Medications...
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| Wed, 03-31-2004 - 6:24pm |
Ok, most of y'all know that the endo prescribed Glucophage XR 500mg for me and said on the prescription form to fill it only with the name brand because of the problems I had a couple of years ago when my PCP gave me regular metformin (glucophage). I think he suggested it for weight loss...heck, I don't remember!
Anyway, today the PA called me back (finally) and said they never return calls to drug mail plans. Wonderful, huh? Apparently there is a generic for the XR which is
Metformin ER. We decided that I'd try the generic ($6 for 30 days) to see if it would work. So, I called Express Scripts and they said "too late to cancel"; they'd already mailed out the name brand. So, couldn't pickup the refill for the Amaryl because the mail plan was in the process of filling the two scripts. I dislike managed care!!!
Ok...the questions...(1) now that my numbers are coming down to reasonable limits, will I still need the Glucophage? I couldn't get a straight answer from the PA. (2) Will I lose weight on the Glucophage? (3) Am I going to have gas and a protuberant abdomen?
(4)***most important*** How will I know if the Glucophage is working? I'll still be on the 8mg of Amaryl at bedtime.
Ok...dependent me...scared situation is increasing in stress again. H E L P !!!

Hey Kathi! I'm on the Metformin ER and have had no problems at all on it...no bloating, gassiness, diahrrea or any other side effects and I have lost 32 1/2 pounds since January.
Kathi,
Here are my answers to your questions:
1: Yes, you need the metformin/glucophage to break down the insulin resistance. If you start to have episodes of low blood sugar what needs to happen is a reduction in your amaryl not the glucophage.
2. Yes, this is one of the side effects from the glucophage. You simply won't want to eat as much.
3. Probably. Folks seems to have more gas with metformin/glucophage. Protrubert abdomen, I haven't notived a difference and this isn't something I have read about happening.
4. You will know because your morning numbers will be closer to your bedtime numbers.
Any other questions?
Mary Frances
cl-maryfrances40
Co-Cl Diabetes Board
Fingers crossed...
Thanks for your help. You have no idea how much it means to me.
Did you get your SAS necklace yet?
:-)
Hey! Nope, Glucophage actually helps some women to conceive. After being given to diabetic women, it was discovered that a lot of pregnancies were occuring. After some studies, it was learned that the glucophage helps bring on ovulation in anovulatory women. Reproductive Endocrinologists caught wind of this and started their own trials on women going thru infertility treatments. Voila...they began to ovulate and have regular cycles! I asked and asked to go on Glucophage and the doctor's kept telling me I wasn't 'diabetic enough" to join their studies. I transferred to a new doctor in mid October of 2001 and told him I wanted to go on Glucophage and the other drugs together. He is an aggressive doctor and one who listened to what I wanted to do and prescribed them for me. I was on Glucophage for one month alone to see how it affected my ovulation and then in December we added the other infertility drugs. We conceived in January of 2002! Coincidentally, this is the doctor who diagnosed me with diabetes! Phooey to all the other doctors telling me I wasn't "diabetic enough!" It's completely ok though, because if I had conceived early on in our 6+ year journey of infertility, we wouldn't have our son whom we adopted 3 years into our journey to conceive.
My husband had a vasectomy, so if we add another child to our family, it will be thru adoption. When we heard about our son, we were filling out the dossier for a Korean adoption..so that's still a possibility for the future.
Nope, I haven't received my neckace yet. I did find a bracelet though that will soon be transformed into a beautiful creation! I have clasps and wire, but need filler beads and if I'm going to be doing them at home, I need crimping pliers. I like the look of the crimp beads when they're crimped and rounded instead of just smushed flat, so to do that, I need new pliers! The last couple stores I looked at didn't have crimping pliers, so that
:-)