Needing Help

[Purple34]

I have type 2 diabetes and I take 2000mg of metformin...but it hurts my stomach something terrible...i stay in the bathroom I stopped taking it but I know I have to start back because I don't want to have to take insulin because it is/was helping me..what can I do for the stomach pain and toilet runs.

[SharMcChes]

I was taking Metformin but it hurt my stomach as well. You should take it with a meal. I found I couldn't be far from a toilet.  My dr switched me to a time release. It's a little pricier but I feel normal now. No blurry vision, excessive trips to the toilet, pain in the stomach. He switched me to Janumet

[anathu369]

My doc tells me to take a pill 15mins before a meal.  I find that if I eat it with fast carbs and high fat content I end up in the bathroom.  That does go away after awhile.  Make sure to take it with some cars but don't go overboard.  

[Miller70]

I also take metformin 2000mg and I found out personally that taking the metformin with dinner does not make my stomach hurt. I can only tell you what helped me. Try it and see if it helps you. Be well.

[Fruttibiscotti]

I agree with Shaun84.  Follow a low carb meal plan which will help reduce the need for the drug, and people have successfully reversed diabetes via this diet therapy.  In fact, I rescued my mom from this horrible disease and reversed it out of her life.  Much better than dealing with meds that give you the runs, or makes you vomit, or worse having to start poking yourself with insulin on a regular basis.  Google LCHF, as there are many doctors and dieticians who provide low carb eating plan that can reverse type 2 diabetes.  Why not give the LCHF diet a try for a few weeks, and see how it can be an alternative to being a walking pharmacology experiment with diarrhea?  Good luck to you.

[4588761280833793411_823_58]

i am on 1000 mg of Metformin. I know insulin seems a hard choice but I was on insulin usining a flex pen. I am actually wanting to go back to that. It's really not as bad as it sounds. Good luck

[shaunw84]

Metformin is a good drug.  But you could try other things -- but work with your doctor.

1. Lower carb load per meal (low carb does not mean you can't have complex carbs like vegetables.)

2. Smaller meals more often.  Like 4 - 6 meals per day, instead of  2 - 3.

3. There are alternatives to drugs that for some people are very effective.  Check out the book "The Blood Sugar Solution" by Dr. M. Hayman.

[Super_sally888]

Hello,

metformin is know to cause stomach upset.  however, in most people this will resolve over time as your body gets accustomed to it.

The way to see if you can tolerate it is to start with a low dose (maybe 1/2 or 1/4 of a pill).  Then build up the dose over a period of days / weeks.

However, if your blood sugar numbers are very high (normal blood sugars are less than 140 all the time), please consider a low carb (moderate protein, high healthy fats) diet.  And do not rule out insulin.  Insulin is actually a great tool for controlling blood sugars.  Most people I have talked to who take insulin (particularly those with Type 2 diabetes) say they wish they had started on it earlier.....