The Screaming Meemies

Type 2
1

Okay, I am on 500mg of Metformin per day. The literature says anything under 1000 mg per day won’t really affect the body, but this sort of goes along with the care I am receiving from my doctor.

I have had sudden explosive attacks of diarrhea. Usually, I get about a window of a minute to get to a bathroom. Today, bingo, right in the car driving. Once it happened, I could not stop and get out of the car, drove home.

Now, if it happens at work, even if I wore some kind of diaper (oh, this is getting less dignified), it would be noticed by smell, so what the heck…

I have no quality of life, because as soon as I get abdominal pain I have to run home in case anything happens. The no advanced warning attacks are the worst.

How have others gotten through thest attacks and what do you do? By the way, my doc says nothing, doesn’t seem to care, thinks it is just something to put up with. You know, being dismissed…

2

You do not have to put up with your doctor ignoring you. You should change doctors and find one that takes your condition seriuosly. By the way, how long have you been taking Met formnin? It takes awhile before your body gets used to it. It happened to me, although I’m not diabetic, I have Insulin Resistance, and I treat it with Metformin. All I can tell you is to have a bit of patience, and to get a doctor who takes your concerns seriously.

3

I have heard that Metformin can cause complications like these. In my opinion every medical professional should be aware of these side effects of Metformin because it is not unusual - in most cases not that severe. Please consult another doctor and look for alternate medications - even insulin if this brings back your quality of life.

4

Some people only experience these symptoms on the first week. In your case, they sound much more severe and you should try another medication if these symptoms do not go away very soon!

5

I started metformin about a month ago, 1000mg. and for about 2 weeks I was having a similar problem. I was afraid to eat anything, especially if I was going to be out. I thought to myself this is ridiculous, although I lost 10lbs and was happy about that. But fortunately the side effect did go away. And now I’m still leary about eating but the reality is that I’m fine now. My doctor said that if it continued that I could go down on the dose and start slower, and if that didn’t work we could switch to something else. I agree with the others that your doctor should be someone who is working with you and not just say deal with it.
Good luck, chrisitne

6

I have been on the Metformin 3 weeks now. It can vary, I can go days without anything, then days with the sudden attacks. I can’t try another medication unless my doc lets me. That means trying to convince him, and most of the time when I go there, they have me see the Physician’s Assistant, not him. No offfense, but she is very young, and I don’t get the feeling she has a lot of experience.
I am between jobs and am diligently trying to find another. I might be doing contracting going into different places to work because this is all I can find. I don’t know what I will do if I get an attack on the road again. I live in fear of this stuff. I was in Costco with my son and literally ran to the bathroom, I didn’t care why people thought I was running, I wasn’t going to have an accident.

There aren’t a lot of docs on the plan to go to. Most of them seem to be the unpopular ones here, you know, the ones who can’t get a lot of business and we know why.
I think half of these doctors are winging it, and really don’t know what to do with this whole thing. If I pick another doctor off the plan, I have no idea who is good and who isn’t.

I have microvasculation very bad on my lower legs. This is a sign of diabetes, yet this doctor just ignored me when I said that. I work in medicine, so I know that is a sign of vascular disease, and hello! that is from diabetes.

I am going to try another doctor,but I feel I am pushing so hard to get someone to really look at the issues.
I put together the history, here is when I found out I had high blood sugar, yeah, the AIC is only 6.2 and according to the ADA, that doesn’t make me a diabetic, but my home blood sugars are high, I have all the other symptoms, with fatigue, weight I cannot lose, frequent thirst and urination, hence low potassium. Jeesh.

I think they just don’t want me because I am on Medicaid. I hate being on it. I have never been on the dole, so to speak, but my last 2 jobs offered NO health insurance (and I worked in medicine :o) and right now, I have no choice.

I am glad for the people here who had the side effects go away.
I am glad for the people here who have good doctors.
I am glad for the people here who have lost weight and had success controlling their diabetes.

I want to be one of you.

I am going to go back to rigidly controlling my carbs. Because when I listen to the American Diabetic Assn, I am eating like everyone else. I think there is more applicable in Atkin’s Diabetic book than with the ADA, and that is just my opinion.

7

You might want to talk to your Dr. about changing to the ER version of Metformin. I take that and have had no issues with abdominal pain or any other issues.

8

I don’t even get to see him when I go to the office, I get to see the PA.
Half the time she doesn’t have a clue what I am talking about.
I am going to an endocrinologist and am looking into another primary care physician. I am going to ask the endocrinologist about the ER form of Metformin.

I don’t like the “we are busy” stuff, because it is like saying other patients have precedence. A lot of docs won’t see Medicaid patients, and I understand, but they do get paid. This PA knows I work in medicine (am between jobs) and I question things, and I don’t think she likes it. Well, that is tough, because I know a lot about anatomy and disease, and I’m not some hypochondriac.

9

Ate one Morning Star Griller, which is mostly protein, low carb, and went to the store and had to come back home. Bam, just like that, I had to go. Luckily, I lived close.

10

Oh, and last time I wanted to talk to the doctor, they told me to go wait in the waiting room. I waited, and after a half hour, when I asked what was up, they said, “Oh, he left.” Grrrr.
They are treating me this way because I have Medicaid, and I fear the next doc will do the same.

11

Oh yes, one time I said I wanted to see the doctor, not to say the PA was wrong, but I wanted to see him. They said to have a seat in the waiting room, so I did. After about a half hour, I thought they forgot about me, so I asked what was up and they said he had left. I said, "and you didn’t tell me?"
I could have been waiting there forever.

Now, I work in medicine as a tech and if a patient so much as takes a dislike or has the smallest problem with us, we hear about it. It is all about patient satisfaction today, and you are so right.

I am going to find another doc on the plan, I did some researching and found one site that did give some free information on doctors. Most of them make you pay to find out about a doctor, but this site gave how many years they have practiced, what hospital affiation, and what college they went to.

Not that any of that is a guarantee of good care, though, but it is something to go on.

You are right about doctors. They are like car mechanics, and most are as good as what they have seen in their years of practicing. If they have seen a lot of one disease, they always bark up that tree.

I know enough about anatomy to know it’s not normal for someone to be overweight when they eat as little as I do. I know it’s not normal to have super fatigue episodes where my eyes roll up in my head.

So, I am done with this guy.

I am going back for a scheduled flu shot there, because I have the appointment, but I am going to try another doctor out, and I have an appointment with the endocrinologist, who also is an internal medicine specialist, and if I feel satisfied with him, I might just keep him for everything.

You are right, you have to be very proactive with your own healthcare.
I used to get mad at techs who made fun of “complaining patients.” I said, We all know our own bodies, and heck, if they are that vocal, that pain is real to them.

I am like a lot of people in medicine, I want out. It is hard to do your job with all the politics and craziness now. Some of the good docs are leaving and doing other things.

It is the bean counters who want such huge profits who are ruining it.

Thanks for your post!

12

My primary physician is an internal medicine specialist. In fact, he is my only physician. He doesn’t feel that I need an endo at this time, I am a T2 and my diabetes is under pretty good control (last A1c of 5.9). There is an endo in his office complex, so I know when, and if, I need one that I can go there. May not need a GP, just use the internal specialist. Works for me at least.

13

Metformin frequently causes enough side effects in people that they need to stop taking it and start taking a more expensive pill instead. That’s why doctors usually start you off on too little of it to have any noticeable effect, except sometimes the side effects. Also, it’s rather slow about enough of it building up in your body to either have useful effects or, sometimes, the side effects.

14

You might want to try the often even lower carb type of diet recommended over on the alt.support.diabetes newsgroup. Most of the type 2 diabetics over there have found that, for them, that type of diet gives better control of your blood sugar, your appetite, your weight, and eventually also your harmful types of cholesterol.

It would take some time to tell you how to reach newsgroups if you don’t know already, but there’s a collection of what they recommend at:

http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm

Also, you might want to read some articles about medical research on how well low-carb and low-fat diets work for treating diabetes (especially the types with insulin resistance), such as those at:

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/5/1/9

http://diabeteshealth.com/read/2008/06/26/5802.html

http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/5/1/14

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-12/hhmi-rdh122105.php

15

Thanks for those links, I looked at the first one. I had been doing that, and the ADA said that is very bad for you, and it was too much like Atkins. I had my own thing of just eating a big omelet with eggbeaters for breakfast. They said “Ohhh, all those eggs.” I said, "But I am not eating anything else!"
and they said Atkins is so bad. Well, I had been eating lean protein and vegetables and rarely some fruit. Mostly berries or low sugar fruits. The ADA said I needed to eat more carbs, like bread, pasta, etc. I was mystified. I thought, how can this be, and they even told me I can have cake or ice cream once in awhile, just a small piece. I said, “Won’t that elevate my BS?” They said, “Oh no, not in moderation.” So I asked, "Well, what sets that apart from how most people eat?"
I threw away all of their literature. Atkins Diabetic Revolution is pretty good and I am going back to that, and the first link you gave me is pretty close to it.
I will have to look at the others and I thank you so much for sending these to me.

Take care!! :slight_smile:

16

Did you have really bad issues with the straight version of Metformin, and then change to the ER version and they stopped?

17

My doctor said no. If I am having this severe of problems, the drug in any form would probably cause the same. I did take it at meal times, like it is recommended. Made no difference. I would just lose dinner about 3 hours later.

18

You need to be put on something else then. You can’t handle the med. I take Metformin aka Glucophage too but it doesn’t bother me at all. I take 1000 mgs twice a day. I also yake 10 mgs of Glipizide twice a day.

19

I also take metformin and sofar had no problem with it. guess it get’s time you may checkout another doctor that listen when you have problems. there always say if you have any problems talk with your doctor befor not talking the medicine. hope, you find a better doctor that help you with your problem.

20

Thanks Marion, I am glad you are doing well with it!
I did read though, that diarrhea is very common side effect. I am willing to try the Extended Release version though.