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Prediabetes Metformin for thin/normal-weight prediabetics

T

tiredgirl91

Well-Known Member
Messages
71
Type of diabetes
Prediabetes
Treatment type
Other
Generally. what is the consensus about using metformin for prediabetics, particularly for those who are underweight or with a normal weight?
Do you have to reach a certain A1C number? Or some risk factors?
And what are the pros and cons of using it?
 
I would offer the opinion that it's not a good idea to take medication for a condition one doesn't have. Any medication, any condition.
 
I preferred to try low carb instead of adding another drug to my list. Have you considered that?
 
tiredgirl91 said:
Generally. what is the consensus about using metformin for prediabetics, particularly for those who are underweight or with a normal weight?
Do you have to reach a certain A1C number? Or some risk factors?
And what are the pros and cons of using it?
Click to expand...
I am not sure there is a consensus, because it's not usually prescribed until a diagnosis is made. Pre-diabetes is not technically a diagnosis because there's no such disease as "pre-diabetes". The term has been invented to cover the situation where BGs are out of normal range but below the point at which diabetes will be automatically diagnosed.

Bilous and Donnelly (Handbook of Diabetes pg82-3) say this about Metformin:

"Metformin is a derivative of guanidine, the active ingredient of goat's rue (Galega officianalis), used as a treatment for diabetes in mediaeval Europe. Metformin increases insulin action (the exact measurement is unclear) lowering glucose mainly by decreasing hepatic glucose output. Unlike sulphonylureas, it does not cause hypoglycaemia or weight gain and indeed has some appetite-suppressing activity that may encourage weight loss.... Major side effects are nausea, anorexia, or diarrhoea, which affect about one third of patients. Lactic acidosis is a rare but serious side effect that carries high mortality. It can be avoided by not giving metformin to patients with renal, hepatic, or respiratory failure or those with a history of alcohol abuse."

In other words metformin restricts your liver topping up your blood glucose, and they don't know how. It doesn't affect eaten carbohydrate. Other people will tell you more about the side effects - I have zero personal experience with metformin. Was offered it, declined, and low carb has done the job.
 
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