Anyone have experience with Metformin?

I used metformin for MANY YEARS. YOur A1c is pretty darn good. I would try with diet unless you don't feel you can do that! Metformin has diarrhea that comes with it (depending on dose). Taking metformin lets you slip and slide with diet choices because it covers you so to speak. Long terms, I am using the keto diet and will keep with it. I take insulin but small amounts when doing the KETO diet which I will do forever. I like it. I have stage 3 b kidney disease from chemo some years ago and damage. Metformin is contraindicated with kidney issues like this. So, I got off the drug and onto insulin. My insulin requirements have radically dropped from 3 different types of insulin to only NPH and lower dose as I eat not more than 10-20 carbs TOTAL/day. Good luck.

I took metformin for a couple of years then my Dr. Increased the dosage. I began to have pain around my heart which increased until one day I felt I was having a heart attack. Doctors thought I could be as well at the hospital emergency department. I was admitted and had a complete cardiac evaluation And no problem was found with my heart. I had developed lactic acidosis which could be fatal. After stopping metformin all my pain disappeared. This drug is more dangerous than you are led to believe.

My A1C was pretty stable at 6.1 for many years. Now 6.5 due to Prednisone. Down to 1/2 mg of Prednisone so hoping I can stay off it. I do eat more carbs than I should to be honest since I don’t eat meat or poultry. I’ll know more how I am doing when I repeat my blood work in few months.

I developed lactic acidosis too. Was put on insulin. apparently, due to my chronic kidney disease (from chemotherapy 6 years ago) metformin is contraindicated with this condition. I too was hospitalized with ridiculous diarrhea, more than usual. I am using a ketogenic diet now which I wrote about here a bit ago. It is GREAT. Still on insulin but reduced by 2/3!

@priscillat @microbe1943 and @flymetothemoon. I added this discussion to the Diabetes group too. You may wish to follow the group and join discussions about diabetes there: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/diabetes-and-endocrine-problems/

I have been on 750 mg er metformin for about 2 years. I was reluctant to take it because of side effects. Those went away after a few weeks. My A1C went from 6.8 to 5.3. I have lost about 45 lbs and watch my carbs and sugars more closely. I have heard of the lactic acidosis problem however for me the effects of diabetes scare me more than that. I am not on a high dose of Metformin and might even be able to go on a lower dose if I continue my weight loss.

I've battled high blood sugars for over 40 years but not high enough for insulin. In the 80's my doctor put me on the low fat high carb diet which was popular at the time and I gained 30 pounds and blood sugars got higher. I went on Atkins in the 90's and weight went down and A1C hovered around 6.2. Also found out I had a fructose malabsorption several years ago and once I cut out fruit and all sugar including some vegetables by A1C stayed under 5.9. I've even gotten it as low as 5.4 but do love my red wine and while on a long vacation this summer it got back up to 5.9. My doctor recommended Metformin and called it "vitamin M." She has me on 500mg at night after dinner. I've put on 10 pounds over the last few years and at 70 I guess it isn't unusual, doctor claimed I would lose weight and it's anti aging! Well I probably dropped 1 pound after 6 weeks and don't notice anything one way or another.

This is not true,you may have other conditions,this drug is the best and safest you can have for diabetics as long you don't go over 3000mmg.

Hi @timide, welcome to the community. I caution about using statements like "this is not true" without knowing the full background. Everyone is different.

By the same token, @queenie2030, a drug that might be dangerous for one person, might be very safe for someone else.

I found useful information from Harvard Medical School that underlines how you can both be right. 🙂

- Is metformin a wonder drug? https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-metformin-a-wonder-drug-202109222605

See specifically this excerpt:
"The safety profile for metformin is quite good. Side effects include nausea, stomach upset, or diarrhea; these tend to be mild. More serious side effects are rare. They include severe allergic reactions and a condition called lactic acidosis, a buildup of lactic acid in the bloodstream. The risk for this is higher among people with significant kidney disease, so doctors tend to avoid prescribing metformin for them."

So people with kidney disease should be aware of the contraindication. For others, metformin is the drug that works.

Timide, how long have you been taking metformin? Do you tolerate it without side effects?

Ok,I agreed with what your saying,I've been taking Metformin for 11 years,with little side effect at the start when taking them for a few months,otherwise no problem at all until now.....Metformin is the first medication given to diabetics because it is one of the safest🙂