Doctors prescribe metformin to reduce blood sugar in insulin-independent patients with diabetes (type 2 diabetics) and to reduce weight. But it is often taken by quite healthy people who want to remove a few pounds of excess body weight.
- The active substance of metformin
- Indications for use
- Contraindications
- The effects of metformin on the body
- Does metformin help lose weight
- Is there any harm from metformin
- Release form and dosage (500, 850, 1000)
- How to use metformin for weight loss
- Admission Rules
- Side effects and overdose
- Interaction with other drugs
- Diet when taking metformin
- Physical activity while taking metformin
- Analogs of Metformin
- The opinion of doctors and reviews of losing weight
- Video about the drug Metformin for weight loss and the rules of admission
The active substance of metformin
The substance is extracted from the French siren (goat’s medicinal, galega). By activating the AMPK enzyme, it lowers glucose synthesis and normalizes metabolic processes in skin cells.
The results after application are as follows:
- sugar is reduced by an average of 20%;
- body weight normalizes;
- cholesterol goes down;
- lipid metabolism returns to normal;
- blood coagulation improves.
Often, doctors, to reduce obesity, prescribe metformin for weight loss in obese people, without diabetes. Overweight is sometimes a harbinger of diabetes.
Metformin elements accelerate the oxidation of fatty substances. Those. they work as catalysts. Calories received by a person after eating are partially spent by him on active life. The rest of the body “sets aside” for the future for an extreme case.
Metformin substances block the formation of such fat stores and cause excess energy to be consumed. These properties attract professionals and bodybuilding enthusiasts who simply want to normalize body weight.
Indications for use
Metformin, according to the instructions, is prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes when diet therapy has not yielded results. This is especially true for obese people.
The substance, entering the body, lowers the concentration of cholesterol in the presence of insulin in the blood of the patient. In another case, its effect may not be. That is, the substance Metformin reduces the absorption of the gastrointestinal tract of glucose, thereby turning off gluconeogenesis of the liver (glucose synthesis from non-carbohydrate compounds in the liver). 
This drug prevents the formation of new fat cells, reducing a person’s dependence on food, suppressing appetite. These qualities have become very attractive for those who want to lose weight by any means. Metformin is also indicated for obesity (up to 6 months) and prediabetes.
This is a non-standard therapeutic treatment.
In gynecology, it is prescribed to women for the treatment of polycystic ovary.
However, in order to reduce body weight, it is impractical to use it in some cases. There are certain conditions, the fulfillment of which is mandatory. Contraindications are in the foreground.
Contraindications
The instructions for Metformin indicate a decent number of cases who should not use it. In the variant, when some people use metformin for weight loss, before taking it, they should first of all analyze all contraindications.
Do not risk the following groups of people:
- pregnant and lactating mothers;
- elderly people 60 – 80 years old, during hard work;
- chronic alcoholics;
- people after serious surgery or after injuries;
- weak liver;
- with impaired renal function (clearance of christinine less than 2,03 fluid ounce / min);
- with acute diseases (with bronchopulmonary problems, pain in the kidneys, with severe infections, with gastrointestinal tract problems, with hypoxia);
- with ketoacidosis;
- conducted radioisotope, radiographic work on the background
- iodine-containing substances with a period of 2 days before and after;
- eating food with an energy intensity of 1200 kcal / day or less);
- sensitive to the device;
- with a lactose deficiency, lactose intolerance.
These are all official contraindications. With skin rashes, intoxication, and an increase in body temperature, the dose of the drug is reduced or stopped taking it.
The effects of metformin on the body
Medications metformin have the following effects on the human body:
- suppress appetite due to reduced production of insulin in the blood;
- increase muscle glucose intake;
- significantly reduce the absorption of carbohydrates in the digestive tract;
- accelerate the oxidation of fatty acids;
- inhibits the formation of glycogen in the liver.
The drug reduces the production of insulin, accelerates the oxidation of fatty acids
As a result, the human body receives an energy deficit, as in ordinary fasting. This deficiency is overcome through the expenditure of existing fat accumulations. However, the blood sugar level is maintained at the proper level.
In addition, women are prescribed it for polycystic ovary.
Does metformin help lose weight
Fat burning properties allow the use of metformin for weight loss. How to take this drug so as not to harm the body – everyone decides this moment for himself, carefully studying all the contraindications before and passing the examination in a medical institution.
For the first time, weight loss was noticed during the use of this substance back in 1922 by scientists James Bell and Emil Werner. The Frenchman Jean Stern in 1957 made a discovery, and applied it to diabetics. The industrial scale of its production began in 1958 in the UK, later (1972) in Canada, the USA (1994).
This substance prevents the formation of fat cells in the body. Those. excess energy received from food begins to be consumed and is not stored anyw
here in tissues “in reserve”. Due to this action, a gradual decrease in the weight of a person occurs.
Is there any harm from metformin
People harm their health if they do not take breaks and use metformin for weight loss systematically. How to take it with benefit to get the desired result
The rules for taking the drug are as follows:
- Be sure to carefully study the instructions for use and are more objective about their capabilities;
- if there are kidney problems, lactic acidosis may develop. This is because the drug is deposited in the salivary glands, in the tissues of the muscles, kidneys and liver and is excreted only by the kidneys. If they do not fully work, then up to 90% of metformin does not undergo changes and remain in the human body.
With prolonged use of metformin for weight loss (more than 3 weeks), anorexia and vitamin B12 deficiency may develop. As a result – harm to the whole body with dangerous problems.
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Release form and dosage (500, 850, 1000)
The medical industry makes metformin in the form of oblong or round coated tablets. One tablet contains metformin hydrochloride, excipients (crospovidone, talc, povidone, magnesium stearate, corn starch) and a coating (talc, titanium dioxide, eudragit L100-55, methacrylic acid Macrogol 6000).
Metformin is available in packs of 30, 60, 120 pcs. in tablets of 500, 850, 1000 mg.
How to use metformin for weight loss
In order not to get side effects when using metformin for weight loss (such as diarrhea, vomiting and nausea), a certain sequence is observed.
In the first week, they use a substance of 500 mg per day. The next 14 days are gradually adjusted to 850-1000 mg (2 doses).
To prevent serious metabolic disorders of the body after 3 weeks, complete the course of its intake. It is worth remembering that prolonged use of the drug can lead to anemia.
The drug in the early days allows you to lower a certain amount of glucose in the blood. This can lead to headaches and weakness. If such symptoms do not disappear after 2-3 days, the daily dose will reduce or stop the use of the substance.
Admission Rules
Tablets are taken with or after meals, 1-2 times a day. Washed down with clean water. During the course, it is worth remembering that at least 30 g per pounds of body weight is drunk during the day. This greatly facilitates the work of the kidneys and speeds up metabolic processes.
There is one more condition: to use it in order to lose excess pounds only 3 weeks (500 mg with meals up to 3 times). After 20 days, the effect of its use is reduced. Take a break. The result in weight is supported by physical activity in the fitness room. Resume Metformin for weight loss after 1-2 months.
Side effects and overdose
The instructions for use indicate very specifically the side effects that can occur if the dosage indicated by the instructions and the frequency of administration of the drug are not observed.
They seriously affect almost all human systems:
- digestive organs;
- metabolism;
- hematopoietic organs;
- endocrine system.
An allergic reaction in the form of rashes and itching is not excluded. The digestive organs can respond with abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, a metallic taste in the mouth. There may also be no appetite. Such manifestations usually disappear in 3-4 days on their own.
The use of antacids or antispasmodics will alleviate the unpleasant state of the body at this moment.
On the part of the metabolism, absorption of vitamin B12 (hypovitaminosis) and, in exceptional cases, lactic acidosis may be impaired. In this case, lactic acidosis develops very quickly. With the manifestation of its first signs (muscle pain, discomfort behind the sternum, apathy, drowsiness, rapid breathing), you need to stop taking it.
Hematopoietic organs due to vitamin B12 deficiency can, in rare cases, suffer from megaloblastic anemia. The endocrine system may suffer from hypoglycemia.
Interaction with other drugs
In order not to harm the kidneys, this drug is not taken with diuretics and laxatives. This can disrupt blood pH and lead to hypoglycemia (especially in insulin-dependent diabetics). Cimetidine slows down the excretion of the substance by the kidneys and therefore does not use it together with it.
Other drugs reduce the effectiveness of taking metformin:
- teroid hormones;
- thyroid hormones;
- estrogens;
- corticosteroids;
- diuretics;
- analogues of self-statin;
- glucagon;
- a nicotinic acid;
- isoniazids.
Diet when taking metformin
Taking the drug, you must follow a diet, otherwise you can get unpleasant side effects. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other troubles weaken health. The essence of the diet is to exclude sugar-containing and starch-containing products from the diet.
These products include:
- oatmeal;
- rice
- flour (especially rich) products;
- potatoes;
- beets with carrots;
- grapes (this is pure glucose);
- bananas
- alcoholic beverages (beer in particular).
When taking Metformin, it is very important to eat right
Doctors recommend meat, cereals, vegetables. Mandatory drink clean water – a day at least 1,01 fluid ounce per pounds of weight. The good news is that salt is not excluded, as with many diets.
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Physical activity while taking metformin
The results of losing weight when taking this substance are diverse. Not everyone knows that physical activity and low-carbon foods are required to get good results.
Bodybuilders know such conditions, and with the help of metformin they achieve a good effect in muscle building. Physical activity perfectly accelerates the process of converting the layer of fat into muscle.
Analogs of Metformin
In American pharmacies, metformin is sold under the following trade names:
- Metformin Richter;
- metformin teva;
- Siofor;
- glucophage;
- glyphorin-prolong;
- glucophage long;
- diformin;
- diaformin;
- Formin Pliva;
- metformin MV-Teva and others
The most common analogues of Metformin
Most of all in Europe and the former CIS countries , Metformin analogues such as Glucofage, Siofor, Glucofage Long, Metformin-Richter are in demand .
The opinion of doctors and reviews of losing weight
Metformin helps to expend fat, but it also implies certain restrictions on food. According to doctors, metformin for weight loss can and should be used, but not as a “fabulous” pill. It serves as an excellent tool in combination with a low-carbon diet and exercise that dulls the feeling of hunger.
On the Internet, there are many positive and negative results of losing weight of people who used the drug, since the effectiveness of the effect of the substance on the body is purely individual.
Doctors’ opinions affect only the use of metformin for its direct use – for patients with diabetes. Malysheva in her transfer mentioned him as a means of normalizing carbohydrate metabolism. She did not deny the possibility of its use for weight loss, but only for violations of the production of insulin.
Video about the drug Metformin for weight loss and the rules of admission
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