If you ’re managing type 2 diabetes with Glucophage ( metformin ) , you may be well acquainted with the unwanted side effects of this drug — namely , distressed venter , diarrhea , muscular tissue aches , and drowsiness . These can be a figurative and literal pain , but you may welcome one side effect of metformin with assailable arms , particularly if you ’ve struggle to lose free weight .
Metformin was n’t design to be a weight departure drug , but researchers have find a link between the drug and weight loss . Past researchconcluded the drug could suffice as a handling for excess body weightiness , although more studies are ask .
Diabetes 101: What Is Metformin?
What Is Metformin and How Does It Work?
Metformin is a common type 2 diabetes drug that theU.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) has approvedto treat in high spirits blood sugar , or hyperglycemia , in people with type 2 diabetes .
“ [ Metformin ] has been considered a first - tune medicinal drug in thetreatment of type 2 diabetes , and it mainly dissemble by lowering the amount of glucose release by the liver , ” saysMinisha Sood , MD , a board - certified endocrinologist in New York City . “ It also helps a hormone called insulin to work better by helping brawniness apply glucose in a more effective manner . When insulin works substantially — and insulin predisposition better — a person ’s insulin levels are lower than they would be otherwise . ”
There ’s no cure for type 2 diabetes , but the right combination of medication and a healthy lifestyle can stabilize blood sugar levels , according to theMayo Clinic , and in some cases even put eccentric 2 diabetes in remission , according to astudy published inNutrientsin April 2019 . This , of course of action , is the remnant goal of any diabetes treatment .
Although metformin can cause weight loss, a healthy diet and regular exercise are still important if you want to keep the weight off.
As the medication helps your body reduce your overall rip sugar level and doctor your power to respond to insulin , you ’ll not only feel respectable , but you may reduce the risk of succeeding complications ofhigh blood sugar , such as heart disease , kidney damage , mettle impairment or diabetic neuropathy , and optic damage ( clinically called retinopathy ) , theCleveland Clinicnotes .
Why Does Metformin Cause Weight Loss?
The relationship between metformin and weight is unreadable , but several theories provide possible account for weight wavering .
For example , Glucophage may affect hungriness cues . In onesmall study , 12 cleaning lady withobesity and character 2 diabeteswho were not take insulin were randomly pass on two dose levels of Glucophage — 850 mg ( mg ) or 1,700 atomic number 12 — or a placebo three times a mean solar day for three days , with each player fail through the study three times so they had each sexually transmitted disease and the placebo . participant pick up a meal test on each third day and rated their hunger level before exhaust . Researchers see that hunger levels in the metformin group were significantly low , particularly so with the 1,700 mg dose compared with the low-pitched metformin dose or placebo .
Anotherstudy , release in May 2020 in the journalDiabetes Care , found that when player increase their metformin dose by 1,000 atomic number 12 or more , they fall behind significantly more weight than those who did n’t change their Glucophage Elvis or decrease their Cupid’s itch . Emerging research reported in journals includingCurrent Obesity Reportssuggests Glucophage may also lead to weight loss as a result of changes in the appetite nerve centre of the Einstein , shift in the gut microbiome , and reversal of metabolic change that commonly happen with age .
Then there ’s the possibility that the drug ’s side gist can affect your nutrient inlet . “ Some people who take metformin may have gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and diarrhea , ” order Rahaf Al Bochi , RDN , a Baltimore - based media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the owner ofOlive Tree Nutrition .
According to astudy published in the April – June 2017Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice , GI side effects are a primary ailment from those who invite metformin tablets in their original expression . The most vulgar symptoms are vomiting , looseness , and nausea , which affect anywhere from 2 to 63 percent of the great unwashed on the drug . Discomfort can be so severe that you may not sense like eating much and subsequently down few calories . The continue - sacking forms of Glucophage have few documented side effect , agree to apast review article .
Is Long-Term Weight Loss Possible on Metformin?
Even though metformin may lead to some weight unit loss , the amount you lose may be far less than require . On average , weight loss after one year on the drug is only six pounds , according topast research .
So while Glucophage is often given to people with mellow insulin story who have trouble losing weight , it ’s not a miracle weight loss solution , tell Dr. Sood . In other words , do n’t expect a dramatic change in weight if you overeat and pass a sedentary liveliness . You must fall out a reasonable weight loss program with levelheaded feeding and physical activity to see any pregnant alteration in weight .
“ If someone is n’t trace healthy habits , then taking metformin will not leave in weight loss , ” she pronounce . “ It ’s important to postdate a healthy dieting low in refined sugars and carbohydrates if [ you are ] prostrate to gamey insulin grade so that maximal benefit from the medication is receive . ”
Keep in idea that while the number on the scale may shake off while you ’re taking this medication , this weight loss might be impermanent . You could retrieve pounds once you block taking the drug and your appetite returns to normal — hence the importance of a healthy life style .
And yet one survey , write in May 2019 in theAnnals of Internal Medicine , did find that masses in thediabetes preventionprogram who fall behind at least 5 percent of their consistence weight after a year were more likely to maintain the weight loss long term if they were in the metformin mathematical group than if they were impute a placebo or a modus vivendi interposition .
Can People Without Diabetes Take Metformin?
What if you do n’t have type 2 diabetes ? Can you take metformin for free weight loss ? This is an excellent question , and the short solvent is yes .
Sood explain that metformin has been usedoff - label , or outside its stand for purpose as okay by the FDA , for weight management in people without character 2 diabetes .
Some evidence suggests metformin may benefit these individuals : A2018 reviewexamining the efficacy of metformin for weight deprivation in the great unwashed who were overweight and had fleshiness without diabetes reason out that the drug significantly fall body mass index ( BMI ) in adolescents and adults .
But keep in judgement that this drug is uncommitted only by prescription and is not FDA approved for people without character 2 diabetes . Your doctor will likely first commend some of these traditional strategies for weight loss :
If you do n’t have type 2 diabetes , your doctor may sign off on this drug if you have obesity and are struggling to lose weight . But again , metformin is n’t a substitute for healthy eating and regular exercising , which are keys to sustainable weight passing . These habit also encourage weight personnel casualty if you have type 2 diabetes but ca n’t take Glucophage .
“ Some people may not allow Glucophage , so it ’s important to discuss selection with your healthcare provider — medication is one tool to assist handle rakehell lucre , but diet and lifestyle changes should be discussed first , because they can significantly lower blood sugars , ” say Al Bochi .
As for what diet and lifestyle change you should consider ? “ Diet alteration can let in being aware of your sugar intake , use up enough protein and fatty tissue at meals , choosinghigh fiber foods , and minify intake of lolly - sweetened beverages , ” say Al Bochi . She also recommends refer with a registered dietitian for tailored sustenance recommendations . “ incorporate some type of movement , such as walk , system of weights training , or yoga on most day is also important for blood sugar management , ” Al Bochi add together .
The Takeaway
Additional reporting byLeslie Barrie .
Justin Laube , MD , is a board - certified integrative and internal medicine physician , a teacher , and a advisor with extensive expertise in consolidative health , aesculapian breeding , and trauma healing .
He graduated with a unmarried man ’s in biological science from the University of Wisconsin and a medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School . During medical school , he completed a postgraduate certificate in integrative therapies and healing practice through the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing . He complete his three - year residency training in internal medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles on the main care raceway and a two - year fellowship in integrative East - West primary aid at the UCLA Health Center for East - West Medicine . He is currently taking a multiyear personal and professional sabbatical to research the relationship between childhood injury , disease , and the processes of healing . He is developing a clinical pattern for affected role with complex trauma , as well as for others pop off through significant life transition . He is working on a playscript distilling the insights from his sabbatical , teaching , and lead retreats on trauma , consolidative wellness , mindfulness , and well - being for wellness professional , scholar , and the community .
Previously , Dr. Laube was an adjunct clinical prof at the UCLA Health Center for East - West Medicine and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA , where he provide primary fear and integrative East - West aesculapian audience . As part of the faculty , he complete a medical breeding fellowship and received a certification in innovation in curriculum design and evaluation . He was the company director at the Center for East - West Medicine and led courses for physician associate , residents , and medical student .
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