Metformin tummy troubles...

[ChickenMommy]

Met with my midwife today and surprise surprise I failed my 1 week glucose monitoring. The only times my numbers were good were if I didn't eat ANY carbs. I have been wanting to get on metformin for years to help with my pcos/IR and no one would give it to me because my a1c is "normal". That being said, I took my first dose (500mg) tonight with dinner and now about 3.5 hours later holy guacamole. My stomach is cramping like crazy!

I did some reading this afternoon, as I knew gas/upset tummy/diarrhea were common with met and saw a lot of recommendations to take it Halfway through your meal, which I did.

I guess I'm just hoping someone else is/has been on it and can offer a little more advice. I'm hoping within a few days my body will adjust but until then I think it's going to be rather miserable.

 

[krissie328]

Honestly, I have started and restarted metformin many times and it gets so much easier after a couple of days.

Definitely start at 500 for about a week and increase by 500 until you reach your max dose. And I've found eating to many carbs while on it tends to bug me more.

 

[ChickenMommy]

I'm on 500mg twice a day.

That being said,

1: I'm scared for tomorrow already.

2: I don't understand my body at all. A bowl of cereal (life) and milk this morning took my bg to 199. Yet, I had a sub, chips and 1/2 a can of Pepsi for dinner and I was at 135. Obviously dinner wasn't the greatest choice, but it was a hectic day and we needed something fast. In any case, it doesn't make much sense, dinner had way more carbs and sugar.

 

[krissie328]

Breakfast will be your worst numbers. I had to eat less that 15 g carb or I would go over my number goal. I ate a lot of breakfast meats and eggs. For carbs I stuck with low carb fruits like berries and veggies. I found if I waited until 10 am and had some carbs as a snack I did so much better.

Btw, I was told high blood sugar before 20 weeks was existing diabetes? I was diagnosed with ds in my first tri.

 

[ChickenMommy]

My a1c was normal, so my midwife is thinking the insulin resistance was just made worse by the pregnancy. As far as I can tell, I haven't had numbers in the actual diabetic range.

Who knows though. I've seen so many different ranges of "normal" bg numbers it's ridiculous. I think everyone makes up their own requirements

 

[ChickenMommy]

I suppose my saying that I only had good numbers without any carbs is a bit of an exaggeration. I'd have days where I could eat cereal and be fine. Days where I'd eat a bowl and numbers be around 150. Today was the highest it went with the life cereal though.

The only time my numbers stayed below 100 an hour after eating was if I didn't have any carbs (grilled chicken salad, eggs with bacon/sausage, ect). I did have numbers below 140 an hour after eating with some carbs, just not consistently, even if I ate the same thing day after day.

My body is weird

 

[krissie328]

My pregnancy goals were 140 after 2 hours. Which was manageable most of the time. I really only struggled with breakfast.

I have severe insulin resistance and pcos. I always had normal a1c until I got pregnant. After I had him it stayed in the pre-diabetes range. I'm wondering if I was given incorrect info. But like you said everyone seems to have different ideas of normal.

 

[ChickenMommy]

My pregnancy goals were 140 after 2 hours. Which was manageable most of the time. I really only struggled with breakfast.

I have severe insulin resistance and pcos. I always had normal a1c until I got pregnant. After I had him it stayed in the pre-diabetes range. I'm wondering if I was given incorrect info. But like you said everyone seems to have different ideas of normal.

I was told 140 or below 1 hour after meals, and if I checked at 2 hours after it should be below 120. But the nurse also said, the closer to "normal" (80-95) the better. Fasting shouldn't be above 95.

I really think they do just make it up as they go. I know years ago when I had my daughter at the same hospital I was told under 110 for fasting.

 

[ChickenMommy]

Being you have pcos and ir, I'm curious. If you don't mind me asking, did you try to nurse your son? How'd that go?

Only asking because I fought like hell to nurse both kids and only found out after getting pregnant with this baby that ir plays a HUGE part in milk production. I'm hoping with controlling my diet and taking the met I'll have an easier time with this baby. Still waiting on a whole list of other labs to be run to check for other low supply reasons but I really think the IR was the biggest factor.

 

[krissie328]

I meant 140 after 1 hour and 120 after 2 hours.

Yes, I did try to nurse. We tried for 2 weeks and he lost 1 lb 15 oz. So I switched to combination feeding until 6 weeks when I went back to work. I couldn't pump, I got maybe half an oz so it wasn't worth it. When I was combination feeding I would break feed 20 mins each side and then give formula. He would easily drink 2-3 oz. When I stopped breastfeeding that's still what he ate.So I'm pretty sure I was barely producing anything. I met with 4 lactation consultants and my ob and nothing helped. We did a weigh and feed and he was barely an oz over his starting weight.

I'm certian the ir/pcos was the cause of it. BUT I also have reduced tissue for producing milk as well. Found that out when my sister had her son and lower supply, though not as low as mine. She was able to get at least 4 oz at a pump. But because her son had a protein allergy she ended up putting him on a special formula and stopped breastfeeding.

 

[ChickenMommy]

I meant 140 after 1 hour and 120 after 2 hours.

Yes, I did try to nurse. We tried for 2 weeks and he lost 1 lb 15 oz. So I switched to combination feeding until 6 weeks when I went back to work. I couldn't pump, I got maybe half an oz so it wasn't worth it. When I was combination feeding I would break feed 20 mins each side and then give formula. He would easily drink 2-3 oz. When I stopped breastfeeding that's still what he ate.So I'm pretty sure I was barely producing anything. I met with 4 lactation consultants and my ob and nothing helped. We did a weigh and feed and he was barely an oz over his starting weight.

I'm certian the ir/pcos was the cause of it. BUT I also have reduced tissue for producing milk as well. Found that out when my sister had her son and lower supply, though not as low as mine. She was able to get at least 4 oz at a pump. But because her son had a protein allergy she ended up putting him on a special formula and stopped breastfeeding.

I have suspected IGT in myself as well. Its horrible. My first was 5lbs 11oz at birth and quickly dropped to 4lbs 10oz within a few days. Started supplementing right away. She didnt have any weigh TO lose, and yet she was losing way too much. With my son (#2), he was 8lbs at birth, so we had a little more wiggle room, but I think he still dropped a pound or so. And he had jaundice so bad they had to readmit him for light therapy and formula supplementation. The whole time, every LC and doctor I saw just kept saying "Your milk will be in tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow..." Tomorrow never came. I produced 10ml MAX between both breasts every 2 hours with my son. It was heartbreaking.

Theres a really great FB group, if youre interested for next baby, on labs to run, and ways to increase your supply depending on the reason why its low. Obviously with IGT theres not much you can do, but if there are other underlying reasons as well (like IR, thyroid problems, low vitamin d, ect) there are many ways to help it! The group is IGT and Low Milk Supply Support Group. Seriously amazing to be with a group of women who "get it". They are so sweet and understand that "nurse, nurse, nurse, pump, pump, pump, water, water, water" doesnt always help.

 

[LLawson]

Ive been on the Metformin for about 2 yrs now. I started out at 500 and I couldnt leave the house because of the horrible diarrhea. It would hit me out of nowhere too! They switched me to Extended Release and that was a little better. It didnt hit me to the point where I didnt think I was going to get to the bathroom but it did still hit me with warning and I was still in the bathroom all day! I lost 20 pounds in no time but I was a homebody and scared to go anywhere because of the violent diarrhea. I did figure out the more carbs the worse it was but even cutting them out I still had it. Stuff with alot of yeast like fresh rolls and donuts are still horrible for me. I did go up 500 a week until I reached 1500 then he switched me to all 3 pills at once with supper. That worked better but all the diarrhea was keeping me up during the night. Then he switched me to all3 pills at bedtime. That worked much better for me cause all the diarrhea hits in the morning. Usually Im good to go out by 10-11. Now that Im taking prenatals with Iron Im not as bad. I think they are trying to constipate me and with the Metformin, its kind of evening me out to regular bowel movements. Although that being said, Ive had diarrhea all day yesterday and today for some reason. I hope Im not getting a stomach bug!
I talked to you awhile back about my doc taking me off of it because after I became pregnant, Im getting very nauseous during the night and she thinks my sugar is bottoming out. She has me down to 1000 a day now. I havent noticed any difference stomach wise but I have been better with the nausea. Some nights I dont even have any at all now. My RE put me on it for possible PCOS which I do believe I have but my OBGYN is the one lowering the dose.
Before I was pregnant, I did take Immodium if I had to be somewhere and was scared of having diarrhea. I did that quite frequently. It usually took more than one. I havent used it since being pregnant.
Hope this helps.

 

[krissie328]

Thanks for the support group. I am undecided what to do with #2. I am considering combination feeding from the start. Since I plan to take a good chunk of time off work I am hoping to do that for 6-12 weeks. But I have also toyed with just formula feeding only after 2 weeks.

 

[ChickenMommy]

Oh my god. This is my 2nd full day on the met and I feel like I'm dying. So.sick. My stomach has just been churning all afternoon and I feel incredibly vomity. I had it pretty easy yesterday, I was hoping I wouldn't be horribly affected by it. Apparently I was wrong. Excuse me while I curl up and die.

 

[LLawson]

Im so sorry. I know how you feel. Maybe you can talk them into extended release or taking it at a different time or all at once?

 

[krissie328]

I definitely found extended release easier. I don't think I had any problems on it.

Sorry you're having a rough day.

 

[ChickenMommy]

Im hoping it was just caused by the fact that I had a light lunch and hadnt eaten in a little. I had lunch around 11, and it was small/light, by 2 I felt horrible. Kept feeling yucky until almost 7 on my way to an appointment. Found a granola bar stashed in my car and once I ate that I started to feel a ton better.