Supplements for blood sugar control

to the best of my knowledge, Berberine essentially does the same thing as Metformin. If she claims she's eating what she did before i
(A) wouldn't believe her.
(B) Her numbers cannot be in the 4s unless it was that low before and she tested as the last mouthful was chewed.
(C) Is she diabetic, although even then a reading of 4 post prandial is probably impossible.
(D) She must be eating zero carbs, and even then it's inconceivable to have numbers that low.

Has anyone successfully come off Metformin and replaced with Berberine?

Dieter10 said:

Has anyone successfully come off Metformin and replaced with Berberine?

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Is there any decent research showing that it's 1) safe ad 2) effective?

CatsFive said:

Is there any decent research showing that it's 1) safe ad 2) effective?

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From what i have researched there are a few studies
I have been looking at this one as it seems well dosed https://pro-hormones.co.uk/products/berberine
another study specifically for type 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/

seems to be quite promising!

Dieter10 said:

Has anyone successfully come off Metformin and replaced with Berberine?

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I have! I have replaced Metformin with Berberine. But only after my A1c dropped below 6! Although still on vildagliptin. It works well!

so my combo is researched here:

During the pandemic my T2D officially started at HbA1c 9.8!!! with cholesterol 7.3 and sugar + ketones in urine! quite horrific as I am not overweight and I don't smoke but doctor says STRESS would do that to you. 6 months on statins reduced cholesterol to 3 and 2x1000mg Mefomin plus 2x 50mg of Vildagliptin and carb counting got me down to A1c 5.6.

On doctor's advice I started reducing Metformin dosage to 500g (still carb counting 50-100g a day spread across 2/3 meals) and now only Vildagliptin twice a day with BERBERINE 500mg before lunch. It helps with BG and also cholesterol (LDL/HDL and triglycerides) which is direct result of high BG levels (as the liver tries to shove all that excess glucose somewhere it also packs it into triglycerides). HbA1c now is at an acceptable 6.1 (Note: Metformin was much more stringent with fasting and morning BG and might re-introduce it as I grow "very" old, I am 52 now, as my muscle mass deteriorates due to old age. Studies have shown that Berberine can replace but also can work well with Metformin. I believe it is true if you keep your A1c well below 7.

BERBERINE might help some but not everyone. the tricky thing is it takes 90days (it really does take that long although cholesterol reduction is noticed much sooner!) and there is no recommended dosage although research suggests that in diabetic patients dosage should be "up to" 1500mg spread 3 times a day. I only take 500mg before lunch and try to limit the hours with food from 8 to 10 hours a day (first meal not before 11/12am and last one 8/9pm). It gives me energy and keeps me full all day. Snacking is limited to nuts and coffee and exercise (from walking to light weight lifting) is a must. (Berberine will help with muscle build up if you eat enough protein and exercise accordingly)

The only problem is that there are so many versions of this supplement and so many different packages. Most of the supplement is dissolved in the stomach so only 3% of the ingredient is active before it disappears completely some 3-5hrs after taking it. Unlike Metformin which never dissolves but it sticks to your intestines (mostly your colon) and stays there until it is dumped in the same form it got into your mouth (only to be replaced with the next pill you take) For me this is the game changer as you get NO side-effects with Berberine and it also regulates LDL cholesterol differently to statins. Worth a try but in imho only replace Metformin if you have achieved significant BG control or you are pre-diabetic. You can also take both and give it a try.

Diabetes is a disfunction of the endocrine system and doctors don't prescribe food and they do not like supplements. they would rather you took your pill and forget about it... it is criminal that the official medical line is that your should eat up to 300g of carbs per day!!! madness!

I love this forum. always keep an open mind and educate yourself about your disfunction.

********DISCLAIMER : not an advice. just a life story, not a doctor. speak to your doctor. mine is an open minded young endocrinologist from the private sector. usually doctors go for the pill before getting into details as time is limited and the next patient is waiting in line.

Dieter10 said:

From what i have researched there are a few studies

Metformin and berberine, two versatile drugs in treatment of common metabolic diseases - PMC

Metformin has been used as a glucose lowering drug for several centuries and is now a first-line drug for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Since the discovery that it activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and reduces risk of cancer, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I have been looking at this one as it seems well dosed https://pro-hormones.co.uk/products/berberine
another study specifically for type 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2410097/

seems to be quite promising!

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it takes 90 days before you notice its effectiveness. If you are on low dosage (500mg) of Metformin you could even take them both. speak to your doctor she/he will probably not recommended as it is not listed in their book.

500mg of berberine a day taken in the morning with breakfast so far has had no impact. I will however persevere as I do not want to risk the side effects involved in taking metformin even if they are rare. My hba1c i 49 and I am diet controlled. My cholesterol and other blood test markers are all fine - my father has Type 2 so I have - bad luck I guess. I exercise a lot, eat a reasonable diet do not smoke or drink. I am going to run my 'experiment' until the next hba1c, increasing the dose of berberine to either 500mg 3 times a day or maybe just 2 times a day to see if there is any impact. If this discussion is still running I will post the results. I am also taking plant sterols which seem to maintain cholesterol levels well as they were on an upward trend even if not too high yet.

Louise P said:

500mg of berberine a day taken in the morning with breakfast so far has had no impact. I will however persevere as I do not want to risk the side effects involved in taking metformin even if they are rare. My hba1c i 49 and I am diet controlled. My cholesterol and other blood test markers are all fine - my father has Type 2 so I have - bad luck I guess. I exercise a lot, eat a reasonable diet do not smoke or drink. I am going to run my 'experiment' until the next hba1c, increasing the dose of berberine to either 500mg 3 times a day or maybe just 2 times a day to see if there is any impact. If this discussion is still running I will post the results. I am also taking plant sterols which seem to maintain cholesterol levels well as they were on an upward trend even if not too high yet.

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Don't go thinking berberine has no side effects. https://www.medicoverhospitals.in/medicine/berberine