Is Metformin Used To Treat Anything Other Than Diabetes?

Non-diabetic Weight Loss With Metformin

Metformin is a medication that normally is used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus. This medication is in the antihyperglyemic drug class, meaning that it counteracts glucose in the blood. While the Food and Drug Administration has not approved metformin for weight loss in the United States, some physicians are starting to utilize this medication in an off-label manner to decrease weight in overweight or obese patients. Several studies are underway analyzing the use of metformin for weight-loss, and more studies are needed before FDA approval. Video of the Day Decreased Hepatic Glucose Production Metformin decreases the amount of sugar that is created by the liver, according to findings from the Glaser Obesity Study, conducted by the Glaser Pediatric Research Network. If you haven't eaten in some period of time and your blood sugar becomes too low, your liver can compensate by creating and releasing sugar into the blood. Insulin is then secreted to compensate, and stores this sugar as fat in adipose tissue. When metformin decreases the amount of sugar released by the liver, the pancreas does not have to release extra insulin, thus reducing fat production and storage. Metformin may cause mild gastrointestinal side effects including diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, according to Drugs.com. It is proposed that one possible mechanism of action for the weight-reducing benefit of metformin is simply that because of these mild gastrointestinal side effects people do not feel like eating, notes the Glaser research. If you have excessive or prolonged gastrointestinal upsets while taking metformin, contact your physician as he may need to change your medication. Metformin creates increased insulin sensitivity by assisting the body in using the blood sugar already present. Continue reading >>

Can Metformin Help With Weight Loss?

Metformin is a drug prescribed to manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. You may have heard that metformin can also help you lose weight. But is it true? The answer is a resounding maybe. Here’s what you should know about what metformin can do for weight loss, as well as why your doctor may prescribe it for you. According to research, metformin can help some people lose weight. However, it’s not clear why metformin may cause weight loss. One theory is that it may prompt you to eat less by reducing your appetite. It may also change the way your body uses and stores fat. Although studies have shown that metformin may help with weight loss, the drug is not a quick-fix solution. According to one long-term study, the weight loss from metformin tends to occur gradually over one to two years. The amount of weight lost also varies from person to person. In the study, the average amount of weight lost after two or more years was four to seven pounds. Taking the drug without following other healthy habits may not lead to weight loss. Individuals who follow a healthy diet and exercise while taking metformin tend to lose the most weight. This may be because metformin is thought to boost how many calories you burn during exercise. If you don’t exercise, you likely won’t have this benefit. In addition, any weight loss you have may only last as long as you take the medication. That means if you stop taking metformin, there’s a good chance you will return to your original weight. And even while you’re still taking the drug, you may slowly gain back any weight you’ve lost. In other words, metformin may not be the magic diet pill some people have been waiting for. It has been shown to reduce weight in some, but not others. One of the benefits of metformin Continue reading >>

Metformin (glucophage) For Weight Loss

After you eat, sugar goes from your intestines into your bloodstream, and then immediately into your liver. Then your liver releases sugar back into your bloodstream to cause your blood sugar level to rise. To keep blood sugar levels from rising too high, your pancreas release insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin makes you hungry all the time and causes your liver to convert extra calories to fat and it constricts arteries to cause heart attacks. You need insulin to keep blood sugar levels from rising too high to cause diabetes, nerve damage, heart attacks, strokes and kidney damage. Glucophage reduces sugar release from your liver to prevents blood sugar levels from rising too high, so your body doesn't need to produce as much insulin that makes you hungry and causes your liver to make fat (3,13,14). Glucophage lowers insulin levels (4), prevents many of the side effects of diabetes and can be used by people who want to lose weight. However, Glucophage is not effective when your blood is acidic from excess lactic acid and recent research shows that exercise, which raises lactic acid, does not cause blood acid levels to rise enough to reduce Glucophage's benefits (5). Glucophage, itself, does not raise blood lactate levels and is therefore considerably safer than doctors originally thought. Since Glucophage lowers insulin, diabetics should be placed on Glucophage to lower their requirements for all other medications used to treat diabetes (6). A common cause of obesity in women is called polycystic ovary syndrome, which is caused by having high blood levels of insulin. Glucophage helps these women to lose weight (7-12). See the report on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in the Women's Health section. Glucophage is a safe medication that prevents blood sugar levels fro Continue reading >>

Type 2 Non Insulin Therapies

Pramlintide is an injected medicine for people with diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, Pramlintide can be taken in addition to insulin to help control mealtime blood sugars. If you have type 2 diabetes, and lifestyle changes are not enough to control your blood sugar, typically, your provider will first start you on a single medicine. For people who are overweight, metformin is usually the first medicine prescribed. If the single therapy doesn’t work, additional medicines can be added. Many people require treatment with 2, 3 or more different medicines. If pill combinations don’t work, an injected medicine such as an incretin-based medicine, amylin analog or insulin may be prescribed. Medicine combinations are used because different drugs target different parts of your body’s sugar regulation system. Rarely, and usually due to other medical conditions, it may be necessary to start medical treatment of type 2 diabetes with insulin therapy. Usually, however, insulin therapy is the last treatment prescribed and is added only after the oral medications or non-insulin injections don’t work. There are six types of non-insulin medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes: Incretin based therapies: Pills and injections that reduce sugar production in the liver and slow the absorption of food In this section, you also can review: A Table of Non-Insulin Medications: A summary of all the oral medications and non insulin injected therapies including the common doses and side effects. Self-assessment Quiz Self assessment quizzes are available for topics covered in this website. To find out how much you have learned about Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, take our self assessment quiz when you have completed this section. The quiz is multiple choice. Please choose the single best answer to Continue reading >>

Metformin - Oral, Glucophage

are allergic to dapagliflozin or any of the ingredients in FARXIGA. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include skin rash, raised red patches on your skin (hives), swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing. If you have any of these symptoms, stop taking FARXIGA and contact your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away have severe kidney problems or are on dialysis. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests to check how well your kidneys are working before and during your treatment with FARXIGA Dehydration (the loss of body water and salt), which may cause you to feel dizzy, faint, lightheaded, or weak, especially when you stand up (orthostatic hypotension). You may be at a higher risk of dehydration if you have low blood pressure; take medicines to lower your blood pressure, including water pills (diuretics); are 65 years of age or older; are on a low salt diet, or have kidney problems Ketoacidosis occurred in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes during treatment with FARXIGA. Ketoacidosis is a serious condition which may require hospitalization and may lead to death. Symptoms may include nausea, tiredness, vomiting, trouble breathing, and abdominal pain. If you get any of these symptoms, stop taking FARXIGA and call your healthcare provider right away. If possible, check for ketones in your urine or blood, even if your blood sugar is less than 250 mg/dL Kidney problems. Sudden kidney injury occurred in people taking FARXIGA. Talk to your doctor right away if you reduce the amount you eat or drink, or if you lose liquids; for example, from vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive heat exposure Serious urinary tract infections (UTI), some that lead to hospitalization, occu Continue reading >>

Is Metformin Used For Anything Other Than Treating Of Diabetes?

Please visit the new WebMD Message Boards to find answers and get support. Metformin is a commonly used medication for diabetes. In addition to helping manage type 2 diabetes, it may be used to treat gestational diabetes, or diabetes that arises during pregnancy. It has also been used to treat polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a condition in which a womans hormones are out of balance. Important: The opinions expressed in WebMD User-generated content areas like communities, reviews, ratings, blogs, or WebMD Answers are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training. These opinions do not represent the opinions of WebMD. User-generated content areas are not reviewed by a WebMD physician or any member of the WebMD editorial staff for accuracy, balance, objectivity, or any other reason except for compliance with our Terms and Conditions. Some of these opinions may contain information about treatments or uses of drug products that have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment. Do not consider WebMD User-generated content as medical advice. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your care plan or treatment. WebMD understands that reading individual, real-life experiences can be a helpful resource, but it is never a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified health care provider. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately. Continue reading >>

Side Effects Of Metformin: What You Should Know

Metformin is a prescription drug used to treat type 2 diabetes. It belongs to a class of medications called biguanides. People with type 2 diabetes have blood sugar (glucose) levels that rise higher than normal. Metformin doesn’t cure diabetes. Instead, it helps lower your blood sugar levels to a safe range. Metformin needs to be taken long-term. This may make you wonder what side effects it can cause. Metformin can cause mild and serious side effects, which are the same in men and women. Here’s what you need to know about these side effects and when you should call your doctor. Find out: Can metformin be used to treat type 1 diabetes? » Metformin causes some common side effects. These can occur when you first start taking metformin, but usually go away over time. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or cause a problem for you. The more common side effects of metformin include: heartburn stomach pain nausea or vomiting bloating gas diarrhea constipation weight loss headache unpleasant metallic taste in mouth Lactic acidosis The most serious side effect metformin can cause is lactic acidosis. In fact, metformin has a boxed warning about this risk. A boxed warning is the most severe warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lactic acidosis is a rare but serious problem that can occur due to a buildup of metformin in your body. It’s a medical emergency that must be treated right away in the hospital. See Precautions for factors that raise your risk of lactic acidosis. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms of lactic acidosis. If you have trouble breathing, call 911 right away or go to the nearest emergency room. extreme tiredness weakness decreased appetite nausea vomiting trouble breathing dizziness lighthea Continue reading >>

The Multiple Benefits Of Metformin

Metformin (brand name "Glucophage") has been used in the treatment of type II diabetes for the past 40 years.1 This drug counteracts many of the underlying factors that result in the manifestation of this insidious disease. Metformin also produces helpful side benefits that can protect against the lethal complications of type II diabetes. Frequently prescribed anti-diabetic drugs fail to address the fundamental causes of type II diabetes and can induce serious side effects. Type II diabetes affects between 16 to 19 million Americans. About 75% of type II diabetics will die from a cardiovascular-related disease. Conventional doctors often prescribe drugs for the purpose of lowering blood sugar levels. These drugs do not adequately address the multiple underlying pathologies associated with the type II diabetic state. Type II diabetes is characterized by cellular insulin resistence. The result is excess accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream as cells become resistant to the effects of insulin. Type II diabetes is characterized by cellular insulin resistence. The result is excess accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream because cells become resistant to the effects of insulin and fail to take up glucose As the type II diabetic condition progresses, many people gain weight and develop more fat cells.2 Treating type II diabetes with insulin-enhancing therapy increases the risk of cardiovascular complications, induces weight gain, and fails to correct the underlying cause of the disease. Many type II diabetics produce too much insulin in a futile attempt to drive glucose into insulin-resistant cells. When doctors prescribe insulin-enhancing drugs to these type II diabetics, a temporarily reduction of serum glucose may occur, but the long-term effects of this excess insu Continue reading >>

Metformin, The Anti-aging Miracle Drug

Metformin, The Anti-Aging Miracle Drug Diabetes Drugs Take A BAD RAP This article is part two of a series, for part one, click here. You probably think of Diabetes Drugs as all lumped together as “Bad Drugs”. For many years , I certainly did. Perhaps it was the Avandia story that gave Diabetes Drugs a Bad Rap and made us think poorly of ALL Diabetes Drugs. Upper Left Image: Photo of French Lilac Plant , the plant origin of Metformin, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Avandia, the “BAD Drug” for Diabetes Take the case of Avandia, approved in 1999, it quickly became the world’s best selling diabetes drug. However, 8 years later, the New England Journal reported that Avandia causes increased heart attack rates, and sales were suspended in Europe.(1A) In November 2011, GlaxoSmithKline admitted they withheld safety data on Avandia and agreed to pay the US government 3 billion in civil and criminal penalties related to illegal marketing. The Avandia case gave all diabetes drugs a “Bad Rap”. The reality is that there is one diabetes drug that has stood the test of time, and is in fact a “Good Drug”. This is Metformin. Perhaps the plant origin of the drug makes it a “good drug”. Metformin, the “Good Drug” Is There Anyone Who Should not Take It ? At the May 2012 Orlando A4M Meeting, Terry Grossman, M.D. from Golden Colorado gave an excellent presentation on Metformin. Credit and thanks goes to Terry Grossman MD for sharing his talk at the meeting with all of us. Much of this article comes from Grossman’s PowerPoint slides. Dr Terry Grossman is co-author of the Ray Kurzweil book, Fantastic Voyage. Upper Left Image : Photo of Terry Grossman MD, courtesy of Terry Grossman MD. Metformin by Terry Grossman MD- Metformin Discovery and Approval Discovered in the Continue reading >>

Metformin Side Effects

Generic Name: metformin (met FOR min) Brand Names: Fortamet, Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Riomet What is metformin? Metformin is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels. Metformin is used together with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metformin is sometimes used together with insulin or other medications, but it is not for treating type 1 diabetes. Important information You should not use metformin if you have severe kidney disease or diabetic ketoacidosis (call your doctor for treatment). If you need to have any type of x-ray or CT scan using a dye that is injected into your veins, you will need to temporarily stop taking metformin. This medicine may cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis. Get emergency medical help if you have even mild symptoms such as: muscle pain or weakness, numb or cold feeling in your arms and legs, trouble breathing, stomach pain, nausea with vomiting, slow or uneven heart rate, dizziness, or feeling very weak or tired. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction to metformin: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Some people develop lactic acidosis while taking this medicine. Early symptoms may get worse over time and this condition can be fatal. Get emergency medical help if you have even mild symptoms such as: muscle pain or weakness; numb or cold feeling in your arms and legs; trouble breathing; feeling dizzy, light-headed, tired, or very weak; stomach pain, nausea with vomiting; or slow or uneven heart rate. Common metformin side effects may include: low blood sugar; nausea, upset stomach; or diarrhea. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doc Continue reading >>

Metformin Diabetes Drug Could Extend Lifespan

Metformin is approved in the US as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. A new study by Cardiff University, UK, involving over 180,000 people, reveals that the drug could also increase the lifespan of those individuals who are non-diabetics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are around 29.1 million people in the US with diabetes, equating to 9.3% of the population. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of diabetes cases and is usually associated with older age, obesity and physical inactivity, family history of type 2 diabetes or a personal history of gestational diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is preventable through healthful eating, regular physical activity and weight loss. It can be controlled with these same activities, but insulin or oral medication also may be necessary. Metformin (metformin hydrochloride) is an oral biguanide antidiabetic medicine to treat type 2 diabetes, a condition in which the body does not use insulin normally and, therefore, cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood. Metformin helps to control the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood, it decreases the amount of glucose you absorb from your food and the amount of glucose made by your liver. Metformin also increases your body's response to insulin, a natural substance that controls the amount of glucose in the blood. The objective of the study, published in leading diabetes journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, was to compare all-cause mortality in diabetic patients treated with either sulphonylurea or metformin with matched individuals without diabetes including age, gender, same general practice, smoking status and clinical status criteria. The data is from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), which encompasses clinically rich, pseudonymize Continue reading >>

Metformin Wonder Drug

A while back I wrote about why metformin is the number one treatment for Type 2 diabetes. Now new research finds metformin prevents cancer and heart disease and may actually slow aging! Where can I get this stuff? A study from Scotland found that people on metformin had only roughly half the cancer rate of people with diabetes who weren’t on the drug. This is important, because diabetes is associated with higher risks of liver, pancreas, endometrial, colon and rectum, breast, and bladder cancer. Nobody could explain how metformin helped, but then Canadian researchers showed that metformin reduces cell mutations and DNA damage. Since mutations and DNA damage promote both cancer and aging, this is striking news. No one thought we could limit mutations before, but perhaps metformin can do it. A study on mice exposed to cigarette smoke showed that those given metformin had 70% less tumor growth. A small study of humans in Japan showed similar improvements in colorectal cancer outcomes. Metformin is now being studied in clinical trials for breast cancer. The researchers write, “Women with early-stage breast cancer taking metformin for diabetes have higher response rates to [presurgical cancer therapies] than diabetic patients not taking metformin.” They also had better results than people without diabetes. How Does It Work? According to Michael Pollak, MD, professor in McGill’s Medicine and Oncology Departments, metformin is a powerful antioxidant. It slows DNA damage by reducing levels of “reactive oxygen species” (ROS). ROS are produced as byproducts when cells burn glucose. Just as oxygen helps fires burn or metals rust, ROS will oxidize (“burn” or “rust”) the nuclei or other parts of cells. ROS are what the antioxidant vitamins are supposed to block. Continue reading >>

Diabetes Drug Metformin Proves Useful For Other Problems

Early research suggests the decades-old diabetes drug metformin can slow cancer, reduce heart disease and perhaps limit the ravages of Alzheimer's. A new study shows it can extend lifespan in mice. Could metformin, the most widely used diabetes drug in the world, be useful for fighting a number of health problems? Early research suggests the decades-old drug can slow cancer, reduce heart disease and maybe even limit the ravages of Alzheimer's. Now, a new study in mice finds that it can extend life by a number of weeks — the human equivalent of 3-4 years. It's far too soon for healthy people to consider taking the drug, researchers say, but the findings are provocative, and suggest science is getting closer to a day when it may be possible to pop a pill to live healthier longer. Diseases of aging, like cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and dementia are all linked along a biological pathway, researchers say. Eating less food appears to trigger that cascade, significantly extending life in animals, probably by slowing down metabolism. Metformin is the third drug shown in early research to affect the same pathway, along with rapamycin, a powerful medication used to prevent rejection of transplanted organs; and resveratrol, a compound found in red wine. "It's clear that we are edging toward developing a pharmaceutical intervention that is going to be able to delay or postpone aging," said Rafael de Cabo, a biogerontologist at the National Institute of Aging, who conducted the new mouse study, published today in Nature Communications. "For how much and how long I have no idea." Brian Kennedy, CEO of The Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, Calif., said he envisions a day when, instead of giving people drugs after they get sick, healthy people will be able to Continue reading >>

An Old-line Diabetes Drug May Have New Uses Against Diseases Of Aging

Just over a year ago, Catherine Price decided to start taking one of the cheapest, safest, oldest, most widely prescribed drugs for Type 2 diabetes. So much metformin is taken in the United States — some 72 million prescriptions were written for it in 2013 — that a recent study found higher trace levels of it (presumably from the urine of people taking it) in Lake Michigan than of any other drug, including caffeine. But Price, a science and medical reporter in Oakland, Calif., doesn’t have Type 2 diabetes. She has Type 1, the far less common form of the disease, which requires lifelong treatment with insulin, to compensate for her body’s failure to produce enough of the hormone. However, she had read studies indicating that metformin combined with insulin might help Type 1 diabetics, too. Moreover, the drug was being studied in clinical trials as a way to lower the risk of cancer, heart disease and dementia — not just for diabetics, but for everyone. For Price, there was yet another possible benefit — as a treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome, an endocrine disorder that doctors thought might explain the difficulty she and her husband had had conceiving. Sure enough, a month and a half after she had started taking metformin pills and even as she was enjoying the benefits of better blood-sugar control, Price became pregnant, eventually giving birth to a girl. “I’m still taking metformin along with my insulin,” said Price, 36, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 14 years ago. “I remember eating Mexican food one night, which can be a potential disaster for people with diabetes because of the carbs, but I noticed I needed only two-thirds to a half of the insulin I normally needed.” Synthesized in the 1920s, metformin was first approved for treatme Continue reading >>

About Metformin

Metformin is a medicine used to treat type 2 diabetes and sometimes polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Type 2 diabetes is an illness where the body doesn't make enough insulin, or the insulin that it makes doesn't work properly. This can cause high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). PCOS is a condition that affects how the ovaries work. Metformin lowers your blood sugar levels by improving the way your body handles insulin. It's usually prescribed for diabetes when diet and exercise alone have not been enough to control your blood sugar levels. For women with PCOS, metformin stimulates ovulation even if they don't have diabetes. It does this by lowering insulin and blood sugar levels. Metformin is available on prescription as tablets and as a liquid that you drink. Key facts Metformin works by reducing the amount of sugar your liver releases into your blood. It also makes your body respond better to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that controls the level of sugar in your blood. It's best to take metformin with a meal to reduce the side effects. The most common side effects are feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach ache and going off your food. Metformin does not cause weight gain (unlike some other diabetes medicines). Metformin may also be called by the brand names Bolamyn, Diagemet, Glucient, Glucophage, and Metabet. Who can and can't take metformin Metformin can be taken by adults. It can also be taken by children from 10 years of age on the advice of a doctor. Metformin isn't suitable for some people. Tell your doctor before starting the medicine if you: have had an allergic reaction to metformin or other medicines in the past have uncontrolled diabetes have liver or kidney problems have a severe infection are being treated for heart failure or you have recentl Continue reading >>