Quit metformin...restart??

[donnahill8]

I quit metformin in December bc I was finding it in the toilet several times a week. Now, since December my weight loss has really slowed. FBS's were in the 90-100's when I went off and now I'm finding them in the 110-120's, even with a LC diet. Some think the tea sweetened w/ stevia is causing this, which is very possible, but wasn't before. Maybe this is bc of the metormin. Question: Should I go back on the Metformin to get back to losing lbs? Does metformin cause any problems for the liver ( I already have a compromised liver)? Would losing the weight at a more steady rate be more beneficial to my liver health with the metformin, than a very slow weight loss without the metformin?

Donna

[donnahill8]

Still considering restarting metformin. Anyone ever went back on it bc they stopped losing when they went off?

Donna

[MizKitty]

Hi Donna!
I would think if metformin has any affect on liver, it would be to help it out, but I'm not a doctor.
Have you ever read Jenny Ruhl's blog? She writes on metformin quite frequently. Here's a link to a "metformin" search on her blog. You'll find the first article interesting, as half way down, she describes how she inexplicably started to gain, restarted metformin and started losing again.
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/search?q=metformin

Try the metformin xr (extended release). You'll probably have to specifically ask your doctor to prescribe it, they all prescribe the regular otherwise. Also, ask for 500mg tablet size, that's the size that's covered by most pharmacies $4 plans. Also, even with the xr, build up your dose slowly. If he prescribes 1500, take 500 for a week, then 1000 for a week, then 1500. If you get the xr and build up, hopefully you'll avoid the tummy troubles.

I think it's worth a try!

[marcsfl]

I restarted Metformin after stopping for 3 months. Started back gradually over a week to get back to full dose. BG dropped enough to back off my insulin a bit (I'm a Type 1 diabetic). No ill effects and I seem to be losing weight a little faster (about 1.5 lbs a week instead of 1)

[donnahill8]

This all sounds so encouraging to me. I was on the ER in December when I went off. I took two 500mg tablets in the morning and two at night. No stomach problems for me with the ER. I'll look and see if I have the rest of the bottle in the cabinet. I should probably call the doc and let her know, unless I have some left and plenty of refills to get me to my next appointment. I don't like dealing with docs too much. Thanks for the encouragment.

Donna

[donnahill8]

Read through the info on the site you listed. It was very helpful. I was suprised it didn't mention any incidents of toilet appearances. I had found several websites that mention MetforminER was notorious for not being metabolized. I guess even though I was seeing it several times a week, I was still getting enough to help my bs and lose weight. I'm going to look for the old bottle now. thanks!

donna