Metformin question
 

After walking off 50 lbs over a couple of years I started metformin. I
didn't change my diet
or exercise but gained 30 lbs back in 3 months. When I stoped taking
metformin my weight
gain stoped but those 30 lbs stayed with me so I don't think it was
watter weight gain. I know
metformin usualy helps people lose a few pounds I just wonder why it
caused ME to gain weight.
At the time my A1C was 6.1 my colesterol was about 190 with a
tri. of ~121 LDL ~115
HDL ~60 I don't rember the exact numbers. Anyone know why it could
have caused me to
gain weight?

Metformin question
 

On 2011-01-01 03:33, Woody wrote:
After walking off 50 lbs over a couple of years I started metformin. I
didn't change my diet
or exercise but gained 30 lbs back in 3 months. When I stoped taking
metformin my weight
gain stoped but those 30 lbs stayed with me so I don't think it was
watter weight gain. I know
metformin usualy helps people lose a few pounds I just wonder why it
caused ME to gain weight.
At the time my A1C was 6.1 my colesterol was about 190 with a
tri. of ~121 LDL ~115
HDL ~60 I don't rember the exact numbers. Anyone know why it could
have caused me to
gain weight?



Were you taking other drugs that could interact with metformin?


GLUCOPHAGE and GLUCOPHAGE XR have the same active ingredient. However,

GLUCOPHAGE XR works longer in your body. Both of these medicines help
control your blood sugar in a number of ways. These include helping your
body respond better to the insulin it makes naturally, decreasing the
amount of sugar your liver makes, and decreasing the amount of sugar
your intestines absorb. GLUCOPHAGE and GLUCOPHAGE XR do not cause your
body to make more insulin. Because of this, when taken alone, they
rarely cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and usually do not cause
weight gain. However, when they are taken with a sulfonylurea or with
insulin, hypoglycemia is more likely to occur, as is weight gain

Metformin question
 

On Jan 1, 3:13*pm, pamela wrote:
On 2011-01-01 03:33, Woody wrote:

After walking off 50 lbs over a couple of years I started metformin. I
didn't change my diet
or exercise but gained 30 lbs back in 3 months. *When I stoped taking
metformin my weight
gain stoped but those 30 lbs stayed with me so I don't think it was
watter weight gain. *I know
metformin usualy helps people lose a few pounds I just wonder why it
caused ME to gain weight.
At the time my A1C was 6.1 * *my colesterol was about * 190 * with a
tri. of ~121 * LDL ~115
HDL ~60 *I *don't rember the exact numbers. *Anyone know why it could
have caused me to
gain weight?

Were you taking other drugs that could interact with metformin?

GLUCOPHAGE and GLUCOPHAGE XR have the same active ingredient. However,

GLUCOPHAGE XR works longer in your body. Both of these medicines help
control your blood sugar in a number of ways. These include helping your
body respond better to the insulin it makes naturally, decreasing the
amount of sugar your liver makes, and decreasing the amount of sugar
your intestines absorb. GLUCOPHAGE and GLUCOPHAGE XR do not cause your
body to make more insulin. Because of this, when taken alone, they
rarely cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and usually do not cause
weight gain. However, when they are taken with a sulfonylurea or with
insulin, hypoglycemia is more likely to occur, as is weight gain

I was not taking any other diabetic medications I still wish I could
take it
but that 30 lb weight gain in 3 months sure told me it wasn't for me!

Metformin question
 

Woody wrote:

After walking off 50 lbs over a couple of years I started metformin. I
didn't change my diet or exercise but gained 30 lbs back in 3 months.

This dispoves the simplistic idea that "Calories in equals calories
out". The real equation is "grams of fat into storage minus grams of
fat out of storage plus/minus water retention noise level equals weight
change".

Anywhere near the metastability of healthy metabolism the body can
change its fuel use by hundreds of calories per day to stay at a
stable size, but any change that puts a bias on the stored fat towards
accumulation will trigger weight gain. The ketonuria of low carbing is
a bias on the stored fat towards withdrawal that triggers weight loss.
(In both cases the bias happens without hunger but is easy to
interfere with, whence stalls).

Others have posted that metformin effects insulin and insulin drives fat
into storage. For some it biases them towards fat withdrawal. For you
it biased you towards fat accumulation.

When I stoped taking metformin my weight
gain stoped but those 30 lbs stayed with me so I don't think it was
watter weight gain.

When you stopped taking the pills the bias to accumulate stopped. What
did not happen was a new bias to withdraw. You can do that with
controlling your carbs, with controlling your calories, with increasing
your exercise.

A question about timing - How slowly did those 50 pounds come off when
you started walking? If it was spread out over both years that's
roughly a pound every other week. That's slow enough to be below the
noise level. You could be losing now at that rate for 6-8 weeks without
seeing it. If it was spread out over the first year that's roughly a
pound per week. That's slow enough to be below the noise level for
about 3-4 weeks. Water retention bounce of 3-4 pounds is common and
that's a big noise level. For the first month you might just need
increased patience. Not that counting your carbs or calories or kicking
up your pace a bit is going to hurt just in case ...

Metformin question
 

On Jan 5, 12:32*pm, Doug Freyburger wrote:
Woody wrote:

After walking off 50 lbs over a couple of years I started metformin. I
didn't change my diet or exercise but gained 30 lbs back in 3 months.

This dispoves the simplistic idea that "Calories in equals calories
out". *The real equation is "grams of fat into storage minus grams of
fat out of storage plus/minus water retention noise level equals weight
change".

So, change in muscle mass isn't also a possible factor with at least
as much
significance as water retention? Sounds like you substituted one
simplistic
equation, for another.



Anywhere near the metastability of healthy metabolism the body can
change its fuel use by hundreds of calories per day to stay at a
stable size, but any change that puts a bias on the stored fat towards
accumulation will trigger weight gain. The ketonuria of low carbing is
a bias on the stored fat towards withdrawal that triggers weight loss.
(In both cases the bias happens without hunger but is easy to
interfere with, whence stalls).

Others have posted that metformin effects insulin and insulin drives fat
into storage. *For some it biases them towards fat withdrawal. *For you
it biased you towards fat accumulation.

When I stoped taking metformin my weight
gain stoped but those 30 lbs stayed with me so I don't think it was
watter weight gain.

It's a shame he had to put on 30lbs in 3 months before figuring out
something was going
very wrong.....