Anyone here on Glucophage?

[CynJ]

I have recently been diagnosed with PCOS - and my root cause was found to be that I have 3x as much insulin in my body as I need (but my glucose level is fine) which is causing me to produce 3x as much testosterone as I need - thereby causing the ovarian problems.

My doctor put me on 1000mg of Glucophage a day - I take it at night and I have been really good about taking it with food because of the warning label. I haven't experienced any side effects at all.

Anyone here have any side effects from Glucophage? Ever taken it without food??

I have to go for more bloodwork the end of this month to see how my levels are - he may up my dosage to 1500mg.

I am trying to be really careful. My mom was just diagnosed with Type II diabetes last September and is on insulin now. According to the doctor it would be really easy for me to develop into type II diabetes.

 

[fholdred]

I have a friend on Glucophage. She takes her's in the morning. If she doesn't eat or take anti-acids before she takes it (not sure of her dosage), she will get horrible heartburn. Needless to say she always eats before taking her medication. That is the only problem she's had. She hasn't had any of the other side effects.

Faith

 

[lisapooh]

I don't take it myself but do know considerable about it since I run a forum for people with diabetes. Many people have a problem with Glucophage and they are not pleasant. Please continue to takeit with food.
Glucophage is a drug used with type 2 diabetes.
As for you Mom. If she looses weight and exercises there is always a chance to get of insulin as a type 2. I know some who have gone completely off meds through diet and exercise.

 

[CynJ]

I have heard that the nausea is really bad if you don't eat with it - I tend to be really sensitive to meds that make me nauseous so I haven't dared not eat with it. But I guess I am lucky because I know folks who are completely miserable on it.

Thanks!

 

[Figaro]

I was diagnosed with PCOS about 10 months ago, and because I could not tolerate the glucophage, was started on Actos, which is also for insulin resistance but I only take one pill a day. I am so glad that I am on Actos, as I have had no side effects (nausea, vomiting, headache).

The main reason that glucophage is prescribed first is because Actos is hard on the liver and I need to have my liver enzymes checked every 3-4 months for the first year. I have had no problems with my liver, and one of the unanticipated side effects of the Actos has been a significant weight loss(smile).

Good luck!

 

[lemur2400]

I have taken glucophage for approx. 2 years, my main side effect is loose stools, yes I know it is not a pleasant topic. But then I'm a nurse anesthetist and have dealt with worse things in my career and life. I always try to take my meds as directed and watch myself with physical stress and heat. I just got back from 6 days at WDW and it was 92 degrees most days, so I stayed hydrated and loved my squeeze breeze bottle, kept me cool. Good luck with your health, and I know a upbeat outlook is a real help.

 

[CynJ]

It seems to be working ok for me - no real side effects. I just have a lot more energy and I am not as tired as I was.

I am just paranoid about taking it on an empty stomach. I tend to be a bit sensitive to nausea and don't want to chance it. The doctor did warn me about the loose stool but thankfully I haven't had any problems with it (knock on wood)!

 

[Jecca]

I've been taking Glucophage for PCOS for the last year and a half. My side effects have been consistent and constant regardless of the types of foods I take it with (however, I ALWAYS take it with food). I have frequent nausea and diarrhea, and know that these side effects are the norm for many people. You're lucky that you haven't experienced many. I've seen some benefit from taking it, but probably not enough to justify the inconvenience. I'm planning on asking my doc to switch me to something else.
BTW, if you haven't already, contact PCOSA at www.pcosupport.org for lots of invaluable information and for a link to a local support group chapter. Good luck and email me at jecca@aol.com if you have any questions.
-Jess

 

[nanalisa]

I take Glucophage XL, 500 mg per day. I take it in the evening before bed and I don't eat anything with it. I haven't had any side effects except a touch of nausea once in a while when I first get up in the morning. I was diagnosed with type II diabetes last November and I'm still trying to figure it all out. We leave for WDW in 2 weeks and I'm a little nervous about it.

 

[shmoogrrrl]

I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes in February of this year at age 28. (After returning from a wonderful seven-day Disney Cruise with my husband!) I went on a drug called Micronase that brought my blood sugar down to normal and worked wonders for me. My husband and I have been trying to conceive, and after a work-up with my endocrinologist, we discovered that I also had PCOS. Apparently I've probably had undiagnosed PCOS for 10 years, and that was a big factor to my becoming a Diabetic, so it CAN happen! Do take care!

Anyway, I have been on 1000 mg of Glucophage for about a month now, and only occasionally have any of the "nasty" side effects. I've strangely discovered that I have LESS side effects if I take the pill about a half hour BEFORE I eat, which is the exact opposite of anyone else I've talked to on the same drug. It is also not regulating my blood sugar as tightly as Micronase. It's still always within normal levels, but higher than it was. I think my doctor might up my dosage to 1500 mg a day after my visit with her next week, so hopefully that will help!

If you are looking for more information on PCOS, I recommend http://www.soulcysters.com/ It's got a great message board with lots of wonderful women with PCOS in every situation.

Kathy

 

[momngrandma]

I, too, take glucophage and occasionally have diarrhea because of it (no nausea, though.) I recently have had had some problems keeping my type II diabetes under control (probably due to the extreme stress I've been under the last five months) and the dr. prescribed Actos. He siad it was "guaranteed" to make me gain weight -- and sure enough, I gained 12 pounds in the first two weeks! It has REALLY helped, though, in bringing my blood sugar levels down, so I guess the weight gain is worth it (the dr. was threatening to put me on insulin if this didn't work.) Figaro, I was shocked when you said you LOST weight with Actos! Lucky you! I can't figure that out...