PCOS/Insulin Resistance SupportSupport for us with any of the following: Insulin Resistance, Syndrome X, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or other endocrine disorders.
Hi all!!!
I just got back from my Dr and he is prescribing me Glucophage. I'm trying to learn as much as possible about it.
I'm not diabetic but I am about 110 pounds overweight high cholesterol (300+) and very high triglycerides (800+). I was diagnosed years ago with PCOS although I was able to conceive 2 children. I have suffered from terrible hirsutism for as long as I can remember. Thank heavens for Vaniqa!!!! I also have extremely light periods and that is only because I now have to take birth control pills. I had stopped having them for several months. Oh, and I'm about to turn 40 on Friday.
Any info you could give me on glucophage would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Jujubeee! Congrats on getting treatment. Some women have a hard time getting diagnoses and treated appropriately! What all exactly do you want to know about Gluc? I will tell you some answers to the most common questions that I can think of off the top of my head.
NO ALCOHOL! It can cause rare but deadly complications with the kidneys.
If you get sick taking the pills, just tough it out, it will pass! Try taking your pills at bedtime if the evening meal doesn't work for you. Don't move up to the next pill in your dosage if you aren't adjusted to the current level. Not too many people have side effects with the XR, but if it happens, you will probably do fine in the end.
It is important that you try and eat like a Diabetic would. Lay off the refined carbs like corn, sugar, white flour. Reading labels is very important because there is a lot of hidden sugar in food.
Try a diabetic diet, a low carb diet or a low glycemic diet. There are varying degrees of carb restirction to choose from.
You may see a reduction in your symptoms, particularly if you lose weight. The Gluc may help with that!
Hmm, those are the most common Q&A's I can think of. If anything else, just ask away!
Suzanne: Thanks for the great info!!! I'm actually kind of excited to start this. I'm hoping it will really help. I do have a couple more questions...
Will this make me tired or lethargic? I am constantly exhausted and cannot handle anything that makes me more tired.
Will eating alot of sugar make me sick if I'm on it? Not that I plan to but I do have a Pepsi habit that I am still trying to break. I've switched to Iced Tea w/Splenda for the most part but I still allow myself a Pepsi with dinner and if I go out....which I'm trying not to do.
The Dr. said this may help suppress my appetite. Does it do it by making me nauseous or is there something else suppressive in it?
Most of the bad stuff I eat is because I'm so tired and I'm trying to get an energy boost. Either that I get some MAD cravings. My worst thing is pickles. If I get that craving I will eat a whole jar and then drink the juice. It makes me sick as a dog but I can't stop. I guess that is better than ice cream or chocolate. I also crave cheese and of course.....bread.
I have to send away for this by mail so it will probably be a week or two before I can start.
Hi Jujubeee, I have not heard of being tired as a side effect. Here is what I found on a drugstore site for you. You will probably get more info with your meds:
"SIDE EFFECTS, that may go away during treatment, include metallic taste in mouth, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or indigestion. If they continue or are bothersome, check with your doctor. Inactive parts of this drug may be passed into your stool as a harmless soft mass that may look like the original tablet. This is normal for this drug. CONTACT YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY if you experience fast, deep breathing; vomiting; stomach discomfort; weakness; exhaustion; muscle pain; dizziness or lightheadedness; or irregular or slow heartbeat. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist."
As for appetite supression, it can happen with nausea and diarrhea, but some people just lose some of their appetite in general.
Taking in a lot of sugar on the pills might increase your side effects. You need to work on getting off the sugar, not just for side effects, but for your health. You are at an increased risk for Diabetes. I know Pepsi is a tough addiction! I used to drink at least a 2 liter a day. Now I can't drink a glass without my lips puckering up from the sugar. The longer you stay away it will get easier. Also, getting a diet free from sugar may help reduce your symptoms of PCOS. My face cleared up quite a bit when I went low carb. I also now use creams to keep it clear, but I really need diet and medications to keep it totally clear.
Don't let the side effects get to you if you have any (lots of people don't). It is only temporary! They will go away.
Jennifer:
What a dunce I am, I keep calling you Suzanne for some reason. Sorry!!!
Anyway, thanks for the great info. That answered all my questions.
I am trying to wean myself off the Pepsi. I hope I end up the same way as you with no longer liking the taste. I now drink mainly iced tea w/splenda and water. Although I must admit I make my iced tea VERY sweet with the splenda. Other than that I don't eat many sweets. Luckily I've never been much of a candy/ice cream type eater. Most of my cravings are for salty things and of coarse the bread which has the sugars. I've done very well severely limiting my bread lately though.
Do you mind me asking what type of problems you've had with your skin?
I had acne. Well, I guess you can say I still have it, just now it is under control. It was mostly limited to the jawline. I took a course of antibiotics, and now I use a retinol cream at night and an antibiotic cream in the morning and I keep a clear complexion 99% of the time.
Jennifer 3FC:
Ooops, sorry for posting on the sticky thread.
I went over to my parents last night and was telling them my latest. Turns out my dad is on glucophage for his Diabetes (type II). He takes the same amount I will be taking (500 mg 2X a day). He was very concerned that this must mean I am diabetic or borderline. I gave up trying to explain it. Anyway, I told him I had to mail away for the prescription and he gave me some of his. I know, I know. very bad, but I'm anxious to get started.
The Dr had said to start on just 1 a day. I took it during dinner last night. I was a little bit nauseous but nothing too bad. Then during the night I had to get up several times to go to the bathroom. Still it was tolerable but I'm worried about when I have to add it to the morning. The type of job I have doesn't really allow me easy and immediate access to a bathroom.
I guess I'm fortunate that acne was one symptom I didn't get.. I do have terribly blotchy yucky skin though. The slightest little scratch leaves me a nasty scar and I have these gross red bumps all over my arms. I guess I was kind of hoping that was a symptom I might be able to get rid of as well.
I've been doing pretty well on my food. I've cut down the Pepsi drastically. I'm not following a specific plan I guess because I need to be able to have certain things or I know I won't last. Hopefully that will pass in time but for right now I know I need to be able to drink my Pepsi and have some pizza and spaghetti every now and then.
Are you taking pills morning and night? I take them all at once (this is for Glucophage XR, not regular Glucophage). If you don't eat a high carb meal then you might have better results with the bathroom. Good luck!
I am taking regular glucophage. My Dr said to start on 1 then after a couple of weeks add the other. I've been taking them at night with dinner which is when I tend to be bad. Maybe that is why I have had frequent bathroom trips. Last night was not too bad so I went ahead and added my 2nd pill today. I'm at work today so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
welcome to the world of gluc JUJUBEEE. I started on it a few months ago and here has been my experience.
Started on gluc xr 1 a day for about 2 weeks. i had some wicked heartburn for about 3 days but that subsided. Went up to 2 per day and did fine. I did have some leg aches though and a werid pain in my lower back for about a week. I was concerned but checked on another site for PCOS and others had it too. They suggested taking magnesium pills and I did. Pain was gone.
Since I still wasnt getting a period my doc upped me to 2000 mg a day about 3 months after I went on it. I take 1000mg in morn and again at night. If I take them all at once then I have terrible diarrhea. Doc says its ok to split it up.
When I first went on it I noticed a change in my carb cravings almost immediately. They really slacked off. I have lost weight as well since being on the gluc. I am also having regular periods for the first time in about 10 years(I have not had one since 2000 but have had 3 27 day cycles in the past 3 months...yeahhh)
All in all I really like the medication. The most prominent side effect seems to be diarrhea and stomach upset. Just hang in there if you experiece these problems. They will subside.
I have been taking metformin (generic) for a few months now and have had few side effects, including occasional diarrhea but nothing serious. The best side effect of this drug for me is that my appetite is completely shot. I never think about food anymore, never crave food, and am rarely hungry. I have to remind myself to eat most of the time. This is completely not the case before... as I constantly wanted to eat. This drug is a miracle, as far as I'm concerned. For the first time in my life I have been able to lose weight and am confident that I will continue to lose.
Thanks for all the great info!! I'm still struggling with some diarhhea but it is definately tolerable. I'm not on the xr, just the regular. I added my 2nd pill last week also. I haven't noticed an appetite reduction, darn! I am still struggling with my cravings and unfortunately giving in to them more often than not. I notice those are the times I get the sickest. You would think that alone would make me not eat the stuff, knowing I'll spend quite some time on the toilet, but nope....the craving is stronger than that.
I'm getting ready to start my cycle. I'm really curious to see if it is normal. I had lost it altogether, DR said I was too young and put me on BCP. Since then I have it but it is extremely light and only lasts a couple of days. I wonder if I will be able to go off BCP? I hate taking them!
Meds...
