Metformin for weight loss? Diabetic experts? My VENT!!

[Judie24]

I was drawn to this thread because of the question about Metformin. I take metformin and my doctor suggested that it might help me lose weight. I have been on it for amost two years now and don't think it has. I did drop 19 pounds, but I think that had more to do with diet than the medicine. Even now increasing the amount I take by 2X I have not lost any more weight.

I can not tell you what my A1C numbers are because I never was told they were important, I only looked at the glucose readings when I got the blood work done. Below is a post I posted on the general health/medical issues board but maybe after reading the posts here I might get some much needed info. As you will see I am really confused!

Help!!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, I am really new to this site and these boards. I am full of questions about diabetes and confused. A little information can be a dangerous thing I guess. I was diagnosed with diabetes about 2 years ago. At the time I had a bunch of things change in my life and a lot of diagnoses were made. I had a stroke. It was what they call a mechanical stroke not a medical one. (You can learn about the one I had by doing a Google search under "Beauty Parlor Stoke Syndrome) After running about every test know to the medical profession, they found no medical reason for the stroke, but since it hit me at the beauty parlor they think that was the cause of the stroke. Anyway after recovering from the stroke I had regular appointments with several different specialists and a new primary care doctor. He ran lots of blood tests and diagnosed the diabetes (and some other things) which had not shown up in any of the previous blood tests done by him or the hospital. This was all new to me so the numbers didn't mean anything to me. He said my fasting BS was just over 200, 205 to be exact. He said anything over 200 was diabetic. He put me on metformin, 2-500ml per day. The last blood test he said that my numbers were good. I told him that my finger prick tests were all over the place. And he said that it could be that while the one number looked good that maybe the other was just a little high, and that maybe we should double the metformin to be safe. I have. I seldom have a finger prick reading under 120. After meals as high as 169 and occasionally over 200.

I am search of a new doctor at this time. The one I was going to was a part of a network of doctors all in a three story building. While I only ever saw the one doctor, I just felt that the care was lacking. Any by care I mean the individual, personal care. In two years I think he only actually touched me twice, and that was to take my pulse in my ankles and feet. I kind of felt like a cow in the herd, know what I mean? I would ask questions and never get definative answers to them. I don't know how much of the things I have going on are diabetes related or residuals from the stroke. He never could answer me when I would ask. I would get a "could be" or "maybe" I came to the conclusion that he just plain didn't know.

Anyway I went to this new doctor a couple of weeks ago and left his office even more confused! He seemed like a very nice man, but I can't help but wonder if his advise was medical or personal life style. He is an admitted avid vegetarian. He does not eat any meat or anything made from animals (cheese, eggs, milk etc.) and professes that those foods are responsible for almost all diseases that Americans suffer from: cancer, heart disease, allergies, diabetes, etc. He more or less said that I should increase my carb intake and eat all vegetables. He said if I could not grow it in my yard, I should not eat it. He said no processed grains or foods. I mentioned to him that I loved baked potatoes. He said I should eat as many of them as I wanted that they were really low in calories and wouldn't hurt me as long as I did not put butter/margarine and sour cream on them. I asked him about the carbs in potatoes and he said carbs were not the problem. I said I was told that carbs can turn to sugar and increase BS amounts. He said that was not true. Everything he said was in direct conflict to what the diabetic dietician and the other doctor told me. He said he had the data to prove he was right and all these other doctors were wrong. It cost me $233 to see him for just this first visit. He has scheduled me to stop by the local hospital to have blood drawn but I have not done this yet, I am just so confused by his advice/statements, I just don't know if I want to see him again. HELP!!

[angelo212]

Originally Posted by KrystaLyn

First off, Metformin is NOT a weight loss drug. It is an insulin lowering DRUG. Why would you want to mess with it if you don't have insulin issues? The side effects are NOT FUN. I was sick for a good 3 months when I started Met (I have insulin resistance due to PCOS). Vomiting and nausea and diarrhea. Is it worth it just to drop a few pounds? And was it a wonder weight loss drug? I lost maybe 5-8 lbs from the Met. The rest? Lots of hard work through diet and exercise.

I have to say, I am shocked that a Dr. would perscribe it to someone somply for weight loss. Not a Dr I would go see, that's for sure! That just seems totally irresponsible to me. Relying on ANY kind of drugs as some magic cure for weight loss is failure waiting to happen. It doesn't work. Never has, never will. What DOES work is committing to a lifestyle change through diet and exercise.

Doctors are allowed to prescribe it for other purposes other then diabetes.