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should i use metformin?

Drfarxan

Well-Known Member
Messages
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Today i checked my morning BG ,after not checking for a long time cause it was always below 5.6%, and the BG was 5.8. A reminder of my insulin resisttance. Metformins function is to lower insulin resistance in the muscles so i figured when on a LCHF diet why not take metformin. I watched some videos which showed it helps in the gym too for even non diabetes.

But as always meds have side effects and disturb normal physiology in one way or the other. Some forumers and other media suggest not using any meds to avoid those side effects and other complications if your BG is normal anyway. But type 2 diabetes isn't just that your BG is high its the insulin resistance in our tissues. Ofcoarse the BG will be low if we eat less glucose but the insulin resistance is still there. So while your are giving your beta cells are rest with LCHF why not improve the insulin resistance too?

I am on a LCHF diet which varies from strict keto diet with little to no cards in 2 to 3 weeks and low card diet with 20-50 grams of carbs per day. I also do intermittent fasting and some days also do OMAD.

What do you guys think? i am well aware that when it comes to meds its me and my doctor. But as we all here know there are "extra" knowledge which comes from experience from my fellow forumer. It was the patients not the standard doctors that figured out LC diet benifits. So it would be great to get your feedbacks
 
I don't and not for fear of gastric problems - though I already have fairly regular gastric problems. I just avoid medication whenever I can.
 
I take metformin to help reduce insulin resistance, it's the only way I manage to lose a little weight.
 
Thank you for your feedback guys i think you both covered the two opinions about metformin and meds in general.

I decided to go full keto diet(below 20g or below 5% of my calories from carbs) and take 500mg of metformin for 3 months. Self experiement and see what happens
might even go full carnivore but its hard to find fatty meat here. Most of the population consider "fats" as unhealthy so most butcheries and markets remove the fats.
 
Two thoughts. Metformin may deplete your B12 levels. Also it is excreted continually thereby putting additional stress on kidneys. Will the benefits outweigh the possible side effects?
 
Two thoughts. Metformin may deplete your B12 levels. Also it is excreted continually thereby putting additional stress on kidneys. Will the benefits outweigh the possible side effects?
Interesting view point about the kidneys, most LCHF diet users eat protein already puting strain on the kidneys then add metformine which is extra. As for the B12 i eat alot of red meat i don't know how much metformine will effect my b12 levels.

However would it be interesting to try it for some months to see what happens when you treat both the beta cell fatigue and muscle tissue sensitivity? And i don't know how much reliable the research from pubmed or ncbi are but there are articles showing that metformine might actually be beneficial to the kidneys and other functions.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4079480/
 
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