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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Loose Stools After Taking Metformin?

I developed problems with lose stools using metformin after many years being ok,possible pharmacy changed vendors , not sur in any case its such a kaleidoscope seems to me medication could come from any variety of manufactures from all over the world ,,,,,,,,,,,how can I be sur I am gettin relly good medication from a reliable manufacturer who does not use weird fillers which may be causing my problem ,was given a script for januvia but that drug dam near killed me.
Mon, 20 Mar 2017
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Metformin can cause gastric irritation and loose motions in some people.
In your case as i understand it was due to a change in the brand. This is possible due to some minor changes in drug composition which could be due to additives or the type of preparation used (e.g. instant vs sustained release tablets). It can also happen if the dose you are using now is higher than the previous dose.
It would be worth a try to go back to the original preparation you were using in consultation with your treating doctor. It is important that your renal function is monitored whilke you are on metformin If the loose motions persist then metformin will have to be stopped completely.
Do not worry if that is the case since there are other alternatives that can be used. There are patients who do not tolerate metformin but are well controlled on other drugs.
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What Causes Loose Stools After Taking Metformin?

Metformin can cause gastric irritation and loose motions in some people. In your case as i understand it was due to a change in the brand. This is possible due to some minor changes in drug composition which could be due to additives or the type of preparation used (e.g. instant vs sustained release tablets). It can also happen if the dose you are using now is higher than the previous dose. It would be worth a try to go back to the original preparation you were using in consultation with your treating doctor. It is important that your renal function is monitored whilke you are on metformin If the loose motions persist then metformin will have to be stopped completely. Do not worry if that is the case since there are other alternatives that can be used. There are patients who do not tolerate metformin but are well controlled on other drugs.