Glucophage and Januvia

[silver&gold]

Hi, I am taking Glucophage (slow release Metformin) and have just been prescribed Januvia to take also. I have had stomach pains and upset stomach since being on them, the plus side is that I have lost weight so am very happy about that but wondered if anyone else has experienced the stomach pain and if so how long did it take for it to subside. If anyone has any advice etc I would be so grateful.

Thanks
Angie

[caregiver222]

Glucophage is to be taken with food. The slow release causes more tummy problems then taking several small tablets over a period of hours.

[WaveRider]

Both Metformin and Januvia have stomach discomfort side effects.
I agree with caregiver, take Metformin with food to lessen the chance of this. I take my daily dose half way through my mid-day meal.

"I have had stomach pains and upset stomach since being on them"
Did this start when you began taking Januvia? Januvia has a side effect that makes Metformin even harder to tolerate: by boosting GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) it may cause the lower stomach valve to remain shut. Without Metformin in your body, this merely leads to a feeling of fullness and upper abdominal bloat. But if you have Metformin in your system, it may lead to much worse stomach distress.

Let your doctor know if you develop something that "just does not seem right." While it may not be a Januvia side effect, your doctor should be told so he/she is able to diagnose and treat the problem.

[silver&gold]

Thankyou both so much for answering so fast, I will change the time I take the Januvia and will make sure I eat enough when taking the Metformin. I want to give the Januvia a chance but as I said the stomach pain is not a side effect I could tolerate for too long. Thanks again for explaining how these meds work, it helps to understand.

Angie

[WaveRider]

You're welcome. Let us know how you're doing or if we an assist you further.

[gus201]

I too had a great deal of problems with Janumet.  Gastric reflux, ect. ect.  Doctor took me off it after two weeks.  It does have a great deal of bad side effects. Nexium did not help.  

[silver&gold]

Thanks gus201, I was awake all night long with bad stomach pains. I will call my Doctor tomorrow because the pain was like I had been kicked in the stomach!. I was ready to go to the ER but the pain started to subside after taking 2 doses of pepto-bismol  and a soluable paracetomol with codeine.

Angie