HIGH INSULIN/glucaphage/metformin

[ztachick]

Hello- I am not diabetic, however my insulin is high and it was 2 different tests i did- kinda like prediabetic, but my question is is anyone takes glucaphage or metformin- did it help with weight loss. i am taking 2 pills 2 tims a day at 500grams or miligrams(something like that) each.. thanks also , what does this drug do..

[2big4mysize]

Metaforin lowers blood sugar and helps your body to use insulin more efficiently when used to treat diabetics. If your body has trouble utilizing insulin then this medicati0on will assist you in using it for what it was intended and hopefully will lower your production of insulin.

I don't know how to say this delicately, so I'm just going to tell ya what my sister calls it (we both take it)......"glucopoop". It can cause this with some people, so if you get these urges(usually after meals, especially breakfast and supper if thats when you take your med), run, don't walk to the potty and never fear it will slow down after the first month or so on the medication.

[sassyone]

That doesn't happen for everyone. I had that problem for about a month or two, my husband who has been taking it for 3 years has never had it. I no longer need it because Atkins controls my diabetes. If I were you though, i would question the pre-diabetic business. I don''t know why you need so much medicine for a condition that you don't have. And no, it did not cause me or my DH to lose weight. You can do both of the things that you are asking about with Atkins- lose weight and control your prediabetes! Good Luck!

[canuck]

I used metphomrin when on meds and it did rumble tummy but no diarrhea.(sp)(different for all)
I doubt the diagnosis of not diabetic, if not diabetic and using a diabetic drug, then your doc has a few wires mixed up, sorry.

Either you are or you are not and metphormin will drop bg. do you test, what are your numbers, what were they before metphormin and what are they now. This is a confusing way to treat a patient. Give us more info and we'll try help you understand it all if we can, welcome and thanks for sharing but it looks all tad confusing right now. I just cannot imagine a doc giving someone metphormin when BG numbers are not elevated.
:wave

Actually, my sister did take the glucophage, as did a girl from work both because they were overweight and had pre-diabetic symptoms from their polycystic ovarian disease. They treat PCOS with metformin for some reason. They have both stopped taking it because my sister couldn't stand her side effects and the girl from work had gastric bypass.

[canuck]

I guess I am from old school, you either have diabetes or you dont, sorry if sound like an ole foggy.
ya PCD and diabetes go hand in hand. :yikes

[martbarr]

I took metformin for exactly this, and got vague and forgetful and very anxious, so stopped again.
Now I rely on diet alone - and exercise and chromium GTF, and vanadyl suplhate - works for me!

[Chef Kevin]

There are stories out there that there are studies going on with teenage girls being given metformin to help them lose weight. I think that is a scary use of the drug myself...
here is a link
Obesity News

[Sylvynne]

Maybe I can help shed a little light on this.

"pre-Diabetes" is indeed a valid medical diagnoses. In my practice, I see several of these newly diagnosed a day. Why are we no longer simply demarcating between "Diabetic" and "Normal" patients?

Because as soon as your body fails and you become diabetic, there is no going back. Sure, you may learn to control your blood sugars through careful diet and exercise. You may even return your serum levels to an acceptable levels - HOWEVER: once the beta cells in your pancreas die, they do not grow back nor spontaneously begin functioning again. If a diabetic ceases lifestyle modification, they WILL return to (or surpass) their previous serum glucose levels.

A diabetic will (not may) suffer heart and vascular diseases. A diabetic will (not may) eventually suffer from neuropathy, loss of sensation, and may even need amputation due to death of tissue. If we can help catch people BEFORE they cross the threshold into diabetes, a whole host of misery can be avoided.

Metformin (brand name Glucophage) is a very interesting medication. Most diabetics are familiar with it's use in lowering A1C values - making your cells more sensitive to the insulin your pancreas is secreting, as well as supressing the liver's function in glucogenesis. However, most people are not aware that metformin also reduces carbohydrate absorption in the small intestines (this is where most of your absorption takes place anyways!).

As an interesting side note: as far as teenage girls being given metformin for weight loss, this too has a reason. Clincally, we are seeing a surge in teenage girls with Metabolic Syndrome and/or Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome - characterized by obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated lipids and decreased insulin sensitivity, among a myriad of other symptoms. Oh my, did I say decreased insulin sensitivity? Sounds an awful lot like ....pre-diabetes! These two syndromes (which are often lumped together) is the fastest growing endocrine diease in our country- currently clinical evidence points out that 12-18% of American women have it.

While medicine does not know the direct cause, we do know that for some reason, if we can tackle the issue of insulin resistance, these girls lose weight and start having normal menstration again.

Sad to say - in most cases, the same results can be had simply with a low carbohydrate diet and sensible exersize - however, people want pills not lifestyle changes. And thus you have metformin being prescribed...a lot.

Ahem. I'll get off my soapbox now >.<