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  #61   ^
Old Fri, Oct-10-08, 14:10
mamatrina mamatrina is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: dont know yet
Stats: 157/157/110 Female 5'1
BF:
Progress:
Question hopeful

i have a 11 month old son and hve not had a period since then i went to the doctors had a bunch of test taken was just diagnosed with PCOS and was started on metformin i am not trying to get pregnant again i am just trying to feel better but it has just made me feel really weird. im hoping it wil help me to feel better and shed some pounds as well. I have gained 25 lbs since i had my son and am now am 157lbs and only 5'1 its horrible i hope this will help mebut i just dont know.
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  #62   ^
Old Mon, Oct-13-08, 13:15
AuntWie's Avatar
AuntWie AuntWie is offline
Registered Member
Posts: 94
 
Plan: PP, Atkins
Stats: 186/160/120 Female 60 Inches
BF:
Progress: 39%
Location: Calif. Hi-Desert
Default

Hey, Mamatrina, hang in there. I'm only 5 feet even, and I"ve finally got my weight DOWN to 152. I know, it's really hard. The Metformin makes me just a little nauseous. I can't say that I like it, but I keep telling myself that at least when I'm nauseous, I don't want to eat! lol. It definitely IS helping with the weight loss. I still have to watch both carbs and calories. I know some people can lose while eating a lot more than I do, but I think the PCOS and insulin resistance (I think they often go together) make it much harder. The good news is this: as I lose weight, my metabolism seems to be slowly straightening itself out. Very slowly. There is hope.
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  #63   ^
Old Wed, Nov-19-08, 13:24
AnnabelLee AnnabelLee is offline
New Member
Posts: 3
 
Plan: low-carb
Stats: 184/147/120 Female 5'2"
BF:33.7%/26.9%/20%
Progress: 58%
Location: Scranton, Pa
Question

What's up, ladies

I have a few questions about Met. My doc put me on it after gaining 60lbs. in less than 2 years, having an unstable glucose level and having a high testosterone level, all pointing to PCOS. She prescribed it mainly for the weight loss aspect. I'm thrilled to finally having a fair chance in losing the weight.

Just wondering how much weight I could look forward to losing...? I know everyone one is different so I'm just looking for a ballpark figure. Also, does anyone else take painkillers with Met...? I'm prescribed 5/500 vicodin 4x a day to combat the back pain from the PCOS. Just wondering if there is any side effects I should worry about...? Any additional info about the Met would be great, also
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  #64   ^
Old Fri, Nov-21-08, 13:38
MsTwacky's Avatar
MsTwacky MsTwacky is offline
WONJ#3
Posts: 7,576
 
Plan: 12 steps
Stats: 238/210/145 Female 5'6
BF:
Progress: 30%
Location: Portland, OR
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnabelLee
What's up, ladies

I have a few questions about Met. My doc put me on it after gaining 60lbs. in less than 2 years, having an unstable glucose level and having a high testosterone level, all pointing to PCOS. She prescribed it mainly for the weight loss aspect. I'm thrilled to finally having a fair chance in losing the weight.

Just wondering how much weight I could look forward to losing...? I know everyone one is different so I'm just looking for a ballpark figure. Also, does anyone else take painkillers with Met...? I'm prescribed 5/500 vicodin 4x a day to combat the back pain from the PCOS. Just wondering if there is any side effects I should worry about...? Any additional info about the Met would be great, also


I hate to burst your bubble, but Met never helped me lose any weight at all.
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  #65   ^
Old Sun, Nov-23-08, 16:54
mollycule6 mollycule6 is offline
New Member
Posts: 22
 
Plan: Low-carb
Stats: 228/215/174 Female 64 inches
BF:
Progress: 24%
Location: St. Louis
Default

Met helped me lose around 10lbs but that happens with a lot of people on met. If you dont watch what you eat, you can EASILY gain that weight back. MsTwacky is right, met doesnt CAUSE you to lose weight, but it will put you on a more even playing field to lose weight. You still have to do all the work, but the weight should slowly (very slowly for some) come off. HTH
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  #66   ^
Old Thu, Dec-11-08, 11:23
AKE AKE is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: diatician
Stats: 161/161/140 Female 5'3"
BF:
Progress:
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by aprilw
Hi,

I'm looking for anyone who is taking glucophage(metformin) for weight loss and isn't a diabetic. I've been taking it for a couple days now and following a low carb diet. Any info, comments, suggestions on diet and any other stuff would be helpful.

Thanks
April

I have been prescribed Metformin for insulin resistance and I am very interested in the weight loss that has become impossible to get rid of. Has this med worked for you for weight loss??
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  #67   ^
Old Tue, Jan-27-09, 13:18
CinnamintS CinnamintS is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: new, still looking
Stats: 251/251/140 Female 5'10
BF:
Progress: 0%
Default Metaform

I found your site from a google search. I went to see my doctor yesterday. He gave me a precription for Metaform to lose weight. He said it works in some people and thought it might for me. He also said it might prevent me from getting type 2 diabetes. My father died of a heart attack at 52 years old. He was type two diabetic. I am 53 years old menopausal with very high blood pressure, high total cholesterol, my fasting blood sugar is has been 100 and 120 on my last two test. I have been eating a low glycemic diet for most of the last 10 years. I have focused on eating healthy and at times exercise without much luck in losing weight. I even joined WW for 9 months. I lost weight the first month (about 25 lbs) then spent the next months gaining and losing it back even with daily exercise. I am sure it wasn't muscle I gained. I have never been able to lose without exercise. I do think it it helps with IR. Right now I have a auto immune disease (RA). Some times I can't get out of bed and it is hard to even walk. My toes are deformed. My doctor did not want me doing anything to inflame my joints, muscles and tendons. But right now I feel good. My RA is very agressive. I am on alot of medication (metotexate for one) that is hard on my liver. Sometimes I am on steroids for the pain. This effects my blood sugar too. I worry a little about taking glucophage with my other meds. Reading some of your post, makes me wonder if it is worth taking????? Weight loss is so important to my over all health. Weight loss has nothing to do with vanity for me. My joints can't take the extra weight. I want to stay active if I can. My Mother has osteoarthritis. She has had two hips and a knee replaced. Surgury seems so painful. Then I worry about my heart. Not only do I have bad blood work and genetics, RA also leads to heart attacts. I am not afraid of the side effects. If I can take Metotrexate I can surley take Metaform. So what do you do when nothing seems to work? Should I try it?

Carol
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  #68   ^
Old Tue, Jan-27-09, 13:57
ReginaW's Avatar
ReginaW ReginaW is offline
Contrarian
Posts: 2,759
 
Plan: Atkins/Controlled Carb
Stats: 275/190/190 Female 72
BF:Not a clue!
Progress: 100%
Location: Missouri
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SweetMomE
Actually, Glucophage does not lower your blood sugar if you are not diabetic. It is an insulin sensitizer, basically making your body respond to insulin more efficiently so you don't have to produce so much. This keeps your insulin levels from going up and causing the chain reaction with all the other hormones that make PCOS such a joy Low-carbing and exercise are more efficient at lowering insulin, but not everyone chooses to do this WOE.


Actually the primary function of glucophage is it improves hyperglycemia primarily through its suppression of hepatic glucose production (hepatic gluconeogenesis); it is also an insulin sensitizer (as you noted)....but the danger for someone without diabetes/pre-diabetes and/or PCOS taking glucophage is it's action to suppress gluconeogenesis - creation of glucose in the liver, on demand, as needed to maintain blood sugar levels. When someone is doing low-carb, they depend on gluconeogenesis for blood sugar stabilization and maintaining blood sugar levels.....glucophage inhibits that action and therefore, even those with diabetes often reduce and/or stop glucophage within a few weeks of starting a low-carb diet - many find don't need it any longer.

I think taking it for weight loss is playing with fire....low-carb works well and should be the first line option sans the off-label (very questionable off-label use I'll add) use that isn't well documented.
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  #69   ^
Old Tue, Feb-10-09, 15:04
AnnabelLee AnnabelLee is offline
New Member
Posts: 3
 
Plan: low-carb
Stats: 184/147/120 Female 5'2"
BF:33.7%/26.9%/20%
Progress: 58%
Location: Scranton, Pa
Talking

Quote:
Originally Posted by MsTwacky
I hate to burst your bubble, but Met never helped me lose any weight at all.



WooHoo...!! I lost 14lbs. already...!!!
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  #70   ^
Old Sun, Feb-22-09, 18:32
nosugarmom nosugarmom is offline
New Member
Posts: 2
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 240/230/165 Female 72 inches
BF:
Progress:
Default

I found that the 2 times I was on Met for 2 weeks (the longest I could stand it) I lost 14lbs both times (and gained them back) then when I started my Atkins Induction for the last time (and am still going - just prego for 6 more weeks) I lost 14lbs as well. I have determined that while I was on Met I was eating "lower carb" to avoid the symptoms and so am not convinced that it was the Met that made me loose the weight. Good luck to you and congrats on your loss!
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  #71   ^
Old Wed, Mar-18-09, 12:55
temperance temperance is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: my own
Stats: 289/289/160 Female 5 foot 9 inches
BF:
Progress:
Default Insulin resistance

I was at my doctors today and wanted to go on phentermine which is a weight loss drug and he put me on metforin or glucophage (much safer then phen)... and the reason they give it out for weight loss is for people who are insulin resistant ... i went to a nutritionist a while back and i was a good candidate for IR so i tried the linking and balancing eating plan and it helped alot but i wanted something to up the process and this is what he suggested. thats why some doctors are prescribing it for weight loss... i would imagine that it wouldnt work for people who are not IR. if you want more info go to www.irdiet.com

thanks
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  #72   ^
Old Fri, Mar-27-09, 10:25
FairBlue FairBlue is offline
New Member
Posts: 2
 
Plan: none
Stats: 165/165/140 Female 5'9"
BF:
Progress:
Default

Hi
Planning on asking my doc for this drug strictly for weight loss. What's the latest?
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  #73   ^
Old Mon, Apr-20-09, 21:06
sparklynJM sparklynJM is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: nothing specifically
Stats: 215/215/175 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress:
Default There are not dumb questions.....

Every one keeps wondering about the use of metformin/glucophage for wieghtloss even if you don't have type two diabetes or PCOS. The reality is you don't know unless you try. Why are you overwieght? There could be a number of reasons. The body is so incredibly complex. Try the metformin - if it helps you that means that part of the reason you are overwieght is because of insulin resistance - if it doesn't help then thats not your deal. and... Doctors do NOT know everything. I often times feel that after going online and resarching stuff before going to the doctor about my problem i know more then they do - it can be kind of irratating. Dont be afraid to speak up to your doctors about what you have researched - print off some articles from credible online sources to show them. Also, i see lots of people talking about the atkins diet, which makes sense given the way our bodies work if we have insulin resistance -- you might want to check out the affects of dairy -- i've read quite a bit that if you have a real insulin resistance problem you might want to avoid that as well. For me I find that near impossible! I love cheese so much. I have been diagnosed with PCOS since i was 16 - I think i have always had an issue with the way my body produces insulin - i was just looking through some old medical records -- i was only ten lbs lighter and same hieght at the age 14 -- I'm 27 now am 5'5" and wiegh about 215. I have never had a period on my own (amenorrhea). when i was in college i did some research and came across metformin and wanted to give it a try, the doc said ok but it made me really sick -- I think the problem for me was that no one ever told me to maybe try with smaller doses and work my way up -- he just prescribed a 500 mg pill in the morning and one at night... I was sicker then a dog!!!! Now, being older and wiser i started metformin back up about two weeks ago now... start with very small doses (1/4 of a 500 mg pill a day) and slowly am working my way up.... i'm now to 1/2 a pill in the morning and then one at night.... I think this is SO important for not getting sick!!! i haven't yet.... your body is adjusting to a pretty major change .... it needs to do it gradually so it doesn't get some kind of shock! I also purchased an electronic 17.00 copy of "The Natural Diet Solution for PCOS and Infertility" by Nancy Dunne and Bill Slater great book with TONS of information, even if you dont have pcos but maybe diabetes run in your family or you think you might have insulin resistance. for me that book is too hard core -- there is no way i could follow it to a tee -- but, you pick up some things from it you can apply to your life and it makes you think of some things differently -- highly recommended! ....... ok, I know i've kind of been going on and on ) enough writing for tonight... I will let you guys know how it's going for me...Hopefully i will lose some wieght on this stuff this time )
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  #74   ^
Old Fri, May-29-09, 10:49
AprilT AprilT is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: blood type
Stats: 231/231/150 Female 5' 8"
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: GA
Smile Started taking Metformin today 5/29/09 a hour ago 12pm

A little history first! I was diagnosed w/ Pcos Oct 05' during surgery for cysts and endometriosis. I was in a very bad place in my life due to a job with the postal service..High stress wouldn't even begin to explain what I was going through, even today I start to cry thinking about it. I LOVED what I did, BUT I HATED where I worked!! If they called me today and asked me to come to work because they needed my help I'd go! HOW SICK IS THAT!
Anyway...long story short after surgery I used all my leave up which I had quite a bit being I'd never called in sick in nearly 7 years and quit January 06' when I used it all up! Being that I'd removed myself from the high stress job I felt that I was fine and the Pcos which MINE is aggravated by stress would be okay and then I got pregnant in March 06' and things just went fine I gained 23 pds in my preg. I was happy, low stress, got a lot of things accomplished, and felt like I was fine. Let me say we had never tried to get pregnant prior to this, but my doc fills like we wouldn't have gotten preg. the first try if I hadn't had the surgery and the low stress life style at the time! During my preg. the doc after testing thought I was border line gestational diabetes..but after weeks of blood testing I learned lots about myself. If I don't eat when I first fill hungry my blood sugar rises and then will after awhile drop very low...so I ate as needed to control this..which worked well and I had a great preg. no problems! After the birth of my son Jan 07', I nursed and lost some weight 5-10 lbs less than pre baby weight, but within a few months of his birth stress returned to my life around May 07' and has only gotten worse and in the past year I'm right back where I was in October 05' stress wise anyway! ALL DUE TO THE ECONOMY!
I'd forgotten about the PCOS.. and for awhile I've been noticing my hair thinning, acne for the first time in my life and I'm 30, weight gain in my stomach again a first for me, skin tags, crazy emotions! at first I thought it was from having my son..But --After watching something on TV I realized I'd forgotten about having PCOS and haven't been treating it and it ALL MADE SENSE! The stress I'm under is causing it to flare up! So I made an appointment with my doc to have a pap etc and get what meds I needed for the PCOS. So my appointment last week was my first one since the birth of my son in Jan 07'. I got my med filled last night and took one 500mg Met this am in the middle of breakfast and it's been a little over 2 hours so far so good. I almost didn't take it scarred of being sick, and I started my period today as well. But I figured I feel like crap and sick to my stomach on my period anyway so who would be the wiser!
I want everyone to know I researched this med last night and this am before taking it to be sure it was right for me! I'm funny... taking meds is serious to me...the thought of taking something possibly the rest of my life is major to me! So after my research I believe it's my answer!!!! I've dieted with friends and ate better and worked out harder to only lose a fraction compared to others! I've always for the most part kept my weight stable, I've always ate decent, only drink water, and very active, but have always had trouble losing weight!!!! Now in addition to not able to lose weight I'm gaining in my stomach, I have crazy acne, thinning hair, and skin tags....Sexy I don't think so- LOL!!
So far so good no bad side effects yet! I'm taking a smaller dose for the first 2 weeks and gradually moving up. I also will be taking it in the middle of my meals! Which I have to do with everything I take! I don't think anyone should take this if they don't have blood sugar issues! Again meds are serious! Not only did my doc see my ovaries during surgery but I've also tested my BS levels many times a day and realize there's an issue, and I plan on getting my meter out and will be testing them again during the early phases of this new med treatment! To the original girl who started this format April W in 03' I also have the sweet tooth especially after eating! After reading on many sites the symptoms vary from female to female, but I share many issues that others have. I'm excited to get myself BACK and don't just mean weight I want all my bodies issues to get better! I will post again and let you know how things are going and will be blowing the dust off my Atkins book! It seems from my research the low carb diet is very important for treating PCOS and for the Met. to work well and not get sick form the Met.. I've given up on diets in the past! but I will give it a go again. Happy trails! Good luck to all...be safe! IT IS WHAT IT IS!
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  #75   ^
Old Thu, Jun-04-09, 05:47
Tonya B Tonya B is offline
New Member
Posts: 2
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 235/235/150 Female 5 4
BF:
Progress:
Default

13lbs in 3weeks that is great. I have 500mil glucophage that I want to start taking to lose weight to, I just wasn't sure if it really work. It is still working for you?
Congrats
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