Has Met been the "Miracle Pill" it's touted as?

Disko2k · 02-10-2004, 04:16 PM

So,

I'm back on Met, and have been for about a month now, and have been taking it about 95% of the time...it's tough on weekends, but I digress...I've not had any nausea, or intestinal "issues" that I've had before. it's been going swimmingly.

I've found that following an atkins-style diet makes me super nauseus on these pills, and really tired, so tired that I've fallen asleep mid-sentence, so a low-carb, induction style diet has not worked at all for me. V. frustrating and here's why:

When my dr. first prescribed the Met, he said if you follow a low carb diet, the weight will fly off of you. It will happen so quickly, you won't believe it.

Well, I'm still waiting to believe it. I don't have much of an appetite anymore, so while i'm not being a total carb nazi, I'm being careful about what I eat and how much, mostly out of fear of ending up in the hosp. again with severe dehydration / vomiting / other nasty side effects.

I'm being v. careful about what I eat- if I have to have bread (sandwiches, etc) it's low carb bread, no pasta what so ever, white rice only if it's accompanied by chicken tikka masala, no pizza, eating high-fiber cereals (organic, no sugar raisin bran, bran flakes, and the like) apples, and yogurt, and lean deli turkey with a slice of swiss (chosen because I figured since it's got holes in it...that's less room for actual cheese, therefore less fat and cals)

I've not lost a single ounce. I'm really trying to cowboy up (sorry for the phrase, I'm from boston) and exercise, but it's been tough with the weather here being absolutely unbearable, and working as a nanny all day, getting home at 730p exhausted...

I would have thought that really being smart and careful about what I have would be enough to make my weight budge a little bit...but it's not.

Am I mistaken here? I'm reading everywhere that Met is now being prescribed as a weight loss drug, a pcos drug, a diabetes drug and all side effects are weight loss. Where's mine? What am I doing wrong? is the nature of my PCOS / insulin resistance so severe that not even cutting back greatly on my eating has helped at all? I'm totally ready to flip out!

Anyone else going through this, or had success with the rapid weight loss? I'm on 1500 / day? maybe I should take more? Ugh!!

Jenny Gabrenas · 02-10-2004, 04:30 PM

sometimes it takes a while for your hormones to regulate so that you CAN lose the weight. be patient, i'm sure it'll happen for you too.

i have found, for me, that a lowER carb way of eating is better. have you read about the insulin resistance diet? look into that if you havent already. i have also started exercising, after starting to feel better. i took it easy for the first two months, then i worked exercise inot the picture.

i hope you get some more responses, these were just my own experiences, but i hope they helped.

good luck in your quest for health!!

jenny

Jenbean · 02-10-2004, 04:34 PM

here I am- I could have written your exact words myself! I'm on 2000mg right off the bat (and my hormones werent that out of wack) since 10/23/03-and it was given to me to "help with weight loss"- the first week I lost 10lbs, probably due to dehydration and since then NOTHING. I also did the minimal carbs and felt like total crap- almost to the point of discontinuing the Met altogether. Now I "watch" the carbs to avoid any potty situations and I low calorie since met and carb watching werent apparently doing anything alone. I eat less and better than a girl that I eat lunch with that had bariatric surgery and still, my scale doesnt move! It has come down to that I must excercise at least every day- and to work 40 hrs a week, then come home to be wife and mother- excersize time commitment is very hard.

I'm giving this until May or June. I was basically given this by my MD to "stall" me from TTC (through injectables that worked before) and to lose weight . It hasnt helped me lose weight, it hasnt bought back AF, I really dont see it doing anything.

It is discouraging when you see that it was the "miracle "drug for others- weight, AF, energy- and see it doing nothing for yourself.

Disko2k · 02-10-2004, 04:55 PM

The only thing it has done, is get my periods to come every month, and that happened pretty much immediately. They are coming roughly at the same time every month now + / - a couple of days, and it's been much lighter. I used to have it for about 6-7 days, now it's 5 and it's barely there. Cramps have gone from excruciating, vomit-inducing hell to "discomfort" which is a huge plus...however, the following has not changed:

Skin- acne is as bad as ever. I had a breakdown on sunday because I'm SO sick of having to put on a full face of make up every single day just to do something as silly as going out to get gas. I'm WAY too embarrassed to go out without it. I'm almost 30, yet I've got the skin of a 14 year old McDonalds employee!!

Hair- yeah. I've got more hair on my chin that my husband. This alone makes me wanna jump. Every day I shave and tweeze, which makes me get these constant, nice big zits on either side of my chin and just above the corner of my lip...which makes me look like I've got some freaky looking wrinkles happening. Also, getting this little line below my belly button, and I have to shave my legs every other day. I cannot express how completely horrifying this has been. No change WHATSOEVER

Upper Body- Much like the rest of you, I carry all my weight from the waist up, and now, my belly seems bigger than ever, and honestly, I can't make out any type of jaw line anymore, which makes me wear my fleece jacket practically 24/7 because I can zip it, and it hides my "jaw line" and dbl chin nicely. I've also eveloped a nasty bump at the base of my neck from the way I've been contorting my head and neck to make my dbl chin look smaller. AAAAAARGHHHHHHHHHHHHGHHHHHHRT!~~~!!!

christyz · 02-10-2004, 06:41 PM

Pardon my bluntness, but the people perscribing met as a weight loss drug are irresponsible. It is not a weight loss drug, it is an insulin sensitizer, and if your weight is a problem due to insulin issues, this can keep you from gaining any more weight by packing on insulin as fat. But met doesn't lose weight for us. I took met for a full year and it wasn't until I cranked up the exercise and altered my diet, that I lost weight and my labs started to drop.

Your Dr was totally out of line to make met out to be some rapid fix. Met is my miracle, but let me tell you, it has NOT been quick. My Dr told me if it hadn't worked in 6 months it wouldn't, and that was total bunk. It was 13 months before my labs took a large drop, and 2 years before my labs hit normal ranges. This drug has been a miracle for me, but a very slow and steady one in combination with my exercise and diet. The first year I was on it I was so discouraged because I believed I was some kind of a freak...this was supposed to be this wonder drug. It just isn't so. I know now that my hormones were bungled for over 8 years, so to expect it all to miraculously get fixed in a matter of months was just ridiculous. I don't want to discourage you. Met has been a significant part in changing my life. But don't let your Dr's words rush or panic you. It isn't a quick fix, and needs time to help you.

It sometimes takes more than just "cutting back" to help diet-wise too. I totally support your not doing atkins, but there are some awesome moderate carb options for women on met. I have had awesome success both weight and symptoms wise (bloodwork, periods, weight loss etc) with the Insulin Resistant diet. There is lots of info on the diet forum and you can read a chapter on amazon.com. When I was losing weight, I lost with a carb intake of between 60-100 g carb per day and on maintainance I'm slightly above that now. I can eat this way happily the rest of my life. Check it out!

I could relate to your hair thing...I could grow a fabulous goatee.

That area has not improved on met for me, so after my male hormone labs were in normal ranges, I started laser treatments. I just had my 4th and my chin hair is already really thinning. It takes longer to grow and when I do shave, it lasts longer. Met isn't always the most effective in that area, so I encourage you to consider this in the future if it is still a problem.

I was exactly where you are...feeling like a met failure. I hate how the dr's set us up to feel that way by claiming it's an instant cure-all. The Dr's need to back off, and quit making claims that make us feel like we're some kind of medical freaks if we don't get a cure in a week.

Hope it helps...Wishing you all the best!

Juliekaboolie · 02-11-2004, 02:03 AM

I second Christy. Your dr is being very irresponsible if he/she is prescribing Met as a weightloss drug. It is not. I did not lose weight on Met and it did not take a short time to work. I've been on it since June and I am, just in the last month, starting to see drops in my fasting bloodsugar. For example, my fasting sugar in June was 122 and at the end of January it was 89. *THAT* is an improvement. Also, I have focused lately on watching not only calories but following the IR Diet as well. I have now lost 5 lbs through hard work. I also think exercise will increase weightloss over time and improve labs. I also found that going off 'the pill' helped bring down my bloodsugar and bloodpressure. So give the Met some time. It doesn't work over night.

Also wanted to add that because of Met I have had 5 normal-length periods since going off the pill. They have been anywhere from 29-34 day cycles.

indian_beauty · 02-11-2004, 06:34 AM

i know what some docs r like....my doc is somewhat in the same group...she said i was borderline pcos or IR or something to that effect and gave me met so I could "lose weight" since i was TTC..

...ok so within 15days of met and only 3 days of 1500mg i get my af ...for the first time i had a 25day cycle...mine were usually 45-60 days if they came at all.....i felt that in itself was great.....but i didn't really lose weight as i was 'supposed to'.....she was shocked....she gave me a lecture on how i maybe eating more than before....well...excuse me!! no one can eat "more" on met...not without puking at least....she thought I should have lost at least 2kgs or 4lbs at least..which many of her patients did.....i told her i've been guzzling loads of water to the order of 1.5 gallons a day...yes..i used to be that thirsty....so those who lost the water weight were 'good' patients...neeways.....the end thing was i felt guilty about drinking so much water....felt i was a met failure (tho' i knew i wasn't)....but once i was home i realized...as everyone says here...that everyone is different...i am an informed and educated PCOSer and have made the right choices......I'm waiting for the 3 month mark to get the initial labs done...then maybe i can compare and see what effect it has really had on me...
but the increase in my energy levels r amazing and i feel alive..

Discko2k: Don't feel low.....have patience and believe in yourself....and DON"T increase the met without your doc's permission..inc met doses require very close monitoring.....so stick to this and get your labs done...if there is no improvment there then think of an alternative...

good luck and chin up !!

Candace · 02-11-2004, 07:22 AM

I can honestly say that Metformin has been an incredible help in balancing hormones. Although, I expected a "quick fix" considering this drug was supposed to help I didn't see a lot of changes in my body as far as weight loss for at least three to four months. Initially, for me Ihad tremendous water retention and that went away almost immediately. I couldn't believe it! After about a year of taking the drug, I had lost weight (about 20 lbs) but still needed to lose more. My weight would not BUDGE despite changes in my diet and exercise. I was frustrated, although not considered overweight on my 5'0 frame I knew that I should be "thinner". I was most concerned not with my weight, but the fact that my mind felt "elderly" most of the time. I was slow in my thought processes, felt "in another world" most of the time and thought I was probably destined to have early onset alzheimers. Metformin brought my mind back. Although it was a tremendously slow process, I suddenly had my quick thinking back. (Within a few months). (I am an accountant and it is a little difficult to crunch numbers with slow thinking!) Anyway, this year, after 3 years and and 3 months on Metformin my body began responding to my MAJOR diet changes, which include very little sugar (and i don't have those NASTY cravings anymore) which help, I drink an Atkins shake every morning for breakfast (so I don't feel slow and dizzy all day) and I balance my meals. I have never eaten much, as I don't have much appetite, but am finally seeing my body respond to weight loss better than I EVER have over these last three. I added another drug in December (I had already started really losing before that in June) to help with the sugar highs after meals. It seems to be controlling that response. I realize after three years, I cannot eat anything I want and stay healthy. My symptoms really came full force after my pregnancies (i had two back to back 13 months apart and it was planned that way). I hope you don't give up as finding treatment for this syndrome is different for us all, but patience pays off, I tell you. I have lost 37 lbs total (and believe me I was gaining fast, about 15 lbs in a month) and I was desperate to find out why. I was diagnosed at 19 with PCOS, did have a tremendous time conceiving my daughter at 28, and the insulin issues really went crazy at about 34. I probably had issues before but figured I was getting older and everyone gains 5 lbs a year when they get older. I was absolutely on a mission to discover WHY I felt so bad. The year before my little boy went to school, all I did was sleep (especially when I would eat any carbs, (Frosted mini wheats sent me to bed!) ( i have always heard food is supposed to give you energy and for me it was absolutely the opposite!!!!!I felt as though I had taken a Benedryl most of the time after meals)and for the sake of my children and husband I was determined to find answers. That is when I found soul cysters. I was ready to find a dr. that would prescribe the drug for me. I had no idea at 19 that this syndrome could lead to so many health problems. I hope you feel better and know that patience is the key to this drug. It isn't fun in the mean time though, I tell you. I kept feeling like the drug wasn't working fast enough and I know now that those hormones didn't get wacked out overnight, I should not have expected to feel better immediatly. It is hard to deal with, (the time issue) but well worth the end results. Take care and

Blessings!

Candace

kimmikat · 02-11-2004, 12:54 PM

I agree with everything christyz shared. I was put on gluc xr over a year ago. My blood tests and levels showed great improvement after 3 months, but my weight would not budge. I tried Atkins and although I agree with many of the principles, I could not maintain it. I tried doing it on my own and eating 'lower-carb'. I didn't lose and actually slowly gained a few more pounds. I finally listened to several of the ladies on here and tried the IR diet. The first week, I lost 3 lbs. I thought well... that's water. Because I never felt deprived and was actually eating more than I had been, I didn't think it was really working. But I kept up with the linking and balancing and was very aware of portion sizes when it came to carb grams. At the 10 week mark I had lost 18 lbs. A slow and steady weight loss that I have been unable to achieve before was finally mine. During the holidays, I fudged a little (literally, it was the peanut butter fudge that did me in). But, although I didn't lose, I didn't gain. I am continuing to lose and refer to the book periodically to make certain that I'm not slipping. I'm also a bit leary of the multitude of 'low-carb' foods that are now out there. Don't just trust the label, make certain that you're reading the serving size and the actual carbs and fiber and check what sugar is used. I've found that many sugar alchohols stall my weight loss. I've been able to use Splenda with success.
Sorry for my ramblings....
My main point is that Gluc/Met is a great tool. But we have to figure out the proper way for our bodies to help it work. Taking gluc/met alone (at least from my experience) was not a 'miracle cure'. But it has made a miraculous change in my blood levels and enables me to lose weight with the right combo of IR diet and exercise.

Jenbean · 02-11-2004, 12:59 PM

Kim,
kinda OT- but who are you seeing in Cleveland? Possibly Dr. Frank Gonzalez? Just wondering... I work at Metro and I have seen him-didnt like him, but I have been to him.

(I must say that splenda has been a lifesaver in this whole ordeal!)

Disko2k · 02-11-2004, 01:20 PM

I actually have the IR book....but I can't get my head around it, it kind of reminds me of the zone a little...I read it, and can't really wrap my head around it! stupid, and overweight!!

christyz · 02-11-2004, 02:09 PM

That's not stupid, it's normal!

It took me about a week to get the hang of what was protien/carb and what amounts to consider, but after that it was old hat.

kimmikat · 02-11-2004, 06:31 PM

Jennifer....
I'm seeing Dr. Loret de Mola (that's his whole last name). He's part of University and the chief of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at MacDonald Women's Hospital (part of Case).
His specialty is PCOS. His website is: www.uhhs.com/fertility

He's great and he is extremely knowledgable. It's a bit of a drive (I'm in North Royalton), but it is so worth it. If you would like any more info, pm me and I'll be happy to share.

Disko2k....
It took me a few weeks to get the hang of the IR diet. I was trying to make it much more complicated than it needed to be and was getting frustrated. But, there is hope! Once I got the hang of it, it is very easy to follow with no deprivation. (I really liked the diagrams of the balance beams, for some reason that clicked for me.)

Jenbean · 02-12-2004, 10:12 AM

AH yes!- I have heard a ton of goodness about him! Unfortunatly, since I work at metro - I also have Metro insurance and they pay for everything but meds. So I'm stuck with my jerk of a doctor

Good Luck to you! From the testimonials from him- I believe he is one of the areas best!

(hey, we are close- I'm in Brunswick!)