Metformin Stomach Side Effects Charleston SC - What Can Help | Hope Integrative Medicine
October 30, 2026 · 1:11
Simple ways to make metformin easier on your stomach, including extended-release, and the alternatives for lowering A1C when metformin is not tolerated.
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Transcript
Metformin upsetting your stomach? How to fix it, and what to try instead. Here are three things to know. Metformin is one of the most widely used diabetes medicines in the world. It is inexpensive, well studied and good at lowering blood sugar. Its most common problem is the stomach: diarrhea, cramping, nausea and gas affect many people when they start. Most people can stay on it with a few changes. Starting low and increasing the dose slowly over weeks lets your gut adjust. Taking it with food, in the middle or at the end of a meal, helps too. And ask about extended-release metformin, which releases the medicine slowly and causes far fewer stomach problems for many people. If stomach side effects continue, other medicine families also lower blood sugar, such as Ozempic, Trulicity, Jardiance, Farxiga or Januvia. The right choice depends on your heart, kidneys and weight. And because years of metformin can lower vitamin B12, periodic B12 checks are recommended. Read the full article at hopeintegrativemed.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taking it with food, in the middle or at the end of a meal, can make it easier on your stomach. Ask your prescriber about the timing that fits the form of metformin you take.
It is inexpensive, well studied and good for lowering A1C, which makes it one of the most widely used diabetes medicines in the world.
Diarrhea, cramping, nausea and gas affect many people when they start.
