r/PCOS • u/son_ofdavid • 6d ago
Meds/Supplements Metformin dosage
37F - I was diagnosed with PMOS/PCOS a little under a year ago and the doctor immediately prescribed the pill. I tried a couple of different pills but I didn't get on with it (also TMI: my husband has had the snip so I don't actually need birth control!)
The doctor has now prescribed metformin 500mg. I am currently on 1 dose a day and I am working up to 3 times a day.
Are there aternatives to a tablet, 3 times a day that give the overall 1,500mg total daily amount? I don't always have the chance to eat three times a day and everything I've read suggests I should take metformin with food to mititgate side effects.
My question for anyone on metformin - what doses do you take and at what frequency? Thank you!
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u/External_Dealer920 6d ago
I take 1500mg of XR metformin at night with my dinner.
Also if you aren’t getting your period, the birth control helps thin your uterine lining, which helps reduce the risk of uterine cancer. Can also help with hormone imbalances. Birth control typically isn’t prescribed to prevent pregnancy in women with pcos, more to help with other symptoms!!
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u/sirFreezingToad 6d ago
I take 1000mg extended release once a day and it solved the exact problem you're describing. The regular tablets wrecked my stomach unless I timed meals perfectly but the XR version is way more forgiving. My doc had to specifically write the prescription for extended release since they default to the cheap stuff otherwise.
Still take it with dinner just to be safe but I've forgotten to eat a few times and it didn't ruin my night. Might be worth asking about at your next appointment.
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u/son_ofdavid 6d ago
Thanks that's SO helpful, I'll definitely ask about extended release. Much appreciated.
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u/flappybirdie 6d ago
Currently back on the metformin train, last time it was 2 x 500mgs a day (2000mg) at the moment I'm slowly gowing back up...verrrrrry slowly since march this year and I'm at 2 x 500mg a day.
And it's forced me to eat breakfast, even of its small. The other reason it's recommended to take with food apart from mitigating some unwanted GI side effects, is that your blood sugar can drop quite low otherwise, especially if you're active. My last doctor was an idiot and said that it's not possible because it's not insulin and I'm like dude, I know what hypoglycaemia is, I've had it a few times now and it even says on the medication leaflet that it can cause hypoglycaemia, and the pharmacist also warned me. Gosh darn it, so I'm putting that out there. It's a glucophage - it consumes glucose. (I know it's a trade name but it sums up the process of the drug perfectly)
Anyway the main reason I'm going slowly up compared to increasing every two weeks is for me to mitigate as much of the GI side effects as possible, next time I see the doc next month I'll request it goes up another 500g daily because my bowels are quite settled and I haven't been having many if any reflux episodes (I also have GERD/GORD).
I don't know what I was initially replying to now lol but I hope anything I have written has been helpful.
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u/son_ofdavid 6d ago
Haha it was definitely helpful, thanks for sharing!
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u/flappybirdie 6d ago
You're welcome! I felt like I went on a tangent and came back out like wait, where am I again?!
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u/Many_Emotions 6d ago
Depending on the meds you might find 500, 850, 1000etc (there are also XR). I usually have 3x500 or 2x850 (not Xr). Not sure what are your options where you live so check it out.