Metformin and iron deficiency anemia.

I have been on 1000mg of Metformin for over a year now and have recently been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia. I have struggled with constant diarrhea from the beginning, but it has kept my A1c at 6.5-6.9. Has anyone had IDA while on Metformin? I'm about ready to see about going off to see if my hemoglobin goes back up. It's at 9.1 right now and I started on an iron supplement.

Dusty, I'm so glad you asked this question! My red blood count has slowly gone down over the past year or so and I've been taking 500 mg twice a day of Metformin for about that long. My doctor did check my B12 and it was fine but I'm going to do some searches on this now since I see my doctor next week. He's thinking of sending me to a hemotologist and I don't need another "ologist" in my life.

By the way, I had diarrhea when I first started using Metformin. My doctor had me cutting the pills in half and taking half for a few days. When I didn't have digestive problems I added another half. I continued this way...slowly building up to get my body used to the medication....until I could take one tablet twice a day without diarrhea. You might ask your doctor about doing this. Having diarrhea all of the time is not only inconvenient but also hurts your health. You loose so much fluid and nutrients.

Thanks, Lanie, for the link! I'll check that out.

Sherrine

It's good that you're having those done so that will be less to worry about! Another suggestion is to have your thyroid checked. Sometimes these deficiencies happen in clusters. If you think an endocrinologist is needed, then make an appointment with one.

Iron deficiency can be common in women and normally are prescribed iron pills and also to make sure you have more iron in your diet.

Good luck! And keep up updated!

In anemia cases, the doctor wants to make sure there is no blood loss from tumors, ulcers or other internal bleeding so you may need an endoscopy or even a colonoscopy. People on metformin need to be aware of their B-12 levels as mentioned above because low B-12 can lead to anemia. Here is some information from the Mayo Clinic's site. Note that regular use of over the counter pain relievers can also lead to anemia: www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/symptoms-causes/dxc-20183157

always check with cutting meds in half. some can make them toxic.