because we out here don’t have enough info to make a judgment. I am also not type 2, tho I do take Met.
Long story short…I lost my doc and CNP in June, they moved on. I live in a very doctor deprived area of the country. 1 doc to every 650 people. Most of the docs are in private practices under the hospitals direction, I found a doc who was new to our community who turned out to know NOTHING about diabetes care, dropped her and wanted to see a doc in her practice but was told that they don’t “doctor hop” and I would have to go elsewhere. Translation: We don’t need you as a medicaid patient"…so now I have a PA who is very good, very overworked, and sees diabetic patients once every four months. We are on our second visit with each other next week. I’ve asked for an extended appt so that we have time to visit, and she gets to know that I am not the type of patient who comes in, doesn’t ask questions, and doesn’t know what’s happening…I do my homework, pay attention to me and my body, am not just compliant because she has letters after her name, cause I have a few too. My question about Met was asked to get feedback to make sure this was not normal, and that the met does have these symptoms with others who have taken it. I am definitely not afraid to talk, not afraid of answers, but do know who pays whose salary.
OK, then let me say this. I know that Met has numerous GI symptoms- some variation of vomiting, diarrhea, gas (a common complaint!). This is why I mentioned the possibility of a need for dose adjustment, the possibility only as I was not telling you what to do. I have never seen a report of the scalp problem in connection to Met. I don’t think I would accept that a pharmacist can diagnose that scalp sores are from “an excess of Met.” I would seek a dermatologist for that problem as there are dozens of causes for scalp rash or sores.
For what its worth! You can google ‘Metformin side effects’ or similar and get lots of chats on it.
Nell, I don’t think nor did I say that the pharmacist was diagnosing, but reading the insert from the Met bottles. I have very fine hair and am prone to have these kinds of side effect when I get too much of the med in my system. It’s not unusual for me; and both my doc and my pharmacist know this. We have no dermatologist in town, so that’s a 200 mile trip either direction. Nice living in an isolated area, NOT! I had the same side effects when I started amaryl and Januvia, so it’s me and the combination. I have pages and pages of info on my meds, just looking for some real people thoughts.
