Metformin for weight loss?

Metformin is a diabetes drug, not a weight loss drug.

Exercise and getting to a healthy weight usually clears up insulin issues.

I took it for PCOS related issues. It suppresses your appetite somewhat so, yes, it can help you lose weight simply because you will not be as hungry. My only caution for you is that it can have unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects for the first few days or first week. After that, no problems.

Hi, I'm fairly new here. I recently started a program through my doctor called WeCare, it's a medically supervised weight loss program. I've been on it since July 16th and have lost 10+ lbs. They took some blood tests and it came back that I have high insulin levels or "insulin resistance" according to my doctor. She mentioned Metformin for treatment of this. I have a Factor V Leiden blood clotting problem and therefore cannot usually take hormonal medications such as birth control. I consulted with my Hemotologist about the drug and they said I'd be fine. I'm also meeting with my Ob/Gyn next week about it.

My purpose of this post is to see if anyone else has taken this for weight loss purposes and treatment of high insulin levels/insulin resistance? I see it on the web as mostly a fertility treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrom, which I haven't been diagnosed with yet.

If you have taken it for any reason, did you lose weight? was it beneficial or did it cause problems?

Thanks,
Melissa

It's normally prescribed to help keep blood sugar levels in check. That's what I'm on it for. It's never helped me in the weight loss department, that came naturally with lowered blood sugars & a calorie deficit

I take Metformin and my ovaries are fine

I am sure you have lovely ovaries

I was prescribed it for diabetes but it can affect your kidney function so make sure your doctor does regular follow up tests. My EGFR dropped 20 points in 3 weeks so I had to go off it and start glipizide instead. My kidneys and liver are functioning perfectly now.

ETA: I just noticed that my ticker looks like I have a fly on my nose.

Metformin is a diabetes drug, not a weight loss drug.

Exercise and getting to a healthy weight usually clears up insulin issues.

This.

Metformin can be very helpful for weight loss because it is known to cause severe bouts of constant diarrhea. It is a drug for diabetes and is very harmful to your kidneys. Take it if you must for control of diabetes (or "insulin resistance"), but get your weight under control through diet and exercise and get rid of that drug.

I took it for PCOS related issues. It suppresses your appetite somewhat so, yes, it can help you lose weight simply because you will not be as hungry. My only caution for you is that it can have unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects for the first few days or first week. After that, no problems.

This. I was also prescribed metformin for insulin resistance (I was trying to get PG). I did lose weight - I was so sick from the metformin I didn't have an appetite and when I did eat, I felt sick or had GI issues. I haven't taken it since.

It is tempting to be offered a drug to help you lose weight - but it is no magic pill and if a doctor suggested I take it again I would explore other alternatives first since I had such an unpleasant experience.

I wanted to add, that the weightloss I experienced was not significant (maybe 15 pounds, I was 230 at the time) and definitely not worth it me from a weightloss perspective. I can't remember how long I was on it, maybe 3 months?
Teresa

I have a insulin level of 76 when the normal range is 0-25.

I was diagnosed with insulin resistance and hypoglycemia last year and prescribed Metformin. I took 1000 mg of the regular version and it worked wonderfully. I was no longer having to eat every hour to keep my blood sugar up. However, after a couple months I began experiencing very bad diarrhea and nausea after taking the medication. I switched to the extended release version and have had no problems. I do not feel it is as strong as the regular version so some have to take a higher dose on the ER in order to get any benefit.

*Note: Diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea are common side effects of Metformin although they typically go away after 1-2 weeks.*

Losing weight with insulin resistance is very difficult. Most are unsuccessful losing weight without a medication (although it really depends on how bad your IR is). For some, Metformin helps them lose weight. For others (like me), it hasn't helped me lose weight at all.

When insulin resistance is left untreated, it can turn into diabetes. So either way, you are going to need to change your diet drastically whether you take Metformin or not.