PCOS/Insulin Resistance SupportSupport for us with any of the following: Insulin Resistance, Syndrome X, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or other endocrine disorders.
So, I started metformin and I was told that it should help me lose weight (along with a modified diet and exercise...there's always a catch isn't there?)
I am looking for some tips. I have been low carbing it as much as possble....I avoid pasta and noodles like the plague...and I'm trying to get my ever lovin' sweet tooth in check.
What have you other PCOS/metformin women been doing that's working for you?
I try to get in exercise but between work and school it can be hard to find the time.
Gimme some tips please!!
Monica
P.S. I want to be on the Biggest Loser, just thought you should know!
um...i may be wrong but i dont think that metformin is designed is make you lose weight. it is one of the few drugs for diabetes that DOES NOT make you GAIN weight, thats all i was told. im on 1000mg x 2 daily and phentermine and a low cal, low carb diet and ive lost 34 pounds since the first week in august.
Metformin can help those with insulin resistance (and/or PCOS) lose weight, but it doesn't work for everyone. It is prescribed to get correct pancreatic/insulin function restored and/or balanced, which for some people also has the added bonus of losing weight, but that's not always the case. As much as the symptoms of PCOS are variable, so are the results of taking Metformin to treat it in terms of weight loss.
I've been on my maximum dose now for about a month (1500mg a day), total (building up from 500mg) about 2 months. So far I've seen very very gradual but steady weight loss. I also haven't been super super strict diet-wise, but I do run about 15-20 miles a week. In total I've lost about 25 lbs. but that may have more to do with the weeks where I was being really good about low-carb than in fact the Metformin. I find that Metformin prevents me from GAINING weight more than an accelerated-weight-loss aid.
Are you having any side-effects? If not, consider yourself one of the lucky ones! I count my lucky stars every day that I had very mild and quick side-effects at the beginning. I avoid really greasy foods, and try to eat only whole-grain carbs, but other than that I don't even really think about Metformin on a day-to-day basis (so much that sometimes at lunch I forget to take my pill...whoops...)
Last edited by snoozlebug; 09-18-2008 at 08:08 PM.
I know it's not designed for that if you have diabetes, however I have insulin resistence and from what I have read and been told it will help in the process of losing weight.
I have struggled with insulin resistence for a few years now and just started this medication in hopes to get my body to use the insulin it is producing.
I am on metformin because I was diagnoised with Insulin Resistance Disease.
Insulin resistance is caused in large part by the over-consumption of refined carbohydrates, such as breads, pastas, and sugary foods. Eating too much saturated fat (found in beef) and omega-6 fatty acids (found in vegetable oils) also seems to increase the risk of insulin resistance.
Normally, after you eat a meal, your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, or blood sugar. The presence of glucose prompts the release of insulin, a hormone produced in your pancreas. Insulin helps transport glucose from the blood to cells, where's it's burned for energy or stored.
When a person eats a lot of refined carbohydrates year after year, a dangerous cascade occurs. Insulin levels remain chronically high, and cells become less responsive - and resistant - to insulin. As a consequence, relatively little glucose gets burned and levels remain high. With chronically elevated glucose levels, insulin resistance evolves into diabetes.
I was diagnosed with PCOS/Insulin Resistence about 4 years ago. Now that I have insurance that will cover the medication I started it. The first week has been rocky....upset stomach no matter what I eat/don't eat but if it will prevent me from getting diabetes I guess it's worth it right? Might as well try and kick this in the butt now...
Raye,
Oh good. Well not good, but I didn't see your post prior to me posting mine. Okay, If you have insulin resistance disease then Metformin is what they generally prescribe. My endocrinologist wants me to work up to 2000mg daily. I started with 500mg for a week, worked up to 1000mg this past week and saturday I have to add another 500mg. It is killing my stomach but I am learning to cope with it. Cinnamon tea, Ginger root supplement, Peppermint tea and they all seem to settle my stomach. Good Luck to you !!
Suzy
Yea as of right now I am just at 500mg 2x per day. So 1000mg per day. After 3 months I have to have another test done to see if that's a good dosage for me...I hope I don't have to up it...I'm just starting to get use to the 1000mg I am on now.
I don't think the metformin gave me any extra boost in losing weight, at least not much of one. I certainly didn't notice a big difference. It did bring down my fasting blood surgar though, as it was supposed to (I'm not diabetic, but my fasting blood sugar was a little high and a glucose tolerance test found insulin resistance).
Reducing carbs definitely had a much more noticeable effect than the metformin. My doctor said some people, but not all do experience a little "boost" in weight loss initially.
I was diagnoses with PCOS, and Meformin did not make me lose weight. I've been on it for about eight months. One thing I did instantly notice is a difference in cravings. I would get these "I'll kill you for a candy bar" urges. I thought I was going crazy.
Hi there,
I am new to 3fc. Actually this is my very first post! I have PCOS and insulin resistance. I have been on Metformin for 2 months and have lost 12 lbs without changing anything. I have noticed a decrease in appetite and the amount of food I need in a day to remain full. I know from this point on, I have to make some better dietary choices or else I don't think the scale is going to budge! I am on 2000 MGs ER. I have noticed that I am not so obsessed with food and my cravings have decreased significantly. My insulin levels were SERIOUSLY high so it's no wonder that all I could think about was my next meal. This medicine has been a lifesaver for me. I feel normal and my monthly cycle is back on track. I suffered at first with extreme exhaustion but that went away. Best of luck to you all!
See, I have now been on it for over a week and am already down 3.5 pounds. I also feel less dependent on food and haven't been craving food nearly as much as I was so that helps.
Thats swesome Raye! Stick with it. Some of us with PCOS really need the Met to regulate us and make things work properly in our bodies to promote weight loss. It's not a quick fix, it just levels the playing field so we can reach our goals. I'm here for you if you need a buddy!
When a person eats a lot of refined carbohydrates year after year, a dangerous cascade occurs. Insulin levels remain chronically high, and cells become less responsive - and resistant - to insulin. As a consequence, relatively little glucose gets burned and levels remain high. With chronically elevated glucose levels, insulin resistance evolves into diabetes.
One does not take Metformin "just because".
Suzy
You know what really pisses me off sometimes? When I was in high school I was a competitive swimmer and I could eat anything I wanted and felt great! I think getting diagnosed with insulin resistence is my punishment for all the crap I use to eat!
Hi there! I'm new to 3fc too and this is my first post as well! I've been diagnosed with PCOS too and have been on metformin for almost 9 weeks now and when I weighed myself last week I was already down 9 pounds without major changes to my diet. I mean don't eat as much as I did since it definitely decreases my appetite but I still haven't taken all the necessary steps to changing my diet but I'm confident I'll get there. It's all about baby steps. The side affects haven't been the easiest things to deal with but it's definitely been curbing my cravings to eat a lot of the bad food I used to like to eat. I'm happy to see the scale going down but I just wish it would make my cycle normal. I finally started spotting a little bit this month for the first time since June and the doctor said I can't go back on birth control until I become regular which should eventually happen after reaching the right dosage of metformin. We still have some playing around to do to find the right dosage but hopefully we'll find it soon. Sorry for the rant that's a little off topic but I think that weight loss for some just might be a happy benefit of taking the metformin and that it might help those who need to lose the weight lose it while regulating everything else in our bodies. But congrats on the weight loss of everyone who's posted on here!
What are you Metformin results to date?
