Question about metformin

xProfLupin
xProfLupin Posts: 35 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I have pcos. I'm also pretty positive I have sleep apnea and a mild form of social anxiety or maybe just anxiety in general but I don't know since I haven't been properly diagnosed for it.

However, I went to the doctor to get metformin (and an estrogen birth control since I don't want to get pregnant) and when she asked what else I thought I was having trouble with, I told her the other things I thought I might have -- namely sleep apnea (lots of snoring and stop breathing several times of the night according to the boyfriend), depression (I'm sad and angry all the time), and ADHD from various reasons. And I'm so scared to leave my house because of various insecurities and people I don't know being there (I'm not really sure what I'd call this.. anxiety?)

Well, the doctor said she'd like me to take the metformin for a while (I go for my first month followup in a few weeks) and see how my body reacts to it.. and how the pcos MIGHT be the cause to all the issues I may be experiencing.. so if the hormones start correcting itself to how it should be in my body, it might fix other stuff. If it hasn't helped by the time for my follow-up, we'd discuss further things so I can get tested to see if I had the other things and get those things worked on as well.

First question after reading that, did anyone that had stuff like sleep apnea, possible depression, possible ADHD, or a form of anxiety see an improvement away from those diagnosis with time with taking the metformin? Like, did you sleep better, less snoring, felt less depressed, could concentrate more, etc?

I'm writing down generally how I feel everyday (if I can remember.. I need a list to remind me to write on another list) but curious about if it affected other people or not.

Replies

  • cndkendrick
    cndkendrick Posts: 138 Member
    While every prescribed finds different drugs to treat different symptoms, metformin is most generally prescribed to treat type II diabetes or at the onset. But it is best to ask your doctor exactly what he or she prescribed it for.
  • cndkendrick
    cndkendrick Posts: 138 Member
    With that being said, I can't imagine (with your description) why your doctor would prescribe you Metformin.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    Is the prescribing physician an endocrinologist?

    It doesn't make sense to me that Metformin would solve all of your other problems. Starting one medication at a time is probably a good thing. Metabolic abnormalities do not generally create psychiatric issues. Those need to be treated by a separate specialist.
  • skinnyminnyme80
    skinnyminnyme80 Posts: 11 Member
    Metformin is a very commonly prescribed medication for PCOS. I have taken it before and did not notice any improvement in my sleeping. Metformin really did not work for me and it could have been because I was not following a diabetic style diet while taking it. My doctor prescribed the Metformin to help with my blood sugar problems (I am not diabetic). Supposedly once you can get your blood sugar under control and within normal ranges, the PCOS symptoms will be improve. I have found that my PCOS symptoms have improved naturally, without any medications, with consistent exercise and better eating habits.
  • phxteach
    phxteach Posts: 309 Member
    I think your doctor is fairly wise in this treatment because metformin causes your blood glucose to react differently. Your liver is directly involved in blood sugar control. By moderating your glucose control, it could take some pressure off the liver. And the liver produces SAM-e, which DOES affect greatly your emotions - depression and anger. SAM-e supplement is prescribed in Europe as a more natural alternative to anti-depressant meds conventionally prescribed here. It also helps heal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Personally, I found two effective brands (Source Naturals and Dr's Best) and one that did absolutely nothing.

    I'd monitor your emotional state when you use birth control. You may find it radically changes for better OR worse. I know when I was pregnant, I took additional progesterone. The naturally derived, pharmaceutical grade cream could take me through stages of depression and anger within a 20 MINUTE time frame. I even wondered if I was responding due to a placebo effect. After further research at a local hospital's medical library, it appeared that the cream definitely can cause a psychiatric response that quickly. Progesterone may or may not be a part of the birth control cocktail you get prescribed, but it very definitely can move your emotional pendulum. At the very least, hopefully your doctor recommends you keep a diary of your symptoms to see how you respond and to what severity. Best of luck.
  • RebeccaMaunder
    RebeccaMaunder Posts: 171 Member
    I have been doing a lot of research on PCOS as of late so as to help myself. I also have anxiety... Though I've been treated for make mental health for many years. I decided in April that I was not going to take any more psych meds because I am not sure that the pcos isn't contributing to a lot of my issues. One of the symptoms of pcos is rage. So the angry part makes sense to me. Depression is also something that seems to come with pcos which can very well be because of the hormone imbalance. Which if you look at each hormone and what they do and put it together with what we have our of balance as pcos women it's not surprising. I am not sure metformin will "cure" your symptoms but it could help with the IR and help to regulate the hormones a little better. It does help to be following something like the gi diet while doing this so that everything is working together. Also in terms of exercise I have read that weights/ lifting weights are better for weight loss with pcos. Although if you've not done much weight lifting you can easily use your own body weight for resistance and it counts until you build up more strength. Weights from places like Walmart tend to be inexpensive... Also I would check for things like Fb groups in your area that do give aways or any websites that do a buy sell trade. You may be able to find really cheap sets that way. Just some things to think about. PS. Cardio is still great make sure you get that in as well and lots and lots of water.
  • phxteach
    phxteach Posts: 309 Member
    rereading my post, I see I did not connect well some dots. Yes, Metformin is commonly prescribed for PCOS. Researchers know it can help but don't always know the mechanism of the "how/why". So...it's like a huge connecting chain: if Metformin works for PCOS and Metformin changes glucose levels and Metformin changes the way the liver reacts including improvement of NASH syndrome and liver controls SAM-e production and SAM-e influences joint flexibility as well as being a mood regulator = seems to be a good call to try Metformin first. Hope this makes some sense.
  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
    birth control can do a lot of weird stuff.

    i have horrible anxiety. i'm on a high dose of klonopin for mine. but i am also on a low-dose birth control pill (no pregnancy here!) i have never been on metformin. but i do agree with keeping track of how you feel on birth control because that can be a big emotional mess.

    good luck
  • xProfLupin
    xProfLupin Posts: 35 Member
    @cndkendrick well she mainly prescribed for the pcos since I am at
    cndkendrick wrote: »
    With that being said, I can't imagine (with your description) why your doctor would prescribe you Metformin.

    Well, I got prescribed Metformin mainly due to the PCOS/prediabetes/control of the elevated insulin levels.. She had basically said that the PCOS hormone imbalance (my body makes more androgens and testosterone than it does estrogen) which causes all of my irregular physical body symptoms (increased hair on my back, face, stomach, legs) and that it -might- be the cause of my mental issues that I think I have. The sleep apnea might be just from being overweight (PCOS girls tend to put on weight more around the waist which might affect my snoring somehow). I am, however, prediabetic from a blood test that was done shortly after getting prescribed metformin; I was 5.8 scale of 5.7-6.4 of prediabetes. PCOS girls tend to have a higher chance of becoming diabetic from what I've read/researched due to the insulin crap, and the metformin helps both sets of people.
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    Is the prescribing physician an endocrinologist?

    It doesn't make sense to me that Metformin would solve all of your other problems. Starting one medication at a time is probably a good thing. Metabolic abnormalities do not generally create psychiatric issues. Those need to be treated by a separate specialist.

    And yeah, I wasn't sure either so that's why I was asking xD. And I know that metformin itself won't cure anything in itself but I was curious if the metformin fixed all the hormone imbalances (instead of my body producing mostly androgen/testosterone and it started producing estrogen like it's supposed to do) that the hormones were somehow creating an imbalance in, say, my brain that caused anxiety or feeling depressed/sad/angry all the time. I'm thinking that's what the doctor was wanting to test out and see if I saw any changes during the time I was taking it.. I just wanted to ask if anyone that took Metformin and got those imabalances balanced and they seemed to have issues mentally if it seemed they saw an improvement or nothing at all. I go back to see the doctor in September so I'll ask her more in detail then or if I need to get a referral to see an endocrinologist.

  • xProfLupin
    xProfLupin Posts: 35 Member
    phxteach wrote: »
    I think your doctor is fairly wise in this treatment because metformin causes your blood glucose to react differently. Your liver is directly involved in blood sugar control. By moderating your glucose control, it could take some pressure off the liver. And the liver produces SAM-e, which DOES affect greatly your emotions - depression and anger. SAM-e supplement is prescribed in Europe as a more natural alternative to anti-depressant meds conventionally prescribed here. It also helps heal non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Personally, I found two effective brands (Source Naturals and Dr's Best) and one that did absolutely nothing.

    I'd monitor your emotional state when you use birth control. You may find it radically changes for better OR worse. I know when I was pregnant, I took additional progesterone. The naturally derived, pharmaceutical grade cream could take me through stages of depression and anger within a 20 MINUTE time frame. I even wondered if I was responding due to a placebo effect. After further research at a local hospital's medical library, it appeared that the cream definitely can cause a psychiatric response that quickly. Progesterone may or may not be a part of the birth control cocktail you get prescribed, but it very definitely can move your emotional pendulum. At the very least, hopefully your doctor recommends you keep a diary of your symptoms to see how you respond and to what severity. Best of luck.

    Yeah, it all made sense. The doctor I went to seemed to not want to put me on multiple pills which is good since I'd rather do it the right way.. See how I react to what I'm taking and then raise what I'm taking and/or try something new. I've lost some weight from taking the metformin but it's mainly from diarehha (from too many carbs/salad I've found) and lack of appetite towards the end of the day. I haven't seen any real change in my mental feelings but it also hasn't been a month.. I heard through the grapevine that it might take a month before a person has built up a good amount of the metformin in their system to see a difference.. I'll just continue to writing down my feelings as they come and see how often they occur :)

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Your doctor doesn't want to deal with all that. They want to take it one step at a time. Next time you're in, ask about a sleep study and for a referral to a therapist.
  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
    Metformin helped to regulate my period and keep my blood sugars down, however it gave me diarrhea and tummy aches. I stopped tataking it early this year.

    I have poly cystic overies, and anxiety. The best thing for me has been losing weight. I get very anxious leaving the house as I have PTSD from my 2 year old getting hit by a car. I have counseling for this.

    I've taken anxiety meds and anti depression meds in the past but they didn't help me enough to warrent takong them, but everyone is different so I would discuss this with medical personal.

    I had sleep apnea at 253lbs/BMI of 52 in Jan of this year which is long gone now, my BMI is a hair under 35 today. I had testing done at a sleep clinic.
  • xProfLupin
    xProfLupin Posts: 35 Member
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Your doctor doesn't want to deal with all that. They want to take it one step at a time. Next time you're in, ask about a sleep study and for a referral to a therapist.

    Yeah xD. I had a gyno appt today because the main PCP wanted a second set of eyes on my ovaries/cysts to see if they were getting better/worse, how bad they were. I asked him if he thought that metformin could/could not cure issues and he said it quite possibly could but he also mentioned that my depression/anxiety might be just based on because how I feel about myself since I'm very overweight and that it might also improve after I lost more weight.


    minties82 wrote: »
    Metformin helped to regulate my period and keep my blood sugars down, however it gave me diarrhea and tummy aches. I stopped tataking it early this year.

    I have poly cystic overies, and anxiety. The best thing for me has been losing weight. I get very anxious leaving the house as I have PTSD from my 2 year old getting hit by a car. I have counseling for this.

    I've taken anxiety meds and anti depression meds in the past but they didn't help me enough to warrent takong them, but everyone is different so I would discuss this with medical personal.

    I had sleep apnea at 253lbs/BMI of 52 in Jan of this year which is long gone now, my BMI is a hair under 35 today. I had testing done at a sleep clinic.

    It definitely gives me diarrhea (and some tummy aches) if I eat certain types of food.. like anything high in carbs, too high in sugar, and most salads. Most of my 12 pounds that I've lost has been from that so far. Like I just mentioned a second earlier, the gyno dude said I might be depressed/have anxiety but it may be because of how I feel about myself being overweight as I am and that it would improve with time or the metformin could/could not make it better and that I'd have to wait and see.

    However, he seemed to REALLY push for surgery for a lap-band.. I was, like, "no... not yet.. I'd like to try it this way first if I can xD". I think I may ask for a sleep study if my insurance will cover one :)
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    Metformin can help you lose weight. If you have sleep apnea, that can have a strong influence on mood and weight loss. Push for the sleep study. Using a c-pap machine, if necessary, has no known negative side effects and can help with your other conditions. Eating less and moving more can also have a strong positive effect on mood while helping with your other issues as well.
  • RMCottonRPh
    RMCottonRPh Posts: 41 Member
    I am a pharmacist. Metformin will help regulate blood sugar, but will only help your mood if erratic blood sugars are contributing to mood issues. So, generally, no. It will only help with diabetes, prediabetes, and metabolic syndrome. It frequently can cause diarrhea and GI upset...if that becomes a problem for you, ask for the extended release formulation, which has much lower incidence of diarrhea.
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