Has anyone been able to do INDUCTION while taking Metformin?

[Wrkin4Baby]

I was just wondering if anyone here has been able to do Induction on Atkins sucessfully while taking Metformin? I just feel REALLY sick, kinda like how I felt when I first started Metformin. I know my body is adjusting, but it would help me get by this time to know if there are some PCOS'ers out there who did Induction and Metformin at the same time.
I'm on 2000mg a day.

[sourdaisy]

I can't handle induction carb levels on metformin. My blood glucose just gets way too low. I feel the best when my carbs are 40-50g a day so I would up the carbs until you feel better. Having constant low blood sugar is no laughing matter.

[JennD]

I agree. If I eat less than 20 carbs a day, it's not enough. I feel much better and glucose levels are normal if I eat 40-50 carbs/day. And I'm still losing weight, which is exciting. I've done low-carb a few times over the last 10 years and each time I stayed on Induction for a couple of months, lost 30 lbs or so, then couldn't stand it anymore and quit. 40-50 carbs, to me, is much more liveable. I just try to eat around 15 carbs a meal or less, so that I don't eat too many carbs in one sitting. Some days I still only eat 25, but it's more by accident than plan. Adust your diet slightly until you feel better-- don't give up!

[Shazzer]

This is what I did: Slowly eliminated the carbs from your diet. My body would have revolted if I did the quick move to induction. My blood sugar, even with Met, went to extremes. About two weeks prior to going on "Induction," I reduced carbs. I first cut out sugar, then eliminated breads. By the time I officially began low-carbing on Induction, the transition was quite easy. The first two days of under 20 carbs were the hardest, but they were not too hard. Basically, I ate snacks all through the first 48 hours. It helped.

[Spainlady]

I started on 1/2/04 with induction and 1000MG Met on the same day. I have not had any problems at all. No symtoms at all.

[DevonGalxx]

I am so glad i read that!! i was about to restart my Metformin 2000mg and i am in first week of induction. I was worried about how the 2 would work together (it was bad enough without low carbing) i am new to this board and so glad there is a PCOS Board aswell! I am looking forward to getting to know you all and making a few friends :) xx

[odyssey]

While i don't "do" Atkins i was on Induction level carbs in the beginning, still am some days. i didn't have any extra problems. i will say i was on glucophage for four months before i began limiting my carbs. Also about two months in i began to take the extended release gluc because the regular metformin was just too hard on my stomach. This was before i began to limit my carbs. Actually the biggest problem i have is if i eat a higher than normal amount of carbs. When they mix with the gluc i have some ... hmm .. intestinal problems .. smile

[Squid]

I'm on 1000 mg of metformin and just got through induction. I did have a case of the runs, but when I started adding psyllium husks it got better. It wasn't so bad that I wanted to stop either LC or metformin. And wow am I finally losing weight!!!!

Squid

[odyssey]

i guess i should add that i am on 2000 mg of the extended release daily. i take the four (horse lol) pills in the morning.

[LKPNYC]

Interesting.. I had put up a post in another room about the nausea and lack of appetite I've had going SEVERELY low carb (easily under 20g a day). I wonder if inching my carbs back up just a bit will make a difference.. I'm on 1000mg of metformin a day. I have cut out sugar mostly... then those wasted carbs (chips, bread, etc) that don't really do anything anyway! I'm eating better overall, when I can MAKE myself eat, that is. Time to sneak some more carbs in my developing diet!
Thanks for the info!

[Innamora]

I am still on Induction level carbs and am doing ok on my Metformin. The first couple of days were nuts, but it sorted itself out for me. I am hypoclycemic and so I nibble on meat all through the day, which keeps my blood sugar levels within normal. (I test often).

[MsTwacky]

I take 1500mg of metformin and I restarted Atkins about 13 days ago. I went to the Dr's office and the nurse practitioner freaked me out because she said I was spilling ketones like crazy. I was under the impression that this is what we wanted right?

Anyway turns out she thought I was diabetic-until I told her I have PCOS. She said I shouldn't take the Met while doing induction-or I should add a piece of Atkins bread in the morning.

I'm not to sure she knew what she was talking about and would have been a lot happier had I seen the Dr. himself.

Anyway- I do induction and take Met-no side effects- but the funny thing is no weight loss in these 13 days either. Still waiting for the whoosh fairy and I won't leave before the miracle happens. ;)

[ItsTheWooo]

Interesting.. I had put up a post in another room about the nausea and lack of appetite I've had going SEVERELY low carb (easily under 20g a day). I wonder if inching my carbs back up just a bit will make a difference.. I'm on 1000mg of metformin a day. I have cut out sugar mostly... then those wasted carbs (chips, bread, etc) that don't really do anything anyway! I'm eating better overall, when I can MAKE myself eat, that is. Time to sneak some more carbs in my developing diet!
Thanks for the info!
I had the nausea really badly in the beginning too. It was so bad that I couldn't stomach any (low carb) food as eating made it worse. One time I broke down and had yogurt and some fruit because I couldn't stand it.

Though at the time I couldn't stand it, in hindsight I think feeling nausea on the beginning of very low carb is a good sign. To me it signals that fat is being burned really fast, and ketones are so concentrated that they are making you feel ill. This, of course, means that insulin levels were REALLY high before, and now they are much lower, which is resulting in a rapid burning of fat.

[ItsTheWooo]

I take 1500mg of metformin and I restarted Atkins about 13 days ago. I went to the Dr's office and the nurse practitioner freaked me out because she said I was spilling ketones like crazy. I was under the impression that this is what we wanted right?

Anyway turns out she thought I was diabetic-until I told her I have PCOS. She said I shouldn't take the Met while doing induction-or I should add a piece of Atkins bread in the morning.

I'm not to sure she knew what she was talking about and would have been a lot happier had I seen the Dr. himself.

Anyway- I do induction and take Met-no side effects- but the funny thing is no weight loss in these 13 days either. Still waiting for the whoosh fairy and I won't leave before the miracle happens. ;)

Yes, having high ketones is perfectly normal for someone on induction. SHe probably wasn't aware that you are doing a ketogenic diet, and therefore the ketones she was seeing were nothing more than a symptom of benign dietary ketosis.

Ketosis in absence of a ketogenic diet is a symptom of out of control blood sugars & severe body catabolism. If one had that high of a ketone concentration and it wasn't from dietary ketosis, it is very likely they are on the verge of death from falling into a diabetic hypoglycemic coma.

[MsTwacky]

The nurse took urine to send off to the lab regarding the ketones...

I guess that's why they call it BENIGN dietary ketosis-because even though the test strips showed Ketosis.....and she thought I was in ketoacidosis...because of the Metformin but....

the lab results showed I was totally fine!!!!!!!!!!!!

So all the hype that people say about being in ketosis....is just that hype. :D

[jdreams76]

I am about to start my LC life here tomorrow. I havent been taking my met for about 2weeks :( Bad me i know. But i am thinking now that i am going to start LCing i am going to wait till the first week is over and then reintroduce my ER met to the program.. Sounds like it just all depends on the person and the amount of me to me... I am hoping thats the case and i do fine. :) I cant stand met s/e's :(

[LisaJayne]

Hi Guys, :wave:
I've found the PCOS board by accident! And am glad I found you all!!.

I have PCOS and Insulin Resistance. I'm on 1700mg of metformin a day and am just about to satrt Atkins. My consultant told me to do it but sensibly!! Her words not mine! She said to find the lower carb fruits and vegs and make sure I eat them. Also to eat chicken. seafood, duck, turkey etc not just a ton of bacon and steak! I'm sensible anyway with my fat intake.
She also told me to be prepared to stick to 1000 cals a day or less and if I'm still struggling to lose weight I may have to drop down to 500-600 cals a day (with low carb) to lose. She says she has some PCOS patients at the moment and they can not lose any weight unless they drop down that low! I know it sounds madness and is horrible scary but I do trust her as she is one of the leading specialists here in the UK on fertility problems and PCOS.
has anyone else been told something similar?

Does anyone else notice how crap they feel after eating carbs? If I have a bad day and end up picking at little amounts of crap (biscuits, choc, carb based foods) I feel dodgy. I'm exhausted, feel sick, dizzy and usually end up with a bad stomach too!

My other question is what plans are you all following? Why do you think it works so well for you. What's good about it.?
I'd really appreciate any help as I'm still trying to find my way

Many Thanks

Lisa

[Annwn]

I have PCOS, diagnosed in the 1980s. It's nonsense to say 500 cals. Your body will do serious damage to itself. Even 1000 is too little. I successfully lost 3 stone (Over 30lbs) in 5 or so months on 1500, sometimes more, calories a day.

A starvation diet will send your body into panic mode and you'll just gain wait. LCing, I found, was a neat way to eat awful food AND put on weight. No fad diets work. Drink more water, eat less rubbish and exercise more and you will lose the weight without counting any calories.

If you can, read *PCOS THE DIET* by Colette Harriss (Pub. by Thorssons, UK), you'd see why the Low Carb diet is not recommended for women with PCOS.

I suspected as much having lost 3 stone (36lb) once on a low fat diet (Weight I kept off for years til having 2 babies in 2 years!) and yet when I tried to Low Carb, lost 10lb then plateued. Then GAINED.

The PCOS diet book explains why low carb diets can never work, long term, for women with PCOS and give much greater health risks long and short term, for us. Despite their hype, they don't actually address the real problems. To go into ketosis unsupervised by a doctor is positively dangerous.

And when the LC becomes unsustainable - the weight will return.

Do check this book out. It compares all the diets, and whilst it doesn't advocate LC ing it does suggest watching the GI of foods, and only eating complex carbs. But not the levels of protein and fat and not in the way LC diets do.

Annwn

[~WendyC~]

i take 1500mg of glucophage er a day and i'm not having any weird side effects, other than the normal ones i always have.. tmi.. lol... i did notice that my weight loss seems to be slower, but i figured that after some reading.. i also found this great article that some of you might find interesting... take care fellow PCOS'ers...
http://www.texasfertility.com/pos.html

Wendy

[gonnadoit]

In the U.S., there are several extended release metformin products that sharply reduce GI side effects - Glucophage XR, brand and generic, in 500mg & 750mg, and Fortamet, 1000mg. The incidence of nausea/diarrhea drop from somewhere around 50% with immediate release to around 10-12% on extended release. Hope this helps with the side effects.