Metformin and 5:2

This topic contains 15 replies, has 11 voices, and was last updated by BrendaM58 2 years, 7 months ago.

Viewing 16 posts - 1 through 16 (of 16 total)

Fasterer

11:19 pm
8 Feb 16
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I was wondering what your doctors have told you to do regarding taking metformin on Fasting days. Do you still take it?

I could ask my doctor but scared she will tell me not to fast. I have spoken to her about dieting in the past and just got a lecture on lower calories and more exercise. Which although I know that’s a good idea I have had no succeeded in losing weight with this mentality for the last 10 years.

I have PCOS and Insulin Resistance. It’s a pretty mild case but it worried me as I don’t want to get diabetes. I am a nurse and I know all about the complications some people get.

DAVENN

7:35 pm
15 Feb 16
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Hi,
Met does not cause Hypos, to the very best of my knowledge, so it shouldn’t effect you adversely.
I’m on 1000mg Met a day ( when I can be bothered) and regularly eat under 1000 cal a day.
In fact, ATM, I’m hitting no more than 800 cal a day…my BG MMOL has dropped 20% in a matter of a few days AND I’m taking my Met too.
Pls read up on how Met interacts with your liver and you may come to the same conclusion as me.

I wish you well.

onnecar

10:02 pm
15 Feb 16
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I just checked with my doctor today. Metformin does not cause hypos so can still be taken on fast days. I would probably still take it with food though. Albeit a low cal meal, as you can take it with either a snack or a full meal. As above though, will be checking my levels. I am also on sitagliptin which can cause hypos so I will be stopping this before I start the diet. Also my blood pressure meds as I don’t want low pressure. However that is just me as some people with very high blood pressure may not be in a position to do this.

bigbooty

12:49 am
16 Feb 16
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Hi Fasterer,

Out of interest how much carbohydrates (including sugars) do you eat? Why not do a blood glucose monitoring trial using one of the many blood glucose monitors that are on the market. Measure before a meal and then say 30 minutes after a meal. Compare that when eating carbs like breads (and sugary foods and drinks) and other carbs and then compare to when eating foods higher in protein and fats and low in carbs.

Fasterer

3:46 am
18 Feb 16
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Thanks. Sounds like it’s safe to take anyway.

No one has ever suggested I track my blood sugar myself. I was put on it for PCOS but I did have a fasting BSL come back slightly high. Just slightly. So I am taking Metformin and will have another test soon.

I don’t eat high sugar foods. I went on a fructose free diet years ago and am fairly strict. No table sugar, lollies, tomato sauce, and most processed foods are out. I do however eat carbs. I tried to reduce them but found myself constantly hungry. And I know I could increase my protein and such but I don’t eat much meat (I don’t like the taste or the animal welfare issues) and am not a fan of other high protein sources. It’s hard enough just to eat the minimum required without trying to force myself to eat a lot more.

DAVENN

9:43 am
18 Feb 16
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Hi

If you aren’t a fan of animal meat ( we all know that protein keeps you fuller longer), then your options are a little bit limited.
How about fish?
I live on salmon, haddock, tuna etc etc.
Cal are about 1:1.. by that I mean 100g = about 100 cal.

In addition to plenty of fresh salads, drenched in chilli enriched olive oil topped off with chunks of high protein Mozzarella.

I’m sticking to the 800 cal a day with no problems at all..,no hunger and a 4lb loss since my last post above, with a further 4lb to go to my main goal.

Sadly, to many ( you and me to name but two) carbs are a poison and should really be kept to an absolute minimum ( I’m on about 20g a day, mainly from semi skimmed milk with the 8 cups of tea I have a day)..letting your body produce its own glucose ( if you will) from your own supply of stored fats. OK muscle mass can be reduced if you don’t exercise BUT DB ( especially if statins are taken) depletes the bodies muscle mass anyway.

Pls take the above message in the right way.
This is meant to encourage you, not make you feel in any way bad.

DAVENN

9:48 am
18 Feb 16
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OH….pls get yourself a BG meter.
I have a few but do recommend the IBG Star, it’s tiny, accurate ( as far as they all are) and will plug into the older iPods, with an app to boot.

Philly_Lily

8:28 pm
12 Apr 16
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I was also prescribed metformin for PCOS like Fasterer. So I also don’t test my blood sugars either. metformin is being prescribed for pre-diabetes, PCOS, and other metabolic syndromes these days.

I have been taking 1000 mg once a day. My doc basically just told me to take mine with dinner. For fasting days, that works fine because I save my 500 calories for dinner with my husband. But the next day, OMG, I have the worst diarrhea sometime the next afternoon. This has happened three times. I assume it has to do with metformin and fasting. Anyone else have this happen? Anyone know what to do?

speckles

2:16 pm
21 Apr 16
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Philly_Lily, unfortunately a side effect of Metformin is loose and often urgent stools. You may find that on a fasting day 1000mg is too much and 500 would be better.

Chat with your Dr about it and also have a lot of fibre to bulk up. I used to carry Gastro-stop if I was going out or take it in advance if I was going to be somewhere where a bathroom wasn’t easily accessible.
My sugar levels have always been good but I had extreme insulin peaks when they did the insulin and glucose tolerance testing.

I am only taking a half dose of metformin currently as I am only eating a meal at night and it is more damaging to take it without eating then to miss out a dose, but do check with your GP.

Matrika

4:10 am
24 Apr 16
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I was taking Metformin after diagnosis with type II diabetes but have stopped. My blood sugar levels were pretty good and I don’t eat simple carbs, so the metformin was making a minimal differnece. I realized I was becoming a cash cow for pharmaceutical companies and fortunately have a very understanding endocrinologist who gave me the okay so I didn’t have to fight with the GP about coming off it.

I’ve actually got off all my medications in the past four months…I have PTSD and taking control and setting up a serious committment to meditation and relaxation practice has made a big difference for me across the board of what were previously seperately treated diagnoses. I think my diabetes and various health problems came from having a few decades of high cortisol and inflammation…finding my way now to reducing it.

The combination makes it difficult to lose weight without fully fasting…unfortunately reducing calories a few days a week hasn’t yet worked for me but I live in hope that if I get my system calmed down enough I will return to having “normal” body chemistry. 🙂

I have no idea why with the complex PTSD diagnosis none of my health practitioners spotted the connection and I had to figure it out for myself…anyway…I did fortunately.

Now yoga and broth fasting to try to get my system “cooled down”.

Metformin minimally reduces blood glucose as far as I know. I took it unquestioningly for many years. It didn’t help me much at all and I certainly didnt see any point to continue it when I took control of what I ate and removed all grains..that reduced my BGL way more.

Philly_Lily

9:26 pm
20 May 16
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I spoke to my endocrinologist about this and she said: 1. Metformin is not the kind of drug where you have to take the same dosage every day. So one could skip their metformin on fast days or lower the overall dosage everyday as a way of avoiding the symptoms i was experiencing (day after diarrhea). 2. Eating too many carbs causes the diarrhea when on metformin. I was shocked to hear that.

Overall, we reduced my metformin to one 500 mg pill per day. Food for thought.

Lollypop75

8:44 am
22 Aug 16
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Hi. My doctor recently increased my dose of Met and said it helps with wright loss. Has anyone found this to be true. I personally haven’t noticed any!

bigbooty

12:47 pm
22 Aug 16
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Hi Lollypop,

I highly recommend that you watch a series of lectures by Jason Fung. I can not even begin to understand how a drug that is designed to bring down your blood glucose could possibly help with weight loss? As the drug lowers your blood glucose where exactly do you think that glucose goes? It just doesn’t disappear, it has to go somewhere. Ask your doctor the mechanism by which lowering your blood glucose helps to lower your weight. I can almost guarantee that he/she will not be able to explain how this occurs. And there is a good reason why they wont be able to explain it, because it just isn’t possible.

winterksy

10:36 pm
23 Nov 20
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After reading the obesity code by Jason Fung twice, metformin doesn’t spike the insulin (like other meds), and drives the insulin to the muscle groups.

KetoLove

3:24 pm
27 Apr 21
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Hi, honestly if you do the research, her advice has been totally DEBUNKED. the theory of “calories in and calories out” is nothing short of a myth regurgitate by uninformed Doctors, Nutritionists, and exercise gurus (I mean if people can do this without their help – that kind of is a loss of $$ for them) – they may be well meaning – but they have absolutely NOT kept up with the latest scientific research and studies being done.
As a small example – do you think a diet consisting of 1000 calories of donuts behaves differently than a 1000 calorie intake from vegetables and Salmon, eggs, etc? if you said yes, ding ding ding!! you are correct. a “calorie” is not a calorie, – the biggest problem with the world currently is processed food full of sugars! (or grains) the things that spike insulin – they ARE the cause of world obesity – commercially prepared (processed foods) which are produced by a handful of corporations. In short – do what works for you – Almost all doctors have only had about 9 hrs of nutritional training – that’s IT!! in all of the years of medical training.– HOW SAD! Good luck to you!

BrendaM58

9:59 am
9 Sep 21
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I just started metformin and hating it as on 500mg I’m running to the loo. Very interesting re it’s the carbs as I had the worst time after BBQ thought it was the meat and probably wine!
Just starting today so hoping for miracles to work.