Thread: SW and Metformin??

Hi all, hope you are all well and doing great.. sorry to bother you all but just wondered if anyone is following the SW programme and taking Metformin??

A few months ago it was discovered that i have PCOS poly cystic Ovaries ( sorry can't spell ) and they gave me a tablet called metformin to take.. i havent started taking it yet, but just wondered if anyone has and if it has effected their weight loss.

Thank you

Gems xx

Originally Posted by Gemsy

Hi all, hope you are all well and doing great.. sorry to bother you all but just wondered if anyone is following the SW programme and taking Metformin??

A few months ago it was discovered that i have PCOS poly cystic Ovaries ( sorry can't spell ) and they gave me a tablet called metformin to take.. i havent started taking it yet, but just wondered if anyone has and if it has effected their weight loss.

Thank you

Gems xx

Metformin is for type II diabetes

My husband takes it for diabetes and metformin didn't make him put on any weight. He then started on insulin and that has put on stones. But they are now coming off thanks to SW! He says metformin doesn't affect weight at all. Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Ninja

Metformin is for type II diabetes

It can also be used in the treatment of PCOS, however it depends on area to area. Some GPs will prescribe and some won't. Mine is one who won't lol ( she did my boods, and even though my blood sugar was only just within normal limits, she wouldn't refer me for a Glucose Tolerance Test ) The metformin apparently can help with weight loss as well as helping with other symptoms of PCOS.

Originally Posted by Ninja

Metformin is for type II diabetes

It's also used in the treatment of PCOS as it is linked to insulin intolerance.

Originally Posted by room512

My husband takes it for diabetes and metformin didn't make him put on any weight. He then started on insulin and that has put on stones. But they are now coming off thanks to SW! He says metformin doesn't affect weight at all. Hope that helps.

Yeah he's right. Metformin is normally used to help people lose weight whilst also treating the diabetes.
When I started SW I was on both insulin and metformin, I've since lost weight and managed to drop the insulin and am on metformin only.

Gemsy, I'm not sure what benefit metformin will have on your ovary problem, are you sure you haven't got your meds confused?

Originally Posted by Ninja

Yeah he's right. Metformin is normally used to help people lose weight whilst also treating the diabetes.
When I started SW I was on both insulin and metformin, I've since lost weight and managed to drop the insulin and am on metformin only.

Gemsy, I'm not sure what benefit metformin will have on your ovary problem, are you sure you haven't got your meds confused?

Metformin is frequently prescribed in the treatment of PCOS. I have been taking it for several years.
PCOS is closely related to insulin intolerance and many people see good results in the reduction of symptoms when they start taking it.

PCOS and being overweight is a strange old cycle. Oestrogen is fat soluble, Therefor being overweight will lead to exacerbation of symptoms. Having PCOS makes it more difficult to lose weight (the insulin intolerance thing) and so the cycle continues.

To answer the original question, i don't think that Metformin will have much impact on your weight loss.

Originally Posted by Ninja

When I started SW I was on both insulin and metformin, I've since lost weight and managed to drop the insulin and am on metformin only.

Brilliant, well done. I hope he gets to stop the insulin too.

Originally Posted by notsomuch

Metformin is frequently prescribed in the treatment of PCOS. I have been taking it for several years.
PCOS is closely related to insulin intolerance and many people see good results in the reduction of symptoms when they start taking it.

PCOS and being overweight is a strange old cycle. Oestrogen is fat soluble, Therefor being overweight will lead to exacerbation of symptoms. Having PCOS makes it more difficult to lose weight (the insulin intolerance thing) and so the cycle continues.

To answer the original question, i don't think that Metformin will have much impact on your weight loss.

Great, thanks for that notsomuch.

I guess this is why some people are told to lose weight to help them to conceive I know of one work colleague who is now 5 months pregnant, she was told she would need to lose weight if she wanted to conceive, of course she didn't but is pregnant now anyways and now thinks it's a licence to stuff anything and everything down her neck...lol.

my mum takes metformin for diabetes, it makes you lose weight but she was then given glyclazide which makes you gain weight so it is balancing out for her xx

I was put on metformin for PCOS after havin fertility treatment for my second son (fluke pregnancy with first son)... I was on the metformin and lost around 2-21/2 stone following a low-carb diet as this is recommended for PCOS sufferers... (dont know the science behind it ).... so if shouldn't affect your weightloss in fact if you have more red days it may even help.. it can however kick your fertility in as I found out after only taking it for 8 weeks I fell pregnant again ... big shock but have a gorgeous daughter as well as my lovely sons....

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for the input on this thread and helping me out. I was put on the Metformin by a G.P who also referred me to a consultant for PCOS. I have had blood test and the internal scan and they have seen on the scan that my ovaries are polycystic so they have put me on the Met and i have an appointment 20-04-09 to get results of blood etc.

Just wanted to see if anyone was also following SW and was taking it, thank you for the info and so sorry that i didnt reply to this thread earlier it has been one of those days....

many thanks

XX

Originally Posted by Ninja

Gemsy, I'm not sure what benefit metformin will have on your ovary problem, are you sure you haven't got your meds confused?

Metformin won't fix an ovary problem but it can help lose weight if you have pcos (though unlicenced for this use still I believe) and its the losing weight that can help the ovary problem....some peoples pcos symptoms improve by losing weight...thus helping them get pregnant....

I have pcos and used metformin...didn't get on with it at all so don't know if I would have lost any weight with it....still managed to have 2 kids even with pcos (though didn't get pregnant without assistance....)