Naltrexone Helps Heavy Drinker Cut Back. Can It Help You? The Peoples Pharmacy | The Herald Sun
A. Naltrexone (ReVia, Vivitrol) is an opioid antagonist. That means it blocks the effects of opioid medication, as well as natural opioids (endorphins) in the brain. Scientists think it is these endorphins that are responsible for the pleasure some people get from drinking alcohol. Studies show that naltrexone can be effective, especially when combined with counseling (New England Journal of Medicine, Aug. 14, 2008; Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, February 2018). Q. I have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Ive been trying to control my blood sugar levels with the help of a nutritionist for about a year now. I am thin, work out regularly and eat really well. Its not enough. My doctor has now prescribed metformin. What are your thoughts on this drug? And do you know of anything else I could try? I am still asymptomatic and feel great. I wish I could help myself through diet and exercise. A. Dont give up on your good diet and exercise habits! They will help with the effectiveness of your treatment, even if you havent been able to control your blood sugar with them alone. Metformin is a first-line drug for Type 2 diabetes, as well as one of the oldest and best-studied. It improves the bodys response to insulin and can be quite effective. In addition to its ability to keep blood sugar down, metformin also has shown promise for its anti-cancer activity (Acta Biochimica et Biophysica Sinica, online, Oct. 7, 2017). There are potential side effects, however. The most common are digestive: nausea, stomachache, indigestion, loss of appetite, diarrhea and flatulence. The most serious side effect, lactic acidosis, is rare, but you should be alert for the symptoms: abdominal pain, irregular or rapid heart rate, low blood pressure and anxiety. Such symptoms signal a medical Continue reading >>
Starvation Can Cure Type 2 Diabetes
A new study shows that starvation (eating 600 kcal/day) can cure type 2-diabetes, just like gastric bypass surgery. Again, there is no need to explain the effect of the surgery with other speculative theories. The resulting starvation reverses diabetes. And the starvation isn’t even necessary to do that. Guardian: Low-calorie diet offers hope of cure for type 2 diabetes Unnecessary starvation If a type 2 diabetic stops eating (carbs) the symptoms of diabetes starts to go away. But starvation or surgery are unnecessarily painful ways to do it. Luckily diabetics can eat real food to satiety, as long as they avoid sugar and starch. The food that quickly turns into simple sugars in the gut. Cutting away their stomach or starving themselves is not necessary. All they need is good food. More Across the river for water: Surgery for diabetes PS A Gastric Bypass operation protects from eating too much carbohydrates in two ways. Number one: you can only eat miniature portions of anything. Number two: the smaller amounts of starch you eat is not digestedd as easily as the duodenum with the starch-digesting enzyme amylase is diverted from direct contact with the food. Continue reading >>
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Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed?
Weve heard that diabetes is a chronic progressive illness. You cant get better, you have to get worse. The best you can do is slow it down. But at least five approaches now claim to reverse Type 2. What does that mean? The official expert line on Type 2 has long been that people start by controlling the condition with diet and exercise. But they move fairly quickly to pills (like metformin), then to insulin or insulin plus pills. In recent years, insulin has been started more quickly, and new drugs like the incretin mimetics are changing the progression of treatment. But it is still thought that the disease progresses and cant be stopped. Being told you are chronic progressive is like having a curse put on you. It can sap your confidence and destroy your hope. But is it true? Dozens of Diabetes Self-Management readers say no. On a blog post by Diane Fennell about a study of low-carb diets in Sweden, people commented eloquently on how they have gotten better by reducing carbohydrate intake. Bob wrote: By limiting carbs, my A1c dropped from an 8.6 to a most recent reading of 4.9. I also know people who eat whole-grain pasta, bread and have oatmeal every morning, because a doctor told them so, bemoaning their numbers. Following a different (acid/alkaline) diet, Dan wrote that his A1C dropped, and his cholesterol and blood pressure are normal. Hes off nearly all his statins, blood pressure medicines, and insulin. Terri wrote: I am a diabetic who eats a low carb vegan diet. I am far healthier now at 53 than ever before and maintain perfect glucose control. And on and on. Its worth reading the whole thread, and there are scores of similar discussions all over the Internet. The reality is that people with Type 2 get better all the time. They reduce their medicines or get off Continue reading >>
Metformin 101: Blood Sugar Levels, Weight, Side Effects
As a type 2 diabetic, you've probably heard of Metformin, or you might even be taking it yourself. Metformin (brand name “Glucophage” aka “glucose-eater”) is the most commonly prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes worldwide…and for good reason. It is one of the safest, most effective, least costly medication available with minimal, if any, side effects. There are always lots of questions around Metformin – how does metformin lower blood sugar, does metformin promote weight loss or weight gain, will it give me side effects – and lots more. Today we'll hopefully answer some of those questions. How Metformin Works Metformin belongs to a class of medications known as “Biguanides,” which lower blood glucose by decreasing the amount of sugar put out by the liver. The liver normally produces glucose throughout the day in conjunction with the pancreas’ production of insulin to maintain stable blood sugar. In many people with diabetes, both mechanisms are altered in that the pancreas puts out less insulin while the liver is unable to shut down production of excess glucose. This means your body is putting out as much as 3 times as much sugar than that of nondiabetic individuals, resulting in high levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Metformin effectively shuts down this excess production resulting in less insulin required. As a result, less sugar is available for absorption by the muscles and conversion to fat. Additionally, a lower need for insulin slows the progression of insulin resistance and keeps cells sensitive to endogenous insulin (that made by the body). Since metformin doesn’t cause the body to generate more insulin, it does not cause hypoglycemia unless combined with a sulfonylurea or insulin injection. Metformin is one of the few oral diabe Continue reading >>
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Stopping Metformin: When Is It Ok?
The most common medication worldwide for treating diabetes is metformin (Glumetza, Riomet, Glucophage, Fortamet). It can help control high blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. It’s available in tablet form or a clear liquid you take by mouth before meals. Metformin doesn’t treat the underlying cause of diabetes. It treats the symptoms of diabetes by lowering blood sugar. It also increases the use of glucose in peripheral muscles and the liver. Metformin also helps with other things in addition to improving blood sugar. These include: lowering lipids, resulting in a decrease in blood triglyceride levels decreasing “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) increasing “good” cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) If you’re taking metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, it may be possible to stop. Instead, you may be able to manage your condition by making certain lifestyle changes, like losing weight and getting more exercise. Read on to learn more about metformin and whether or not it’s possible to stop taking it. However, before you stop taking metformin consult your doctor to ensure this is the right step to take in managing your diabetes. Before you start taking metformin, your doctor will want to discuss your medical history. You won’t be able to take this medication if you have a history of any of the following: alcohol abuse liver disease kidney issues certain heart problems If you are currently taking metformin, you may have encountered some side effects. If you’ve just started treatment with this drug, it’s important to know some of the side effects you may encounter. Most common side effects The most common side effects are digestive issues and may include: diarrhea vomiting nausea heartburn abdominal cramps Continue reading >>
Stopping Diabetes Medicines
“I want to get off some of these drugs,” Ellen told me. “But my doctor says I need them. I’m on three for glucose, two for blood pressure, and one for depression. They’re costing me hundreds every month. What can I do?” Ellen is a health-coaching client of mine, age 62 with Type 2 diabetes. She works as an executive secretary in an insurance company. It’s stressful. She’s usually there from 8 AM until 6 PM or later and comes home “too tired to exercise.” She mentioned that just “putting herself together” for work every day requires an hour of prep time. “You have to look good for these executives,” she says. I asked about her drugs. She said she takes metformin (Glucophage and others), sitagliptin ( brand name Januvia), and pioglitazone (Actos) for diabetes, lisinopril (Privinil, Zestril) for blood pressure, simvastatin (Zocor) for cholesterol, and paroxetine (Paxil) for depression. Her A1C is now at 7.3%, down from a high of 9.9% a year ago, when she was on only two medicines. “I think the drugs are depressing me,” she said. “The cost, the side effects… I have nausea most days, I have cough from the lisinopril. That doesn’t help at work. I don’t know what’s worse, the drugs or diabetes.” What would you have said to Ellen? Although I strongly believe in reducing drug use, I told her what most experts say, that she can get off some, possibly all diabetes drugs, but it will take a lot of work. Asqual Getaneh, MD, a diabetes expert who writes for Everyday Health, says that doctors want to be “assured that an A1C will stay down” if a person goes off medicines. She says doctors usually won’t reduce medicines until A1C drops below 7.0%. In the ADA publication Diabetes Forecast, pharmacist Craig Williams, PharmD, writes, “Unf Continue reading >>
Metformin Forever
Metformin controls the insulin resistance of people who have type 2 diabetes so well that, if possible, all of us should be taking it. That’s what Roderic Crist, M.D., told me at the annual convention of the American Society of Bariatric Physicians in Denver this weekend. Dr. Crist specializes in family medicine in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. “Not everybody can take every drug,” he added, when I followed up our conversation by calling him at his office after he returned home. “But most of the time people can take metformin if they take it carefully.” Doctors increasingly prescribe it not only for type 2 diabetes but also for insulin resistance, polycystic ovary syndrome, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Roughly one-third of Dr. Crist’s patients have diabetes. Well over half, if not two-thirds of the people he sees are insulin resistant. “I treat insulin resistance with that drug even if they aren’t fully diabetic.” he says. “If they have high triglyceride levels and low HDL levels, particularly if they are centrally obese, they should probably be on metformin. It helps slow the progression of the disease from one thing to the next.” But he goes further. He prescribes metformin to almost all of his patients who have type 2 diabetes — no matter how low their A1C level is. And he tells his patients that their levels should be 5.0 or less — not the American Diabetes Association’s less stringent recommendation of 7.0 or less. “If their A1C is at 5, their diabetes is in complete remission. So I have that as a goal.” And he still prescribes metformin to them after they reach that goal. “The two important issues are that it will prevent progression and it should be used in the earliest phases of insulin resistance. We vastly underutilize me Continue reading >>
Metformin Weight Loss – Does It Work?
Metformin weight loss claims are something that are often talked about by health professionals to be one of the benefits of commencing metformin therapy, but are they true? At myheart.net we’ve helped millions of people through our articles and answers. Now our authors are keeping readers up to date with cutting edge heart disease information through twitter. Follow Dr Ahmed on Twitter @MustafaAhmedMD Metformin is possibly one of the most important treatments in Type II Diabetes, so the question of metformin weight loss is of the utmost importance, as if true it could provide a means to lose weight as well as control high sugar levels found in diabetes. What is Metformin? Metformin is an oral hypoglycemic medication – meaning it reduces levels of sugar, or more specifically glucose in the blood. It is so effective that the American Diabetes Association says that unless there is a strong reason not to, metformin should be commenced at the onset of Type II Diabetes. Metformin comes in tablet form and the dose is gradually increased until the maximum dose required is achieved. How Does Metformin Work & Why Would it Cause Weight Loss? Metformin works by three major mechanisms – each of which could explain the “metformin weight loss” claims. These are: Decrease sugar production by the liver – the liver can actually make sugars from other substances, but metformin inhibits an enzyme in the pathway resulting in less sugar being released into the blood. Increase in the amount of sugar utilization in the muscles and the liver – Given that the muscles are a major “sink” for excess sugar, by driving sugar into them metformin is able to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood. Preventing the breakdown of fats (lipolysis) – this in turn reduces the amount of fatt Continue reading >>
Should I Cut Back On Metformin?
I know you guys aren't doctors but I need a bit of advice. I take 2000mg of metformin daily. Over the past month probably I've noticed my bgs getting lower and lower. Fasting and pp. I can't complain! But now I am experiencing pretty frequent lows. I start to feel pretty bad in the 60s. The other day I checked my sugar and it was 62 thought it was an error so I re tested and it was 65. I had just drank a cup of cocoa an hour before(16g of carbs). My fastings recently are always low 80s, sometimes to mid 90s. PPs never above 140. I eat 100 grams of carbs a day give or take and still getting lows. I just experienced one and am still shaking a little typing this. Should I talk to my endo about reducing metformin? I like my numbers but I can't deal with this shaking and feeling so weak! I eat as frequently as I feel I need and haven't really changed my diet recently. Thanks for the help! D.D. Family Getting much harder to control I would have no idea what it would be like only on met and get those readings. Of course met is not suppose to do this but maybe your makeup and how the pancreas works is doing that. You are eating enough carbs but maybe you are getting a hyper/hypo reactive episodes. I would have no idea what it would be like only on met and get those readings. Of course met is not suppose to do this but maybe your makeup and how the pancreas works is doing that. You are eating enough carbs but maybe you are getting a hyper/hypo reactive episodes. I thought about the reactive episodes but it's just started the past couple of weeks and I haven't really changed anything. All I could think of was the metformin causing this. D.D. Family Getting much harder to control I thought about the reactive episodes but it's just started the past couple of weeks and I haven't re Continue reading >>
Timing Your Metformin Dose
The biggest problem many people have with Metformin is that it causes such misery when it hits their stomachs that they can't keep taking it even though they know it is the safest and most effective of all the oral diabetes drugs. In many cases all that is needed is some patience. After a rocky first few days many people's bodies calm down and metformin becomes quite tolerable. If you are taking the regular form of Metformin with meals and still having serious stomach issues after a week of taking metformin, ask your doctor to prescribe the extended release form--metformin ER or Glucophage XR. The extended release form is much gentler in its action. If that still doesn't solve your problem, there is one last strategy that quite a few of us have found helpful. It is to take your metformin later in the day, after you have eaten a meal or two. My experience with metformin--and this has been confirmed by other people--is that it can irritate an empty stomach, but if you take it when the stomach contains food it will behave. There are some drugs where it matters greatly what time of day you take the drug. Metformin in its extended release form is not one of them. As the name suggests, the ER version of the pill slowly releases the drug into your body over a period that, from my observations, appears to last 8 to 12 hours. Though it is supposed to release over a full 24 hours, this does not appear to be the case, at least not with the generic forms my insurer will pay for. Because there seems to be a span of hours when these extended release forms of metformin release the most drug into your blood stream, when you take your dose may affect how much impact the drug has on your blood sugars after meals or when you wake up. For example, the version I take, made by Teva, releases Continue reading >>
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Metformin – What Every Diabetic Should Know
Diabetes affects millions of people throughout the world and for all the ones who know that they have it and are doing something to control it there will be just as many who do not know they have it. It is caused by the pancreas not creating enough insulin and this leaves you with too much sugar in the blood as your body can not process it properly. Metformin is a drug that is used to treat diabetes. Its main role is in regulating the amount of sugar in the body and this alone will help the diabetic. It only treats type 2 diabetes and there are other medicines available for those suffering from type 1. It is a member of a group of drugs known as biguanides and they have been used effectively for some time. How Does It Work? Metformin manages to control the amount of sugar in the blood in three distinct ways. Firstly it works on the food that you eat. Most foods have some degree of sugar in them and too much can cause the diabetes to become worse. The amount that the body absorbs is important and Metformin makes sure that not too much gets through. If too much does get through the body cannot deal with it and it is then that you become ill. Secondly it keeps down the amount of sugar that is produced by the liver. If this can be slowed down, there will be less sugar travelling around the body and the outcome will be that you are less likely to be ill. Its final function is to make sure that insulin is regulated. It works on both injected insulin and that produced naturally by the body. As a result of this some people who already have to inject may find that they no longer have to do this, or at least cut down the amount of times they have to do it. It will be important how much Metformin that you take and the amount will be prescribed by your doctor. This will be an exact Continue reading >>
Metformin Makes Headline News
Metformin is the first-line drug of choice in the treatment of type II diabetes. It was first approved in Europe in 1958.1 Americans had to wait until 1994 to legally obtain metformin.1 The holdup in approving metformin goes beyond the FDA. It is an indictment of a political/legal system that will forever cause needless suffering and death unless substantively changed. When Life Extension® informed Americans about drugs like metformin in the 1980s, the FDA did everything in its power to incarcerate me and shut down our Foundation.2 FDA propaganda at the time was that consumers needed to be "protected" against "unproven" therapies. As history has since proven, the result of the FDA's embargo has been unparalleled human carnage. So called "consumer protection" translated into ailing Americans being denied access to therapies that the FDA now claims are essential to saving lives. Today's major problem is not drugs available in other countries that Americans can't access. Instead, it is a political/legal system that suffocates medical innovation. Headline news stories earlier this year touted the anti-cancer effects of metformin, data that Foundation members were alerted to long ago.3 The problem is that it is illegal for metformin manufacturers to promote this drug to cancer patients or oncologists. It's also illegal to promote metformin to healthy people who want to reduce their risk of cancer, diabetes, vascular occlusion, and obesity. This fatal departure from reality continues unabated, as our dysfunctional political/legal system denies information about metformin that could spare countless numbers of lives. Type II diabetics suffer sharply higher rates of cancer4-7and vascular disease.8-11 The anti-diabetic drug metformin has been shown in numerous scientific studies Continue reading >>
The Effects Of Stopping Metformin
The medication metformin is a drug in the biguanide family that is used to treat type 2 or adult-onset diabetes mellitus. Drugs.com notes that metformin is often the first prescribed medication for individuals with type 2 diabetes and may also be used in combination with other diabetes medications or insulin. This medication is sold under the brand name Glucophage, Glucophage XR and Fortamet. Metformin helps to reduce glycemic or sugar levels in the blood in a number of ways. If an individual with type 2 diabetes stops taking metformin, they may experience serious immediate and long-term effects of uncontrolled high levels of blood glucose. Video of the Day A primary mode of action of metformin is increasing the sensitivity of the body’s muscles, tissues and cells to insulin--a hormone that is essential for transporting glucose from the blood to the body. Drugs.com notes that individuals with type 2 diabetes have insulin resistance. This causes the cells to ignore the effects of insulin and not allow glucose to be transported into the muscles and tissues where it is vital to produce energy. The body tries to compensate by secreting more insulin, which only leads to hyperinsulinemia in the blood. If a patient stops taking metformin, the type 2 diabetes effects occur due to insulin resistance causing symptoms such as severe thirst, hunger and urinary frequency. The chronic levels of hyperinsulinemia and hyperglycemia also contribute to diseases of the heart and vascular-blood vessel-system. Gluconeogenesis is the production of glucose by the liver. A storage supply of glucose is reserved in the liver and released into the bloodstream when the body requires energy due to stress or hunger. The MayoClinic.com notes that another one of the mechanisms of metformin to reduce Continue reading >>
Thinking Of Cutting Back My Metformin...
The side effects are driving me crazy. For whatever reason It's usually late afternoon and evening when it's at it's worst. Most evenings I can't leave the house because I need to be close (like seconds-away) to a bathroom. Tried some Immodium but didn't help. I have been on 3x 500mg metformin which I take with breakfast, lunch and supper but considering my better numbers I'm seriously considering dropping the lunch dose to see if I get any intestinal relief. Or is there something that helps as much that doesn't have the same side effects? Or any home-remedies anyone has for the intestinal/bathroom issues? The side effects are driving me crazy. For whatever reason It's usually late afternoon and evening when it's at it's worst. Most evenings I can't leave the house because I need to be close (like seconds-away) to a bathroom. Tried some Immodium but didn't help. I have been on 3x 500mg metformin which I take with breakfast, lunch and supper but considering my better numbers I'm seriously considering dropping the lunch dose to see if I get any intestinal relief. Or is there something that helps as much that doesn't have the same side effects? Or any home-remedies anyone has for the intestinal/bathroom issues? Try to switch to Metformin ER, the extended release will often help the gastro/intestional problems. I have had a good relationship with Glipizide XR. I have no side effects from this medication. You have to be careful with this medication because it can cause low blood sugar. There is not much out there for the g/i side effects from Metformin. I don't get any of the side effects, thank heavens but I just started to cut back today because I am starting to go into the low 60's at night and in the early morning. This is really wierd for 4 years I have not been low an Continue reading >>
Cutting Back On Carbs - Metformin Reaction?
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community Cutting back on carbs - Metformin reaction? I have been using Metformin for a while now (years) with minimal side effects. Currently on 2 * 500Mg (one morning, one evening). I had a bit of queasiness for about a week when first taking it but seemed to adjust O.K. After slowly drifting to the dark side I have recently sharply cut down on carbohydrates and although I haven't been carb counting I am relatively low carb. However this has coincided with increased queasiness and a feeling of discomfort in my lower gut. It has just occurred to me that this might be a reaction to a change in diet. I am considering skipping the pills for a couple of days to see if this brings about a change, and perhaps upping the carbs for a couple of days whilst taking the pills to see if this makes any difference. However I thought I would also ask on here (in the Discussion forum because this is T2, and medication and low carb) if anyone has seen a similar reaction when reducing carb intake. Also, do people generally manage O.K. on Metformin and low carb? I have been using Metformin for a while now (years) with minimal side effects. Currently on 2 * 500Mg (one morning, one evening). I had a bit of queasiness for about a week when first taking it but seemed to adjust O.K. After slowly drifting to the dark side I have recently sharply cut down on carbohydrates and although I haven't been carb counting I am relatively low carb. However this has coincided with increased queasiness and a feeling of discomfort in my lower gut. If it helps, last September I was put on 2 x 500g Metformin, morning and evening, like you, and suffered no side-effects whatsoever. That left me wonderin Continue reading >>
