Hi, Im a member here for over 2 years after being diagnoses with MG.

I recently started a drug called cellcept, and thought it was a cause for my sugar spiking, but I had noone to blame except myself.
Ive been overweight, morbidly obese as my doctor says(about 350 lbs) and he has warned me for 2 years Im prediabetic to watch, but Ive always been a big child, and this was no different, so Im paying the price I guess.

First week sept, I wasnt feeling right. Iwent to the doctor sept 6th and my sugar was 256 after only one cup of morning coffee without sugar.
I was sent to nutritionist and put on metformin.
IN one month, I lost 30 lbs, and I was feeling good on a high fibre diet. Ive never slept so well, and forcing myself to eat more fruit and veggies along with some protein each meal gave me more energy.

I decided, hey, I have to grow up and toss the five guy burger dinners.

But around 7-9 days ago, I started with cramping and bathroom runs.Constant bathroom runs. Im retired, but Ive been trapped in my house for a month now because at first, my vision went blurry, and now thats clear.
But my cramping and BM's have forced me to stay home.
I last put gasoline in my car in august, and still have 3/4 of a tank, where as I fill the tank once a week for 40 years.

The metformin is killing me. absolutely torturing me. I started taking it with dinner tonight and will not worry about spreading my dose out twice a day 12 hours apart. Forget that, it goes down with breakfast and dinner.

How do you deal with the intestinal issues with metformin?
Im lost here, I dont want to spend the rest of my life hugging my toilet bowl.

Ive also been diagnosed in 2008 with diverticulitis, and was in the emergency room, so this metformin is giving similar cramping and the runs.
I dont know what way to turn. I dont know what to eat.
Im so frustrated, but I never give up.

I have to give up my social life it seems, what little social life I have left.

btw- my glucose the past 2 weeks hasnt gone over 114 fasting , 135 at 10am, 100 at 4pm, and has been around 110 at 10 pm. so I think the metformin works with a diet, but like I said, I cant deal with the intestinal issues.

Metformin is torture, for some people.

What it does is increase the activity of serotonin receptors in the gut, which increase motility. It has also been shown recently in one study to increase gall bladder contractions which for some patients is an additional torture.

Your options are to ask your doctor for extended release form, which may help or not. The original Glucophage ER did not work for me either.

There is a newer version, called Glumetza, which worked for me for several months, and then the torture returned! This form does not have a generic and releases the drug more slowly than the original ER forum did.

You should have blood work on your kidneys periodically to make sure the drug is being cleared properly and not building up in your system, as well.

I personally believe based on my own experience with Metformin, that some people just cannot tolerate it in any form.
It remains very good when tolerated GI wise however.

In my case the gall bladder effects just became too much for me!

I left a message for my physician last night and he woke me up this morning, which I was thankful he called so soon.
He switched me to onglyza 5mg once a day.
I decided to take the day off from metformin to ease my abdominal cramps.
Motility, thats whats killing me.
Its a constant urge.

I have my blood work done every 3 months to monitor my kidney function as well as other bodily functions.

I get IVIG so kidney function is very keen to me.

Thanx for the response.

I'm so glad you got a new medicine it sounds like you really needed
one.

I have been wondering if I needed one.

Donna

A new injectable named Victoza has been a godsend for my wife. Unlike insulin, it absolutely will not cause dangerous blood sugar drop. It is quite expensive, but the manufacturer does have a program for those on a provably low income. ASk your doc if it might work for you.

I've been on metformin for about ten years and never had a problem--different genetics, etc.

Good luck.

Another possibility Allen is that with your weight loss and diet, you have reversed some of your blood sugar load.

It might be helpful to not take anything for 2 weeks and see if your sugars have corrected so far with your diet and lifestyle changes.

Test morning fasting and some postprandial (1 hr after eating) and before dinner, to see what your sugar is doing during the day.
An A1C below 6 and you might not need any meds at all, now as long as you continue with your dietary improvements.

I gave up my metformin for the second time this year because of GI pain. 3 weeks ago. And I just tested my sugar now and it is 100.

I've been using a supplement called theanine... which was listed in a newsletter by Dr. Blaylock MD as helpful for neuropathy. I've been taking it since early August, and since then my glucose readings have become normal. 150mg at bedtime. After this surprise I looked it up in more detail and found that theanine (which is found in green tea) reduces cortisol in the body from stress. Increased cortisol is implicated in the dawn phenomenon and cortisol does raise blood sugar.

My daughter takes Metformin. Makes her ill as well, but she's pretty settled at the moment. Was the worst when she started and then when she needed to increase her dose from time to time. She has PCOS with Insulin Resistance. Totally different situation from your own, Allen, but just wanted you to know. I think there was a slow release form that was posted about here that appeared to have fewer GI side-effects. Will post if I find it. Think it is Glumetza? Maybe I'm wrong.

Ive been off the metformin for 3 days, and sugar levels were ok.
2 hours after a meal, my sugar shot up to 150 the highest, but an hour later it was down to 90.
I started the new drug last night.
My physician is a stickler when it comes to his orders. He wants me on medication until the next visit in 6 weeks.
Hes been taking care of me for 20 years, so Ill continue on the meds until then.

Do discuss with him, a trial without. It would be a shame to take a medication, if you didn't need it.

Please read this and you'll understand why I am cautious:
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/2...with-more.html

Many type II's can control glucose with diet, and you already have made a substantial effort, in that.

Congrats on the weight loss! Metformin takes as much as a month to"build up" in your system, and it can take a while for it to completly clear your system . Give it time. Then use your meter frequently to see how you react to your meals. I test a minimum of 8 times a day.