Metformin but not TTC?

[Feijoa Mum]

Im not sure if this is in the right place but it is to do with my AF so sorry mods if im wrong.

So my blood test came back and im not pregnant. Phew!

However my insulin results were pretty high - 28 and that was fasted and my blood sugar was 5.5.
The Dr suggested I could take a course of metformin to try and lower my sugar and perhaps regulate my all over the show long periods.
They are currently 2 weeks long and I now have mid cycle bleeding too.

Is it worth it? I have heard there are some pretty nasty side effects and if im not trying to get pregnant are the other benefits of it worth it??

I mean some weight loss would be fantastic, I have mild hairiness - would it help with this? But what else could I possibly expect?
Also can I take it while breastfeeding?

[Party-of-five]

I take metformin everyday and Im deff not ttc(DH had the snip) it helps keep my af somewhat regular and less heavy.

I take spirinalactone (sp?) for my excess hair

[nothing2lose]

I am also contemplating Metformin at the moment. And although I am obviously TTC, I am not contemplating using it because of that. My insulin is 15.something up from 9.something last year (sorry can't remember exactly!!!) I have pcos and I am concerned about type two diabetes in the future, which is a very real consequence of high insulin. I would also like some help in losing weight!!

[BlackRose]

Hi Feijoa,

Metformin is the gold standard of medication to take if you are insulin resistant. It makes your cells more sensitive to insulin so you process glucose more efficiently and it doesn't end up floating around in your blood giving you high BSLs which eventually cause diabetes. Also, the female reproductive system is very sensitive to insulin and If not controlled it can cause problems like PCOS. So, even if you don't want to get PG your doctor may recommend you go on it and combine it with a healthy lifestyle and exercise to ensure you don't go down the path of diabetes.

As for the side effects. I'm on 1000mg/day (one tab in the morning and one tab at night) and I got diarrhea and nausea for the first week or so. Side effects are definitely less severe if you take metformin with food too.

Good luck

Erica x


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk so please forgive my spelling mistakes!!

[butterfly_warrior]

Like BlackRose I am on 1000mg per day and it's one tablet in the morning and one tablet at night. More specifically, I am prescribed diabex XR, which is a slow release drug which tends to reduce the side effects. Taking it with food helps, and I find that, particularly in the early days, if you take it with a meal that has lots of carbs, you're going to be in trouble. I'm not TTC, and can't really comment on whether it has regulated my periods or not as I am taking the OCP. But I recently had extensive blood tests to check out liver issues I'm having and my fasting insulin came back at 8 this time. 18 is more normal - it tends to skate around the top of the scale when fasting and then shoot right up after a glucose load, but 8 has completely blown my doctor's socks off. It does help keep a few other PCOS side effects under control, but I do want to stress that it will not cause weightloss of its own accord. It will make weight loss a little easier if you are following a healthy diet and exercise plan.

BW

[Feijoa Mum]

I just filled the script but I am confused

I have been on Dr Google and read the info sheet I got with it and some say it is ok while breastfeeding while others say no go
Does it make any difference that it is the generic brand Diaformin??

It wasnt my normal Dr but I did say earlier on in the appt about my still feeding as my iron is still low but im taking ferrograd.

So yes or no??

[BlackRose]

The brand doens't make a difference. It should contain the same active ingredient - I went generic cos it's cheaper. You should be reading the PRODUCT INFORMATION that goes with the medication that's given out with the prescription if you want definitive answers. You should talk to your doctor if you are still confused, or your pharmacist. They're the best people to help with your medical breastfeeding type questions.

Erica x