how much does metformin actually help ?

dbr10

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Freema said:
a lot of people in here are not using metformin and control their blood glucose by diet and excercise alone... wow

I was put on metformin right from the start but didn´t actually know anything about anything about diabetes type 2 except from that it had something to do with sugar which diabetics could not eat ....

not I think I have managed to get my number in control into the non-diabetic area... but now wonder is metformin doing its job , and how much does metformin in fact help lowering peoples blood glucose...
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Metformin is an insulin sensitising agent which is also support to reduce liver dumps. It does work but not well enough for us. A low carb diet is best for reducing BG levels.

I take it because I figure that even a marginal benefit might have a significant affect over time.
 
Freema

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maybe it would be a good idea if this site had a graph that showed how much of an effect of metformin one could expect..

it could maybe be the best argument ever if people could in a picture-like way see how much metformin can actually help if it works optimally..
 
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Thyroiddiabetic

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Good question would also like to know remember it stops us eating is anti cancer anti aging anti inflammatory and activates AMPK
 
Freema

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dbr10 said:
Metformin is an insulin sensitising agent which is also support to reduce liver dumps. It does work but not well enough for us. A low carb diet is best for reducing BG levels.

I take it because I figure that even a marginal benefit might have a significant affect over time.
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yes it seem to work in more levels and maybe in 3 different kinds of ways... and also lower some kinds of diseases..

But I think patients / users ought be explained in what ways in a much clearer way and have the possibility to do an informed choice and not just believe in doctors as if they were Gods from the outer universe
 
dbr10

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Freema said:
yes it seem to work in more levels and maybe in 3 different kinds of ways... and also lower some kinds of diseases..

But I think patients/ users ought be explained in what ways in a much clearer way and have the possibility to do an informed choice and not just believe in doctors as if they were Gods from the outer universe
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Yes. My doctor didn't know how it worked when I asked him. He said it slowed down carbohydrate absorption in the intestine. Acarbose is one of a group of drugs that do that.
 
Freema

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dbr10 said:
Yes. My doctor didn't know how it worked when I asked him. He said it slowed down carbohydrate absorption in the intestine. Acarbose is one of a group of drugs that do that.
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yes he clearly didn´t know what he was talking about... how wonderful is that ?
 
Freema

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dbr10 said:
Unfortunately, this is my experience with many health care professionals
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yes and the sad thing is they are not even intelligent enough to say that they really do not know, but just follow guidelines
 
Pinkorchid

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Everyone is going to have their own opinions good or bad about Metformin just as they do about statins. At the end of the day none of us here can say what is good or bad for anyone else as we are all very different people and like our diet we all have to do what we think is best for us personally and not just do what other people do
 
Robbity

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Freema said:
i
It suppresses the appetite in some people not in all
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Yes - I have no evidence that it suppressed mine!! Cutting down the carbs probably helped with that though as I tend not to feel hungry when I'm eating enough fats, but slightly too many carbs have me wanting more food even after an adequate meal.

And eating LCHF and eventually stopping statins both did wonders for reduced glucose levels, though I'm happy to keep on with metformin as a safety net just in case...

Robbity
 
Freema

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Brunneria said:
This graphic may help you to visualise and compare the different units more easily @Freema

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/images/hba1c-chart.jpg

It is from this page
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/what-is-hba1c.html
Click to expand...

but it was more like a graph of metformins effect I´d like to see... , I do understad the HbA1c I think ... as the long term percentage of how much glucose is clinging to the red bloodcells as I understand that..what I think would be nice was a graph showing how much metformine could help people at different levels of raised blood glucose

like here is a graph where it looks like metformine combined with rapamycin can prolong life for mice rather much...
https://www.sciencenews.org/node/192081

Then I Wonder why noone has bothered making an illustration of metformines effect in humans...????
 
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Brunneria

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I don't think you will ever get that.
It would depend so much on dose, size of person, how insulin resistant they were, how effective that dose of Metformin is for that individual, and many other lifestyle factors (such as activity levels).
 
pete254

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I realise we all react differently to medications but I definitely noticed an reduction in appetite after going onto metformin. (I have never been overweight but now I struggle to maintain my normal weight).
In February my HbA1c was 38 mmol/mol. I then reduced metformin from 2x500 to 1x500 daily. HbA1c in August was 41 mmol/mol (no change in diet/exercise). This equates to an increase of 0.3% in old money.
So for me it would seem that the 2x500 metformin reduced my BG levels by 0.6% or slightly less than 7 mmol/mol.
It does make a measurable difference in your BG levels so keep taking the tablets!
By the way, since dropping to 1 metformin a day I have noticed a (slight) increase in appetite.
 
Freema

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pete254 said:
I realise we all react differently to medications but I definitely noticed an reduction in appetite after going onto metformin. (I have never been overweight but now I struggle to maintain my normal weight).
In February my HbA1c was 38 mmol/mol. I then reduced metformin from 2x500 to 1x500 daily. HbA1c in August was 41 mmol/mol (no change in diet/exercise). This equates to an increase of 0.3% in old money.
So for me it would seem that the 2x500 metformin reduced my BG levels by 0.6% or slightly less than 7 mmol/mol.
It does make a measurable difference in your BG levels so keep taking the tablets!
By the way, since dropping to 1 metformin a day I have noticed a (slight) increase in appetite.
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thanks yes it seems there is more advantages for most people in taking it... I think though that the long term inability to uptake vitamin B12 is not a detail in the whole picture, so I hope to be able later to live without taking metformin...I didn´t have any appetite reduction myself..

but as long as I can not by diet keep my blood glucose Down in the range I am now I will not stop metformine or reduce it unless I start to have hypo´s which I haven´t had yet... not been lower than 4.6 since diagnosis...no matter how hard I excercise , not even when doing it on an empthy stomach.
 
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