Metformin Side Effects I Suffered, and How I Treated Them

Being diagnosed with diabetes is scary, but thankfully you don't have to go straight to insulin. Now there is a medicine call Metformin. Metformin is a drug that decreases insulin resistance in people with Type 2 diabetes. It works by decreasing the amount of sugar make by the liver, it also decreases the amount of sugar your body absorbs and makes insulin receptors more sensitive so your body can use the insulin it makes a lot more effectively. I was prescribed Meformin because I suffered from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. When I was diagnosed with Diabetes, my doctor prescribed Meformin. At first I was only on 500mgs, but eventually he increased the dosage to 1000mg.

The most common side effects of Metformin are nausea, indigestion, weakness, diarrhea, and headache. The side effects aren't usually so bad that patients quit the medicine. When I started on Metformin, I was okay but when my doctor increased my dosage to 1000mg,I started having problems because of side effects.

One of the side effects was nausea. I remember my nausea being terrible. I could not eat anything without getting sick. It was so bad that I practically stopped eating for a couple of days. Eventually I was able to eat a normal amount of food but it took about two weeks.

The next side effect I suffered because of the Metformin was headaches. My headaches were so bad that I missed a few days of school. My doctor recommended over the counter painkillers, but these did not help. The only thing that helped was just sleeping through the headaches.

The last side effect wasn't that bad. Once I started taking 1000mgs, I lost my appetite. I went from eating three or four full meals a day to eating half a slice of pizza. In the beginning I thought this was great. I lost about ten pounds in two weeks. But after a while, I got worried. At that point I decided to quit the medicine. I know in hindsight that quitting the medicine was a terrible idea.

I am now back on the medicine. To help with the side effects I am very careful about what I eat. I don't eat anything that might normally upset my stomach and if I am feeling nausea I drink chamomile tea. I notice that my headaches are worst when I am stressed so I just try to keep my stress levels down. Sometimes I just give up and go to sleep. Thankfully the side effects have started to decrease. Hopefully in a few more weeks they will disappear all together.

I hope this article helps. Just remember to take it easy because stress makes the side effects worst.