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  #46   ^
Old Sat, Feb-18-06, 03:43
Allena Allena is offline
New Member
Posts: 5
 
Plan: My own
Stats: 245/219/150 Female 5'9"
BF:BMI is 33%
Progress: 27%
Location: Nashville
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I've been on Glucophage for about 3 Months. Has anyone experienced any extreme stomach sickness with this medication? It has made me sick at least 1-2 every week for the last 3 months. However it has helped my weight loss significantly, thank G-d. But Be careful with it and don't take it without food!
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  #47   ^
Old Sat, Feb-18-06, 04:43
SafferBabe's Avatar
SafferBabe SafferBabe is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 114
 
Plan: Atkins- whole foods only!
Stats: 240/240/155 Female 1.74m
BF:56%/56%/25%
Progress: 0%
Location: JNB - South Africa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Allena
I've been on Glucophage for about 3 Months. Has anyone experienced any extreme stomach sickness with this medication? It has made me sick at least 1-2 every week for the last 3 months. However it has helped my weight loss significantly, thank G-d. But Be careful with it and don't take it without food!


You might want to watch out for lactic acidosis. It's an extremely serious and sometimes fatal condition. A small number of people who have taken metformin have developed a serious condition called lactic acidosis that has been fatal in up to 50% of cases. Lactic acidosis has occurred most often in people whose kidneys were not working properly. Liver problems may also increase the risk of developing lactic acidosis. Stop taking metformin and call your doctor immediately if you experience a feeling of general discomfort or sickness; weakness; sore or aching muscles; trouble breathing, unusual drowsiness, dizziness or lightheadedness; unusual or unexplained stomach upset (after the initial stomach upset that may occur at the start of therapy with metformin); or the sudden development of a slow or irregular heartbeat. These may be signs of lactic acidosis.

I'm not here to judge but I was quite surprised to see that some people take Glucophage for the sole purpose of losing weight. I have developed Type II diabetes and had to take 6 x 500mg per day for roughly 18 - 22 months. During the last two years I have gained close to 100lbs. Yes, I used to binge eat but I was taking 6 tablets per day and gained 100lbs.

Since starting Atkins I've binned the Glucophage. My blood sugar levels are normal and I have lost 22lbs in one month! I guess what I'm trying to say is that low-carbing alone works great for weight loss I was over the moon when I binned the Glucophage because as with all other medicines there are serious risks involved I was also always under the impression that oral diabetes drugs may increase heart-related mortality. I'm no doctor but if you can lose the weight without taking the tablets (doing low-carbing of course) I think it's best

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  #48   ^
Old Sun, Feb-19-06, 07:21
Reginia's Avatar
Reginia Reginia is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 103
 
Plan: Atkins Induction
Stats: 277/253/165 Female 5'9
BF:
Progress: 21%
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Different strokes for different folks. Many doctors prescribe it for weight loss in PCOS patients...doctors also prescribe it for infertility as well. It has multiple uses.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SafferBabe

I'm not here to judge but I was quite surprised to see that some people take Glucophage for the sole purpose of losing weight. I have developed Type II diabetes and had to take 6 x 500mg per day for roughly 18 - 22 months. During the last two years I have gained close to 100lbs. Yes, I used to binge eat but I was taking 6 tablets per day and gained 100lbs.

Since starting Atkins I've binned the Glucophage. My blood sugar levels are normal and I have lost 22lbs in one month! I guess what I'm trying to say is that low-carbing alone works great for weight loss I was over the moon when I binned the Glucophage because as with all other medicines there are serious risks involved I was also always under the impression that oral diabetes drugs may increase heart-related mortality. I'm no doctor but if you can lose the weight without taking the tablets (doing low-carbing of course) I think it's best

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  #49   ^
Old Sun, Feb-19-06, 08:10
SafferBabe's Avatar
SafferBabe SafferBabe is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 114
 
Plan: Atkins- whole foods only!
Stats: 240/240/155 Female 1.74m
BF:56%/56%/25%
Progress: 0%
Location: JNB - South Africa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Reginia
Different strokes for different folks. Many doctors prescribe it for weight loss in PCOS patients...doctors also prescribe it for infertility as well. It has multiple uses.


I know, hence underlining "for the sole purpose of losing weight" I'm not judging Reginia. Just gave my two cents

All of the best with your journey

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  #50   ^
Old Fri, Mar-28-08, 22:35
MaryHann MaryHann is offline
New Member
Posts: 2
 
Plan: ?doc says no sugar!
Stats: 213/200/135 Female 64 inches
BF:
Progress: 17%
Location: Florida
Default weight loss

Hi April,
Like you, my doctor has prescribed metformin to me for weight loss. The whole low carb diet is new to me, and I was just wondering if you reached your goal, and if you felt like the pills helped you. Hope to hear from you, I did notice that your last date visited was in 03.
Thanks, Mary
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  #51   ^
Old Fri, Mar-28-08, 23:19
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
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Sourdaisy, may I ask what dosage you're taking now? I know I am IR and have had PCOS for years, but since I wasn't trying to get pregnant, getting a diagnosis from mediocre doctors has been difficult. You know what I mean; it isn't a DISEASE so why bother talking about it or testing for it? blech.
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  #52   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-08, 10:12
mstares mstares is offline
New Member
Posts: 18
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 196/196/140 Female 5' 4"
BF:Let's not go there
Progress: 0%
Location: Newfoundland
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Metformin will not work for weight loss if you are not insulin resistant (which means you have PCOS, type II diabetes, or syndrome X or some other underlying insulin resistance) The mechanics behind it is that it makes your cells more receptive to the insulin your body produces so you metabolize carbohydrate calories instead of storing them as fat. If you are normal and healthy, your body is doing that on it's own already. Limiting your carbohydrates will cause weight loss on it's own as well as correct heartburn, gas and acid reflux problems. The average patient on metformin loses approx. 4 pounds a year, and it's not uncommon to have an initial weight loss higher than that. I was on met for years and it had no effect on my weight. Oh well. We are all different. It can have some side effects and a lot of women have told me that it decreased or eliminated their libido! Not good! I did find that it did that to me as well as sucking the energy out of me. Those are probably the two most common side effects. If you are taking metformin, you really have to limit your alcohol intake. Too much alcohol and met can cause lactic acidosis, a potentially fatal condition. Also it's important to let your dentist know if you are having any dental work done. And of course, if you are having surgery you must stop taking it for a few days prior to surgery.

By the way April, there is no *test* for PCOS. The diagnosis is usually made after taking a detailed personal and family health history. A bunch of blood tests are taken which may or may not show minor abnormalities. Also, a check of if any PCOS symptoms are present, how you gain your weight/how it's distributed on your body etc. It takes some women years to get a diagnosis. I was diagnosed at age 42 after presenting symptoms since my teens. Because I had no real infertility problems, doctors ruled out PCOS for me. Some people and doctors think that you ALWAYS have infertility probs with PCOS but that's not so. It's one of the more common symptoms and PCOS is the most common reason for infertility in women. But that doesn't make it an absolute. Good luck with your weight loss!

Margaret

Last edited by mstares : Sun, Apr-06-08 at 10:17.
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  #53   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-08, 10:27
DrH's Avatar
DrH DrH is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 2,185
 
Plan: Atkins (Strict Induction)
Stats: 183/120/115 Female 5'7.5"
BF:21.6%
Progress: 93%
Location: Jupiter, FL
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Margaret - some of what you stated here is wrong. Metformin does work for weight loss and their is a test for PCOS. Jill
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  #54   ^
Old Sun, Apr-06-08, 10:37
misschris misschris is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 379
 
Plan: PPLP Intervention
Stats: 206/160/135 Female 63 inches
BF:
Progress: 65%
Location: NC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mstares

By the way April, there is no *test* for PCOS. The diagnosis is usually made after taking a detailed personal and family health history. A bunch of blood tests are taken which may or may not show minor abnormalities. Also, a check of if any PCOS symptoms are present, how you gain your weight/how it's distributed on your body etc. It takes some women years to get a diagnosis. I was diagnosed at age 42 after presenting symptoms since my teens. Because I had no real infertility problems, doctors ruled out PCOS for me. Some people and doctors think that you ALWAYS have infertility probs with PCOS but that's not so. It's one of the more common symptoms and PCOS is the most common reason for infertility in women. But that doesn't make it an absolute. Good luck with your weight loss!

Margaret


I had a test for PCOS, an Ultrasound. It came back showing polycystic ovaries, it was VERY clear that I had PCOS. This was secondary to the blood tests. Now, not everyone with PCOS comes back with a positive ultrasound, but it certainly is a test for PCOS

As for Met/Gluc for weight loss, I'm IR and it didn't do anything for me. It did make me sick, so I guess that could have assisted with the weight loss. I dumped it because it wasn't worth the risk or the side effects for me. I started taking cinnamon and modified my diet even more, and upped the exercise. I feel much better. The key is eating well, eliminating the bad carbs (because the PCOS makes it much more difficult to process carbs) and exercise.
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  #55   ^
Old Mon, Apr-07-08, 13:49
mstares mstares is offline
New Member
Posts: 18
 
Plan: atkins
Stats: 196/196/140 Female 5' 4"
BF:Let's not go there
Progress: 0%
Location: Newfoundland
Unhappy

Metformin is a diabetes medication that has several desirable side effects. Like all medications, not everyone experiences all side effects and not everyone has those side effects to the same degree. Met can increase fertility by normalizing insulin usage. Our hormones are kind of like dominoes, if one tips over into an imbalance it sets off a chain reaction in other hormones as the amount of them we secrete or manufacture depends on how much of certain other hormones are present in our bodies. If insulin imbalance was at the root of your weight gain or infertility then you might have those postive side effects.

Metformin does help with weight loss in some people, of course it does...I repeat, average patient will lose about 4 pounds a year. Metformin is metabolized in the liver (that's why you are supposed to have your liver enzymes checked by a blood test every 3-4 months while taking met to make sure it's not damaging your liver in anyway) It works to make our cells more receptive to our insulin. Less insulin being secreted can contribute to weight loss. That makes met a lot different than a weight loss medication. If you are prone to insulin resistance, chances are that it may be more effective for you in weight loss. It's not a diet pill though and people need to be aware of that and to remember it. It works by affecting effectiveness of a hormone. If that hormone is being secreted at just the right amount and your cells are taking it up at optimal levels, metformin probably will not impact weight loss one way or the other. Like a previous poster said, she gained 100 pounds while taking 3000 mg (6 tablets) of metformin daily. I probably gained about 20 pounds over a 4 year period. I guess we aren't all lucky enough to get the *right* side effects.

Sorry, I should have paid closer attention to my semantics. That's why I prefer Stein-Leventhal syndrome to PCOS, it's not so confusing. I should have said there is no one DEFINITIVE test for PCOS. As misscriss said, the ultrasound was secondary to blood work and I'll bet her doctor considered her medical history and symptoms she was presenting. There are a series of tests that taken in context with each other CAN indicate Stein-Leventhal syndrome and are effective tools for diagnosis. The ultrasound is one of those. Many women who have PCOS have cystic ovaries, many do not. Many women have cystic ovaries for other reasons. However, cystic ovaries in conjunction with several indicators/markers/symptoms can be very indicative of Stein-Leventhal syndrome. Over the years and after many ultrasounds, I have cystic ovaries sometimes and sometimes they are clear. One of my daughters has always had cysts, while the other rarely shows them when checked by ultrasound. Both have PCOS btw. A friend of mine has a problem with fibroid cysts on her ovaries but she doesn't have PCOS. Confusing I know, and it sure can make it difficult to get a definitive diagnosis!

Way to go misscriss on your lifestyle modifications!

All the best
Margaret

Last edited by mstares : Mon, Apr-07-08 at 14:01.
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  #56   ^
Old Fri, May-09-08, 11:40
campkrazy's Avatar
campkrazy campkrazy is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: dr.plan
Stats: 200/200/140 Female 5'5
BF:
Progress: 0%
Location: GA
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Hey All I am new to the forum.First post

I found this thread during a google search.

How are you all doing with glucophage?

My Dr. started me on gluc plus Wellbutrin.he said Wellbutrin would help with the diet.
Have any of you heard of these two together?

Karen
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  #57   ^
Old Mon, Sep-01-08, 11:27
suzz13722 suzz13722 is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: none
Stats: 216/213/140 Female 5.0
BF:
Progress:
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I have just started taking metformin 500mg three times daily for weight loss. I had talked to my doctor about not being able to loose weight for three years. I'm up to 216 after having three babies in a row and cannot loose it even with regular exercise and regular eating habits. She stated that she had used this medicine with some of her patients with 60% loosing weight. We did blood work and I am completely healthy. Did this actually work for you and how long have you stayed on the pills.
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  #58   ^
Old Wed, Sep-24-08, 11:50
rottngrrl rottngrrl is offline
New Member
Posts: 1
 
Plan: Atkins
Stats: 206/199/135 Female 5'5"
BF:
Progress: 10%
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I'm also new to the forum and this is my first post.

I just started last week. I had initially lost about 25 pounds simply low-carbing, then went into a two year stall. My symptoms all fit with syndrome X, so my doctor started me on 500mg 2x daily and it certainly seems to be working. After two years of losing the same 5 pounds over and over I've lost 7 pounds in a week. I'm sure a lot of it is water weight, I have swollen ankles, etc. I haven't changed my diet or exercise, in fact I've been exercising less than usual due to recent knee surgery.

I'm due to go in for a recheck and blood test after 30 days of the meds, so we'll see how everything is going at that point.
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  #59   ^
Old Wed, Sep-24-08, 12:58
quietone quietone is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 1,271
 
Plan: original 72 Atkins
Stats: 201/177/142 Female 65 inches
BF:44/44/25
Progress: 41%
Location: Northern Virginia
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Karen, a lot of people do lose their appetites on Welbutrin. It's an anti-d, but ti also jacks you up and makes your appetitue disappear (for some people).
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  #60   ^
Old Sat, Sep-27-08, 09:47
soule72's Avatar
soule72 soule72 is offline
Senior Member
Posts: 475
 
Plan: General Low Carb/ Optimal
Stats: 235/223/180 Female 5'7
BF:
Progress: 22%
Location: New Mexico
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Why is metformin bad if you are pregnant or want to get pregnant?
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