Metformin...dont have pcos

I take 500mg once a day for pre-diabetes. I've never felt sick or had any issues because my dose is so low. My doctor said it would help with weight loss, but I didn't lose any weight (however I wasn't watching what I was eating when I started it, so had I eaten properly I would have probably lost weight on it). Good luck!

Sounds fishy to me. Unless you need to lose weight fast for medical reasons, I would question this approach. Maybe you should get a second opinion?

I've been on Metformin for about 5 yrs for insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. Basically, my body makes too much insulin but I am not diabetic because my sugar levels aren't out of wack. As a result of too much insulin, my cells become resistant and don't want to process food efficiently so the insulin then stores the glucose or foods I eat as fat rather than burning it off. I can eat less than 1,000 calories a day and still gain weight if I don't take my metformin, but with diet, exercise and my 1000mg/day dosage the weight stays in check. I also suppliment with adipex (a form of phentermine) to control appetite and help boost my metabolism. Insulin is an appetite stimulant and the over production of it leaves me feeling like I'm always starving. If you doc prescribed metformin I would definitely take it as a diabetes preventative if not for anything else.

I had a similar situation this past spring. My doctor started me on Metformin in May. I don't have diabetes nor am I even close to having it. My dad and one of his sisters are both borderline....I have some PCOS symptoms but not all. She advised me to take the pill twice daily and see how I liked it.
After 2 weeks of sickness, stomach aches and no weight change, I decided for myself that it wasn't for me. Even though I cannot lose weight as fast as others, I still can lose, just slower.

The decision is of course up to you. There are great Metformin communities out there for you to chat with in order to make a better decision. I can direct you to a few on Facebook as well. Medicines work differently with each individual. This one wasn't for me but it may be for you.
Good Luck!

Metformin is a weight loss pill and diabetic pill, as well as it could be use for other diseases. I don't think that a doctor will give their patient metformin to lose weight, if it wasn't a weight loss pill. Diabetic doctors will give their patient metformin to help control their blood sugar.

Every medicine have side effects.

If you had blood work done a week before seeing the doctor and your doctor put you on Metformin, he or she most likely did that, because you are a diabetic or pre-diabetic. Yes, you may be overweight and they told you that Metformin will help with weight loss, which it will, if you also do your part, such as eat healthy, drink water and exercise.

Now, if you have gone to just a weight loss doctor and they have put you on Metformin, it's because Metformin can help people lose weight, if they also do their part, such as eat healthy, drink water and exercise. The doctor probably was also looking at your income. A lot of diet pills cost a lot of money. Metformin is very cheap.

A person can lose weight on their own, without taking pills or anything else. You have to have control over your body and not let food or emotions have control over your body.

If you aren't a diabetic, pre-diabetic or have any other diseases that doctors put patients on Metformin for, then don't take Metformin.

I started it last week. 500 mg once a day. Most people know Metformin as the brand name Gucophage. I was worried also. I'm an EMT and know what it's for. I was diagnosed with PCOS which causes type 2 diabetes. I've notice that I'm not as hungry. The POSSIBLE side effects worried me also, but I haven't experienced anything out of the usual. Just take it and see how it makes you feel. Don't stop it with out letting your doctor know, though. Messing with blood sugar levels can be dangerous.

As a nurse, I would just like to point out that many medications have what are called "off-label" uses, and just because the medication has been found to have other uses, does not make it a bad option. There are many medications used today for conditions that they were never developed for, but found to be more effective than the medications that were developed for such conditions. Many blood pressure meds, depression meds, migraine meds, and even seizure medications started out as drugs developed for completely different conditions, but have ended up becoming some of our best first line medications. I am only offering this information as possible rationale for your doctors reasons. By no means does it mean that your doctor is absolutely "right", or that the particular med is right for you and your body, but I just wanted to point out that just because a medication is prescribed by your doc that may not be it's "primary" use, does not necessarily mean that you should be leary or not trust your doctor. If you have questions or concerns about it, then by all means talk with your healthcare provider about those concerns. Also take the advice that you come across on these forums with a grain of salt, you will get many people with many different opinions, but at the end of the day you must decide what is right for you and your body. Best of luck with your health & weight loss goals!

If you take the Metformin XR (extended release) it tends to not be as harsh on your GI system, because it is released gradually. Also starting low and building up slow, like over a few weeks is optimal. I take my 1500mg Metformin XR at night. I have had a few nights of "bubble guts", usually around a dosage increase, but nothing drastic. Also my doctor told me she wanted me on the metformin because I do have PCOS. But she said that being on the metformin will "Help settle my ovaries down" which will help with the hormone imbalances of PCOS and those complications....like facial hair UGH....*SIGH* my tweezers have become my friends. She also said that it should help with my insulin resistance and help with my weight loss. I was on it before and it worked very well for me. I got off of it after having my daughter, but just recently got put back on it. So far so good.

HI I have been taking Metfromin for a couple years now. I was first put on it by the baby doctor I was working with to try and get pregnant. Well to make a long story short it was not until I was put on the time relase tablets that it started to help with weight loss. Yes it can have some bummer side affects if you don't take it with food. when I first started I had to make sure that it was in the middle of my meal. Now with them time release tablets.... I don't have the bathroom side affect.

Good luck.
Theteech