On Met for a year--no weight loss

[booklover]

I have been on 1000 mg of met/day for a year and have not lost any weight. My fasting glucose level is 91. I don't exercise, but my dr. said that while exercise is important, for women with PCOS what they eat is more important, and she can't figure out why I haven't lost weight, either. I've increased my protein intake, eat whole grains whenever possible, don't have sweets in the house, etc. What could be the problem? :?

[wildflower]

I've heard that the therapuetic dosage for Met is 1500mg. Has your doctor considered increasing your dosage?

[Tootie]

Hi,
I've been on metformin now for almost a year and I have lost a total of 40 pounds with the combination of weight watchers. Before I was diagnosed, I tried everything and did not lose the weight until I went on the meds. I'm on 2000mg now a day. I would consider asking your doctor to increase your dosage. Good luck!

[Bluebee]

Effective dosage is 1000mg 2x/day totaling 2000 mg/day. At half that dosage, it will take you twice as long to accomplish your desired results. I began Metformin therapy in Nov 2004. From Nov 04 - Present, I went from 179 to 134 lbs. I am at 5'2" a size 4. I also take Avandia, 4mg 2x/day. The namebrand Avandamet has proved to be very effective for me.

Metformin is readily available in generic form, which is what contributes to the GI Tract upset. Generics generally use one size molecule of metformin and it tends to dump into your stomach. I even had the same problems with the ER version of the generics. The namebrand, Avandamet by GSK, is manufactured using various size molecules of metformin so that they are absorbed at various rates. There is still some stomach upset, but not as disruptive.

After two years of treatment, I have little if any GI upset taking 4/1000 mg 2x/day of Avandamet. I've lost 45lbs and feel great. I am also regularly cycling without the birth control pill. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 1993.

All the info listed above was relayed to me by my Endocrinologist, Eric Orzeck, MD. He is a clinical professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Tx and a Mensa (he's brilliant!). And he get's outside of the box and treats the root cause and not the symptoms!

Hope this helps!

Bluebee
Houston, TX

[Ashton Morgan]

Try adding cinnamon to your regimen. Do a google search on PCOS, IR, and cinnamon. You will find that it is being labeled the new wonder drug that's not really a drug. I take 4-500mg caplets daily along with my 1500mg of Glucophage XR. I've been losing weight without exercising (and I can't convince my lazy butt that if I exercised regularly, I'd lose weight even faster). Cinnamon helps with sugar metabolism. So simple, yet really effective. No side effects! They are the only pills I don't mind taking because they smell delicious!

[turtle*in*sun]

Metformin is not a weight loss drug. Even if you aren't seeing weight loss from it, your body is probably getting other benefits from it.

If your fasting glucose was higher I would recommend Byetta. It tends to have weight loss effects and has started to be used in PCOS patients.

But you at least need to get on higher dose of met...at least 1500 if not 2000.

And if you don't excersise you are not going to lose weight. The combination of eat right or less, and, do more is the answer.

Good luck.

[Democrazy]

Yes I agree, no excercise and a low dosage may be the reason why you haven't lost weight. I have been on it for a year, used to take 500mg twice a day and was then increased to 850mg twice a day. I have seen a few pounds lost but I lose weight more when I actually make the effort to do strucutred excercise.

I also always forget to take pills and I find it works better when it works with your food. I.E One at breakfast, eat lunch and one again with evening meal. Excercise such as walking 30mins a day too. I feel that when I don't do it like this, I don't benefit from it. I think if I ate better and if I had a better excercise routine I'd lose weight faster. Doc said to me I won't lose weight by Met alone, it's a combiantion with a healthy lifestyle.

This is my experience of Metformin, I hope it is some help!

Nikki