I would like to hear from women who are on metformin and have normal blood sugar levels, and have had success with it. I have not found a doctor who is willing to prescribe it to me, even though I would like to try it. I exercise a lot and eat well and my weight keeps going up and up. Right now my fasting blood sugar is 91. I would like to know what types of positive results people have had (weight loss, hair reduction, etc.) and also if they have had too low of blood sugar on it (my doctor is worried about this that is why she won't prescribe it), or any other bad side effects.
I have tried many things over the past 5 years including birth control pills, many herbal remedies, and acupuncture. Have been able to control period somewhat but not weight.
My blood sugar is normal and I'm not IR. I was initially suspected of PCOS by my GP becuase of irregular periods, acne, hair loss, some facial hair, and WEIGHT GAIN! I actually went on Depo Provera from Apr.2006-June 2008 and gained 60 pounds in 3 months! I have not been able to take off the weight. I actually took off about 20 pounds by taking Adipex (before I was dx. with PCOS) but as soon as I stopped taking it the pounds came back quickly even through I was still exercising and making healthy food choices.
My GP had blood work done when she suspected PCOS and discovered that my free testosterone was high. I cannot take regular BCP because of a blood clot when I was younger. I'm not sure if that is why they put me on Met or if they would have regardless. My face cleared up completely after a few months but the weight still wouldn't budge. My doctor said that many women take about 6 months with the Met and then the pounds start falling off. I will have been on Met for 6 months at the end of November. In the past month I've lost 11 pounds. I'm not doing anything differently than I have been for several months. I was skeptical about the 6 months thing, but I guess it is true for my case!
It was an RE that I was referred to after the blood work came back and she's the one who prescribed the Met for me. Maybe you'd have better luck going that route. I hope everything works out for you!!!
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This is really interesting. I went to a RE, supposedly one of the best in my area and she was not willing to prescribe metformin. She convinced me to do another round of birth control and I had the same negative effects I had before and now I have gained another 20 lbs. that I can't seem to lose. I have now upped my exercise from 4 times a week to every day. My legs and arms are getting really toned but I have a "spare tire" of belly fat that just won't go away. I had some blood tests done earlier this year by the RE and everything was normal, including all hormones, except my cholesterol. I have now been seeing a naturopath who did saliva hormone testing and my hormones were completely out of whack, especially the testosterone. This was coming off the birth control so I don't know if the birth control messed it up or what. I would really like to try met. Would you mine giving me the name/location of the doctor you saw? I'm looking for someone in/near Portland, Oregon.
I have never been diagnosed with IR but my gyn put me on Metformin right away when I was diagnosed with PCOS. I have always had normal blood sugar levels (my dad is diabetic so I check mine all the time with his machine, lol) and since being on Metformin I have not had an issue with low blood sugar... Metformin isn't an insulin, so I don't think there is risk for low blood sugar. Also, they have done studies with Metformin and PCOS in non-IR women and it helps with their symptoms even if they aren't IR... they think it's related to lowering testosterone, but they really dont know how or why yet. In my case, my acne is pretty much gone and I have noticed that I don't have nearly as much hair in my hair brush at the end of the day. I never really had a big issue with excess body hair except a little on my upper lip, which I haven't noticed a change in. In terms of weight, I gained about 15 lbs after stopping BCPs but am still pretty skinny. I haven't noticed weight loss since being on the pill (although it has only been 2 months... so I am hoping once I hit 6 months I start losing!)
I would continue looking for a different doctor. You current doctor doesn't sound very aggressive with her treatment plan for you. My doctor is ready and willing to try anything, but she is in Florida :o( Good luck to you!
Try a search on this message board - there a multiple threads on this topic.
I am not IR and take 1000mg of Met a day. That is the max my doctor would prescribe. It has slightly helped with weight loss, but it isn't a magic pill. I do a lot of work and count calories, but I can only tell a very slight difference.
I've always had normal blood glucose levels, and I've never had an insulin test either. I take 2500/mg of metformin a day.
Why? Because I've always had issues with weight, I will get those dark discolorations around certain parts of my body, and my triglycerides are always on the higher end.
I'm just going to say this, that it frustrates me to no end, that doctors do not try to understand true insulin resistance. If you blood sugars came back high, it would mean that you are prediabetic, or diabetic, not insulin resistance. The whole point of treating insulin resistancy is to avoid developing diabetes, and to normalize the rest of your hormones, because too much insulin, even too much not detected by blood work, will interfere with your ENTIRE endocrine system. Metformin is in my opinion, safe to try, if you respond well to it, and things improve after 6-12 months, then your probably insulin resistant. And its, again in my opinion, a better way of treating the root cause, or at least trying to find out what's the root cause, than sticking you on synthetic hormones that only mask the problem and don't treat it.
Ok, I admit, got a little ranty, but sheesh, I really wish these docs would just educate themselves a bit on human cellular biology before making statements and judgments like that.
HTH!
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__________________ Sam (30)
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Find one who will...
Where in Oregon do you live?
Also...NOT saying you do this. But I've seen women on here order fertility drugs online...w/o a prescription, you might be able to do the same with metformin.
Just make sure you are extremely educated in how to take it and what the side effects are, especially the rare ones.
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I'm having the same problem finding a doctor here in Maryland to prescribe me Met. My reproductive endocrinologist was going to let me try, but unfortunately she wanted to monitor my cycle along with it and my insurance no longer covers any type of infertility appointment. I considered buying online but the prices are a little high and I chickened out..
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I hope it's not too late to add a recommendation. My RE is from Northwest Fertility Center. I absolutely think he's one of the best docs I've ever been to. I'm not IR either, but have been TTC for over a year. He recently put me on 1000mg of met to see if it helps me ovulate. I don't know very much about IR or Met but he feels that it couldn't hurt to try (based off my b/w and all) I believe that if you are diagnosed with PCOS and if it was healthy for you to take it he would help you out. He knows A LOT about PCOS and I believe that if he doesn't think Met is right then it's for a good reason, and he will have other ideas. Finding a dr I trusted was really hard but I'm so happy he is there!
On another note, I have had pretty bad side effects with Met - I'm nauseous every day and can barely force myself to eat sometimes. I'm losing weight, but I honestly didn't need to lose any before. It has only been 3 or so weeks since I started so I'm giving my body time to get used to it.
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3 Furbabies (2 great danes - Chewy & Chomper, 1 cat - Abby)
3 rounds of Clomid (50mg, 100mg, 150mg) - No O
Won't be doing Clomid again due to bad side effects
Met and not IR 
