Metformin

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jd0261
jd0261 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So my doctor prescribed metformin today to help aid in weight loss. I'll be taking 1000mg a day. I'm not diabetic and I have good blood pressure and cholesterol. I was wondering if anyone else has taken metformin just for aid in weightloss? How did it work for you?

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  • oocdc2
    oocdc2 Posts: 1,361 Member
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    That's a new one. 1000 mg is about half of what I'm prescribed, and I'm pre-diabetic. I hope the metformin helps you--it never seemed to do anything for me, though my endo. always seemed to think it should. Good luck!
  • LadyClover711
    LadyClover711 Posts: 3 Member
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    I take metformin and I am diabetic. It does NOT make me lose weight. It made me gain. That is NOT healthy to take unless you have to in my opinion. But I have to take medications! My goal is to get off of them.
  • Equus5374
    Equus5374 Posts: 462 Member
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    I've never heard of it prescribed just as a weight loss aid. If I were you, I'd be cautious in taking it if you're not diabetic. Instead, I'd invest in a food scale, put my stats into MFP, weigh and measure every morsel of food that goes into my mouth and work really hard at sticking to my calorie budget, with a little something fun thrown in there for some exercise too. That's really the key here.
  • Red13
    Red13 Posts: 287 Member
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    Metformin can be prescribed for insulin resistance related to PCOS. I'm surprised that it was given to you if you are neither diabetic or have been diagnosed PCOS. I did not like being on it and didn't lose weight on it. There is a supplement called inositol that has similar effects and I am going to try that soon but again I have said syndrome.
  • niamibunni
    niamibunni Posts: 110 Member
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    Yep, like the previous poster said, it's surprising for it to be prescribed when you don't have diabetes or PCOS.

    It doesn't do much for weight loss and the nausea when starting it can be awful.

    Definitely get a 2nd opinion from a different doctor on this one. I tend to be a bit wary when doctors prescribe medications for purposes other than those which they are intended.
  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
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    A common side effect of metformin is nausea and diarrhea, so if your nauseous you can't eat, if you don't eat you lose weight. Doesn't sound to pleasant or healthy to me.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    This isn't the first time I've read on here people taking Metformin for weight loss. It could be more common than we think...
  • meritage4
    meritage4 Posts: 1,441 Member
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    I just started on this, as I was diagnosed with Diabetes last week. The reading I've done on it shows that it is neutral in weight loss or gain.
    My doctor said the next drug he adds will help with weightlosss
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    My husband's on Metformin for Type II diabetes. It has made it harder for him to lose weight and he even gained a bit on it. The doctor recommended another drug that would control his sugar and help him lose, but insurance wouldn't pay for it. I've never heard of a non-diabetic on Metformin for weight loss.
  • Bhlinebee
    Bhlinebee Posts: 71 Member
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    My doctor suggested it for me about a year ago when I started on MFP - in the end we opted not to and instead focused on my thyroid medicine; from my circle of friends it's a common prescription for weight loss but I'll be honest I've only seen a few people lose like 3 to 7 pounds over many months.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Maybe Metformin affects non diabetic people differently? Like a non ADHD person taking Ritalin..
  • StarlightAria
    StarlightAria Posts: 81 Member
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    jd0261 wrote: »
    So my doctor prescribed metformin today to help aid in weight loss. I'll be taking 1000mg a day. I'm not diabetic and I have good blood pressure and cholesterol. I was wondering if anyone else has taken metformin just for aid in weightloss? How did it work for you?
    I have PCOS and I'm only on 500mg extended release. It didn't work to help me lose weight but that is because I have other issues like depression and stuff..
  • chaoticdreams
    chaoticdreams Posts: 447 Member
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    I've been on metformin since mid January for type II diabetes. I've lost 17 lbs in a month. The only credit I'm giving metformin on that front is the fact that it does give me horrid diarrhea and nausea which makes me eat less, thus staying under calories easier. (And some of it was holiday water weight that dropped off super fast when I got back to eating right.)

    Now that I'm adapting to it, I'm noticing those symptoms are going away. My doctor did say it was supposed to help with weight loss and I'm currently at 2000mg a day. I've read a few studies on it saying yes it helps and then a few more saying no, it doesn't. Most of the ones getting a yes were on obese pre-diabetic patients or those with insulin resistance.

    Just be prepared for the side effects and stay near a restroom for the first week or so.

  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
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    oocdc2 wrote: »
    That's a new one. 1000 mg is about half of what I'm prescribed, and I'm pre-diabetic. I hope the metformin helps you--it never seemed to do anything for me, though my endo. always seemed to think it should. Good luck!

    Same with me. Also, my doc prescribed 2.5 mg of Lisinopril with the Metformin to protect the kidneys.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,196 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    This isn't the first time I've read on here people taking Metformin for weight loss. It could be more common than we think...

    It seems to be a recent trend.
  • Mavrick_RN
    Mavrick_RN Posts: 439 Member
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    I was on Metformin for awhile strictly to help with weight loss as I am not diabetic.

    I've lost more weight in 6 weeks using MFP than I did in 6 months on Metformin. And my blood sugar is lower without it.
  • Malenurse51
    Malenurse51 Posts: 181 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I was on Metformin for about 4 years after being diagnosed with Type II DM and after I started on my weight loss quest, after about a 20 pound loss I found that I couldn't take it any more. My blood sugar evened out and hasn't been over 80 in about 5 months. If I took it now, I would seriously bottom out my blood sugar. Been there, done that and it isn't something I would want to tempt again.

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