Why Many Doctors Don't Prescribe Metformin

Do You Have A Good Doctor?

There is one often overlooked factor that can save you or someone you love from a future filled with amputations, failing vision, and dialysis: a family doctor who keeps up-to-date on diabetes treatment. Not all doctors do. In fact, quite a few doctors out there got their training in diabetes care in medical school decades ago, and the only "diabetes education" they've gotten since then has been provided by the drug companies. Drug company "education" is nothing more than promotion for whatever is the newest, most expensive drug available for treating diabetes--with the side effects unmentioned or dismissed as insignificant. Even those doctors who do attempt to keep up with the latest in diabetes treatments may do so by reading newsletters that summarize the most publicized recent research findings. But these, too, focus almost entirely on new drugs and often just summarize drug company press releases. That is why a major part of your diabetes self-care should include finding a doctor who will become a partner, not an obstacle, in your quest for normal health. While this whole site contains a lot of information that can help you assess the quality of the treatment you are getting what I've done here is put together a list of questions you can use to evaluate the care you are getting from the medical professionals you are paying for your care. Does your doctor support you in your desire to attain normal blood sugars? A major warning sign that a doctor's knowledge of diabetes is out of date is the doctor who dismisses your concern about an abnormal blood sugar test because it isn't, in his mind, abnormal enough. If your fasting blood sugar is over 110 mg/dl, or your post meal blood sugars are routinely going over 140 mg/dl at 2 hours, and your doctor tells you that this i Continue reading >>

Why Doctors In The Know No Longer Prescribe Metformin

Until recently, diabetics looking for doctor-approved, drug-free treatment options were out of luck. But a growing number of health experts believe those days are behind us. Dr. Marlene Merritt (LAc, DOM(NM), MS Nutrition), an Austin-based doctor who used to suffer type II diabetes herself, made a recent announcement that is sending shockwaves through the medical community. After nearly dying from diabetes complications during a bike ride, Dr. Merritt began extensive research, intent on reversing her type II diabetes before succumbing to diabetic amputation, blindness, organ failure, or any of the other side effects so commonly experienced by diabetics. Dr. Merritt knew all too well that commonly-prescribed diabetes drugs like Metformin came with a host of unwanted side effects, and was determined to find a natural, drug-free solution that could actually eliminate the disease, not just treat its symptoms. After months of research and self-experimentation, Dr. Merritt developed a simple diet and exercise regimen that had a profound success rate in treating and even reversing type II diabetes. Despite reversing her own diabetes, and helping many of her patients do the same, medical journals were slow to publish her findings, perhaps due in part, some have speculated, to financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. In response, Dr. Merritt took matters in to her own hands and shocked the medical community by partnering with independent health publisher Primal Health to make her diabetes-reversing regimen available to everyone in the form of an online presentation. Continue reading >>

Metformin For Diabetes

Take metformin just after a meal or with a snack. The most common side-effects are feeling sick, diarrhoea and tummy (abdominal) pain. These symptoms usually pass after the first few days of treatment. Keep your regular appointments with your doctor and clinics. This is so your progress can be checked. About metformin Type of medicine A biguanide antidiabetic medicine Used for Type 2 diabetes mellitus Also called Bolamyn®; Diagemet®; Glucient®; Glucophage®; Metabet®; Sukkarto® Available as Tablets and modified-release tablets; oral liquid medicine; sachets of powder Insulin is a hormone which is made naturally in your body, in the pancreas. It helps to control the levels of sugar (glucose) in your blood. If your body does not make enough insulin, or if it does not use the insulin it makes effectively, this results in the condition called sugar diabetes (diabetes mellitus). People with diabetes need treatment to control the amount of sugar in their blood. This is because good control of blood sugar levels reduces the risk of complications later on. Some people can control the sugar in their blood by making changes to the food they eat but, for other people, medicines like metformin are given alongside the changes in diet. Metformin allows the body to make better use of the lower amount of insulin which occurs in the kind of diabetes known as type 2 diabetes. Metformin can be given on its own, or alongside insulin or another antidiabetic medicine. There are a number of tablets available which contain metformin in combination with one of these other antidiabetic medicines (brands include Jentadueto®, Competact®, Komboglyze®, Janumet®, and Eucreas®). Taking a combination tablet like these can help to reduce the total number of tablets that need to be taken each d Continue reading >>

Metformin And Pcos: Everything You Need To Know

Metformin is a type of medication used to treat Type 2 Diabetes. Because there is a strong link between diabetes and PCOS, metformin is now commonly proscribed to treat PCOS. But should it be? What is the real relationship between metformin and PCOS? Can Metformin used for PCOS help lessen PCOS symptoms? Metformin used for PCOS: The Science PCOS is an infertility condition that often causes acne, facial hair growth, balding, low sex drive, weight gain, difficulty with weight loss, and mental health disturbances such as depression and anxiety in approximately 15% of women. It is also associated with a myriad of health conditions, spanning from diabetes to hypothyroidism and to heart disease. PCOS is, in short, not a condition to sneeze at. PCOS is a condition of hormone imbalance. With PCOS, male sex hormones such as testosterone and DHEA-S rise relative to the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. (…Roughly speaking – it’s complicated. For a full-blown account of the science of PCOS and how it affects you, see here.) Elevated testosterone is very often the primary culprit in causing PCOS. (But not always! For one of my most thorough accounts of other things that can cause PCOS, see here.) Insulin causes testosterone levels to rise because insulin tells the ovaries to produce testosterone. Basically, elevated insulin causes elevated testosterone, which causes PCOS. This is where metformin comes into play. Metformin lowers blood sugar levels below what they would otherwise be after a meal. This is because it intervenes with the liver’s interaction with and production of glucose. Insulin is the body’s way of dealing with blood sugar. If blood sugar is lower, then insulin will be lower, and thus testosterone will be lower. Metformin decreases blood sugar, Continue reading >>

F A C T S H E E T F O R P A T I E N T S A N D F A M I L I E S

Diabetes Medications: What is metformin? Metformin is used to treat type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Metformin is taken by mouth (orally) as a pill. Like other diabetes medications, it works best when you follow the rest of your treatment plan. This means checking your blood glucose regularly, following your meal plan, and exercising every day. What does it do? Metformin helps lower your blood glucose (blood sugar). It does this in two ways: â€¢ Decrease the amount of glucose released by your liver. Less glucose enters into your bloodstream. â€¢ Increase the ability of your muscles to use glucose for energy. As more glucose is used, more glucose leaves your bloodstream. Why is metformin important for my health? Metformin canâ€™t cure your diabetes. But by helping control your blood glucose, it lowers the chance that your diabetes will cause serious problems. As you know, when you have diabetes, you tend to have high blood glucose. Over time, this can damage your blood vessels and nerves, leading to heart attack or stroke, kidney and eye disease, and problems with your teeth, feet, and skin. If you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol â€” like many people with diabetes â€” you have an even greater risk for these problems. (This is why you should always take your blood pressure or cholesterol medications as well as your diabetes medications.) Metformin is the generic name of this medication. Brand names are Glucophage and Glucophage XR. Like other diabetes medications, biguanides work best when you follow the rest of your diabetes treatment plan. Does metformin cause hypoglycemia (low blood glucose)? Metformin doesnâ€™t cause hypoglycemia by itself. But combined with other medications, vigorous exercise, or too little food, it ca Continue reading >>

Management Of Blood Glucose With Noninsulin Therapies In Type 2 Diabetes

A comprehensive, collaborative approach is necessary for optimal treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Treatment guidelines focus on nutrition, exercise, and pharmacologic therapies to prevent and manage complications. Patients with prediabetes or new-onset diabetes should receive individualized medical nutrition therapy, preferably from a registered dietitian, as needed to achieve treatment goals. Patients should be treated initially with metformin because it is the only medication shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce mortality and complications. Additional medications such as sulfonylureas, dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists should be added as needed in a patient-centered fashion. However, there is no evidence that any of these medications reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications, cardiovascular mortality, or all-cause mortality. There is insufficient evidence on which combination of hypoglycemic agents best improves health outcomes before escalating to insulin therapy. The American Diabetes Association recommends an A1C goal of less than 7% for many nonpregnant adults, with the option of a less stringent goal of less than 8% for patients with short life expectancy, cardiovascular risk factors, or long-standing diabetes. Randomized trials in middle-aged patients with cardiovascular risk factors have shown no mortality benefit and in some cases increased mortality with more stringent A1C targets. Clinical recommendation Evidence rating References Metformin should be used as first-line therapy to reduce microvascular complications, assist in weight management, reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, and reduce the risk of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mell 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 >>

Would A Dr Prescribe Metformin To A Non Diabetic?

Would a DR prescribe Metformin to a non diabetic? Basically, I had wanted to lose 30lbs. I did Nutrisystem, and stuck to it for 30 days. I did not cheat. I gained 4 lbs, felt sluggish, and was ill within an hour of eating the food. I went to a DR and explained my situation. She decided to test my insulin levels. After the blood test, no one called me with my results, so I called them. The DR's assistant informed me that my insulin is high and that the DR had prescribed me to take Metformin. She explained it would also help with my weight loss. I am to take 1000mg every night with dinner. I am confused. Am I diabetic? Am I pre diabetic? Did she only prescribe it for weight loss? I have been trying to call her office all day and of course I can't get a hold of anyone. Metformin, sold under the trade name Glucophage, is used to treat diabetes, but several studies show that it also helps non-diabetics to lose weight by reducing hunger (1). You may be overweight because your body makes too much insulin, especially if your store your fat primarily in your belly. When you eat, your blood sugar level rises. The higher it rises, the more insulin your pancreas releases. Insulin makes you fat by acting on your brain to make you hungry, your liver to manufacture fat, and the fat cells in your belly to fill with fat. So the treatment for this type of obesity is to avoid foods that cause the highest rise in blood sugar and to take medications that prevent your blood sugar levels from rising too high. Avoid bakery products, pastas and all foods made from flour, fruit juices and everything with added sugar. Eat fruits and root vegetables such as potatoes only with meals. After you eat, sugar goes from your intestines into your bloodstream, and then immediately into your liver. Then yo 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 >>

Metastudy Confirms Metformin Appropriate Treatment For Prediabetes

A study that reviewed several previous studies about the impact of using metformin on the progression of prediabetes to diabetes confirms that yes, people with prediabtes who take metformin end up with better blood sugars after 3 years than those who don't and are therefore less likely to be diagnosed with full-blown diabetes. This isn't original research, it's just a look at the major studies that have examined the impact of metformin on prediabetes. But because I hear from so many people with prediabetes whose doctors won't give them any help at all, I though it worth a look. Treating prediabetes with metformin: Systematic review and meta-analysis Muriel Lilly, Can Fam Physician Vol. 55, No. 4, April 2009, pp.363 - 369 The key issue to remember here is that the concept that "prediabetes" progresses to "diabetes" which treats the two conditions as if they were separate diseases is flawed. In fact, the medical definition of "diabetes" is completely arbitrary. A committee years ago chose some blood sugar test results and defined them as "diabetes." They could have--and many argue should have--chosen different test result numbers. But they chose the ones they did mainly, their own documentation showed, to diagnose people with diabetes as late as possible, because of the severe penalties the American medical system imposes on people who have pre-existing conditions. You can read about how the diagnostic standards for diabetes were set HERE. "Prediabetes" was also defined arbitrarily at the same time as "diabetes" was defined and as has been the case with diabetes, the definition has changed over the years. But what you, the person with abnormal blood sugar, need to understand is that there's no sudden change in your health that happens when you get an official diabetes dia Continue reading >>

Metformin For Prediabetes: Success

In a controlled trial, 600 overweight and obese people with prediabetes were given metformin. Metformin is in the biguanide class. It works by decreasing glucose production by the liver and increasing the insulin sensitivity of body tissues. It also can possibly help patients to lose weight, and possibly prevent some forms of cancer. Metformin was discovered in 1922. Study in humans began in the 1950s, by French physician Jean Sterne. It was introduced as a medication in France in 1957 and the United States in 1995. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, the most important medications needed in a basic healthcare system. Metformin is believed to be the most widely used medication for diabetes, which is taken by mouth. It is available as a generic medication. The wholesale price in In the United States costs $3 to $25 USD per month. For those patients who are under age 60 with prediabetes, the ADA has recommended metformin for those with a BMI over 34 and for women with gestational diabetes in the past. But, for others, especially for those over the age of 60, and even teenagers who rarely are treated with metformin, the study found that just 3.7% of those with prediabetes were actually prescribed metformin, over a 3-year period. Since metformin has been around since 1950 and even longer overseas and has even been shown to possibly prevent certain kinds of cancer, why should it not be standard procedure to provide all those with prediabetes the option to be treated with metformin? With the cost for the 29 million patients with diabetes at over 300 billion dollars, should we be asking the question: with more than 90 million people in the U.S. with prediabetes — a number that’s still growing — why doesn’t the FDA or the ADA recommen Continue reading >>

Pcos And Metformin – Is This Treatment Right For You?

Here at Flo Living headquarters I speak with many women suffering with PCOS who have either been offered Metformin and decided against it or have tried Metformin and it’s not worked for them. If you have a diagnosis of PCOS it’s very likely that at some point your doctor has suggested Metformin. I personally was what would be considered the “perfect” candidate for this treatment when I was in my 20s and suffering with PCOS – overweight, struggling with acne and a complete lack of periods. However, I never tried it myself – instead I created a protocol for myself that became Flo Living. I’ve since helped many women manage their PCOS successfully with this protocol, just as I did my own diagnosis. That said, I speak with women so often about the Metformin option that I want to share my perspective with you. Although I do not dismiss the option completely, I do have some caveats and concerns. What is Metformin? Metformin is a first-line medication for those suffering with type 2 diabetes. It is also presented as a treatment for PCOS sufferers who are also overweight or obese. Not all PCOS sufferers have weight gain as a symptom, it depends on the kind of PCOS. Women with the kind of PCOS that causes weight gain are usually insulin resistant. Metformin reduces overall insulin levels. Insulin resistance is when the cells of your body become resistant to the hormone insulin, preventing glucose from entering your cells to be used for energy, and instead causing soaring levels of sugar blood stream bringing about diabetes, pre-diabetes or insulin-resistant PCOS. The connection between insulin and PCOS is blood sugar regulation. We hear about this most commonly with diabetes, but it’s also very important with PCOS. An unstable, constantly spiking and crashing, bl Continue reading >>

Can I Buy Metformin 90 Pills 500 Mg Without Doctors Prescription Montana (mt) - Fast Worldwide Shipping

Can I Buy Metformin 90 Pills 500 Mg Without Doctors Prescription Montana (mt) Metformin is used for treating type 2 diabetes. It is used along with diet and exercise. It may be used alone or with other anti-diabetic medicines. Do not use Metformin if: you are allergic to any ingredient in Metformin; you have congestive heart failure that is treated by medicine; you have a severe infection, low blood oxygen levels, kidney or liver problems, high blood ketone or acid levels (e.g., diabetic ketoacidosis), or severe dehydration; you have had a stroke or a recent heart attack, or you are in shock; you are 80 years old or older and have not had a kidney function test; you will be having surgery or certain lab procedures. Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you. Important : Dizziness may occur while you are taking Metformin. This effect may be worse if you take it with alcohol or certain medicines. Use Metformin with caution. Do not drive or perform other possibly unsafe tasks until you know how you react to it. Follow the diet and exercise program given to you by your health care provider. Do not drink large amounts of alcohol while you use Metformin. Talk to your doctor or health care provider before you drink alcohol while you use Metformin. Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Metformin before you receive any medical or dental care, emergency care, or surgery. Be careful not to become dehydrated, especially during hot weather or while you are being active. Dehydration may increase the risk of Metformin 's side effects. Carry an ID card at all times that says you have diabetes. Check your blood sugar levels as directed by your doctor. If they are often higher or lower than they should be and you take Metformin exactly as pre Continue reading >>

Diabetes Medication Metformin: Why Patients Stop Taking It

Gretchen Becker, author of The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed , has been taking metformin for more than 20 years after receiving a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in 1996. I never had any problems with metformin until I took a pill that I thought was the extended-release version, but it wasnt, Becker told Healthline. Beckers doctor had accidentally prescribed the regular form of metformin. I had very loose bowels for several months until I figured out what the problem was, Becker said. After getting the proper prescription, it took several months for Beckers digestive system to recover. Corinna Cornejo, who received a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in 2009, told Healthline that her digestive woes didnt start until shed been taking metformin for more than a year. At first, I thought it was a response to dairy, but my doctor eventually switched my prescription to the extended-release version, Cornejo recalled. That has helped, but the side effect has not gone away completely. For some people, however, metformins unpleasant side effect of loose stools provides a much-needed balance to the side effects that can result from other diabetes drugs theyre taking. GLP-1 drugs, like Victoza or Byetta, can cause constipation, explained Robinson. Taking metformin with a GLP-1 drug means they actually complement each other, balancing out those side effects. And for some, metformin simply isnt the right drug. No matter what you do, some patients just dont tolerate the side effects well, said Robinson. Although there are many diabetes drugs on the market today, doctors will likely push metformin first. There has never been as many diabetes treatment options available as there are now, explained Robinson. But doctors look at cost, and metformin is th Continue reading >>

Diabetes Type 2

Many people with type 2 diabetes are prescribed tablets to help control their blood glucose levels. Metformin is the first-line medication for diabetes in the UK but there are many more types of medication for type 2 diabetes discussed below. Most people had tried initially to control their blood glucose with a regimen of diet and exercise before being given oral medication. Many people took metformin alone to control blood glucose, and some were taking metformin and gliclazide. Both medications help to reduce blood glucose but work differently. Metformin reduces the amount of glucose produced in the liver, and also makes muscle tissue absorb more glucose; gliclazide increases the amount of insulin produced by the pancreas. While people found that the medication they took had helped reduce and control their blood glucose, many had experienced side effects. Metformin can cause diarrhoea and other digestive problems and many people went back to their GPs for advice. Some people felt concerned about the risks they might face from certain drugs after reading negative reports in the media (see 'Misunderstandings about diabetes'). Rosiglitazone has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Since these interviews were conducted in 2008, there has been growing concern about the potential harmful effects of rosiglitazone (Avandia, but also contained in Avandamet and Avaglim) and from September 2010 in the UK and Europe, new prescribing of this drug has stopped, and most people who were taking the drug have been changed to alternative medication. Most people we interviewed had been prescribed higher dosages of medication to control their blood glucose as their diabetes got worse over time. Some people had transferred to insulin while continuing on metformin (se Continue reading >>