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*Possibly going off of metformin, side effects?*

Beleren
Beleren Posts: 142
edited January 28 in Social Groups
I was prescribed Metformin for my PCOS about a year ago. I took it randomly, and sometimes I did not take it at all because of the stomach issues I had when I did take it. About a month ago I decided just to suck it up and I've been taking it every day since then. The bottle I have is getting low, and when I looked I realized that my prescription expired 3 days ago. I don't have insurance anymore and the doctor I went to won't call in prescriptions without a visit. I'm probably going to try and get in contact with a free/low cost clinic around here, and hopefully they can write me a new prescription, but I want to be prepared in case they will not.

It seems like after upping my calories a bit and taking the Metformin, my weight has been going down steadily. I'm really worried that if I stop taking it, I'll stop losing weight. :( Has anyone stopped taking Metformin and continued losing weight? I still have at least 50 pounds to lose.

Replies

  • gingabebe
    gingabebe Posts: 165 Member
    When I was taking it I did lose a bit, but I wasn't actively trying too. Metformin regulated my cycles, which was what was important to me at the time. I am SLOWLY losing now and haven't been taking it for quite a while, so it is possible. My cycles are normal (as long as I stay active) so I don't need the medicine although there were times when I stayed at the same weight for weeks on end when I was tempted to go back on them to see if they'd give me a boost. If you find you prefer to stay on them ask the clinic to write out a prescription for a year supply or at least 6 months. I think my specialist actually did do a year supply at a time. I went in yearly for blood work (this was after twice yearly visits for 2 years).
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
    Thank you for the reply. :)
  • toxicat
    toxicat Posts: 79
    My Endocrinologist (one of the top in the country, works at Duke University Hospital, one of the top hospitals in the world) wants me off Metformin and does not think I need it (of course it varies for everyone and why you do or don't). I've reversed my pre-diabetes and I eat super healthy. I don't even eat sugar. I haven't come off of it yet since I started eating especially healthy, but I have lost 18 pounds 7 weeks since my appt with her. She had taken me from 2000mg to 1500mg. I am hoping in August to come off of it. My concern isn't weight gain- if I am exercising like MAD and eating super healthy, that's the best I can ever do, more than any medication IMO.
  • CysterWigs
    CysterWigs Posts: 136 Member
    My Endocrinologist (one of the top in the country, works at Duke University Hospital, one of the top hospitals in the world) wants me off Metformin and does not think I need it (of course it varies for everyone and why you do or don't). I've reversed my pre-diabetes and I eat super healthy. I don't even eat sugar. I haven't come off of it yet since I started eating especially healthy, but I have lost 18 pounds 7 weeks since my appt with her. She had taken me from 2000mg to 1500mg. I am hoping in August to come off of it. My concern isn't weight gain- if I am exercising like MAD and eating super healthy, that's the best I can ever do, more than any medication IMO.

    This sounds like something I could have written. :)
    I was on Met for ages and one day my endo decided to up the dose to 2000mg. I hadn't gained any weight, but I hadn't lost any either. She explained what it does and, to my surprise, it turned out that Met basically mimics the effects of cardio on the body. Exercise will ease your insulin resistance by making your muscle fibers more receptive to the glucose released into your blood stream by your liver. It may not get rid of it completely - you'll have to check with your endo about that - but in my case I was able to wean myself down to 500mg with my endo's blessing. Soon I hope to be off of it completely. I have lost 18 lbs and about 6 inches so far. The key is, in the words of my doctor, "Cardio, Honey, and LOTS of it." Weight training is good too, because it keeps you from hurting yourself when doing the cardio. Exercise is pretty awesome.
  • Beleren
    Beleren Posts: 142
    Oh, wow. thank you! That definitely puts my mind at ease. :)
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