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Re: Insulin ResistanceFrom: Sue (anonymous@obgyn.net)Thu, 14 Dec 2000 14:44:38 -0600 (CST)
>My main concern is that my fasting glucose numbers were normal yet I am on this drug for diabetics???< As another response indicated, PCOS pts do not (by and large) take insulin sensitizing medications for blood sugar benefits (some are diabetic, but most are not). They control insulin levels, which is at the base of this disorder. I strongly recommend you do more research on this; do a web search for Dr. Glueck's site and read the material there--it's really good and explains a lot.
>I have also read that Glucophage is not for long term use. I believe it is a newly approved drug in the Metformin family that is still under watch by the drug I'm not quite sure what you're reading, but if it's materials for diabetics, it probably doesn't apply to you, unless you are diabetic. Glucophage is largely seen as the safest of the insulin sensitizing drugs, as it is metabolised through the kidneys, not the liver (as Actos and Avandia are). Because most of us have normal kidneys, we eliminate the "leftovers" on a daily basis. Glucophage has been around for quite some time; there is a new drug by the same company (Bristol-Meyers Squibb) called "Glucovance" which is a combination of glyburide and metformin HCl. Unless you are diabetic, you don't need glyburide, and hence wouldn't have to worry about the "newness" of the medication and its long term effects. If you are really concerned, you need to have a heart to heart with an endocrinologist--preferably a reproductive endocrinologist who is familiar with the different medications and treatments available. Diabetics have been taking metformin for years and the effects have been studied by the FDA for an equally long time. This medication is routinely studied in Europe; the FDA usually takes its preliminary information from long-term studies that have taken place in Europe and are often written up in "Lancet."
>Yes, Glucophage may help you lose weight but did anyone bother to ask why? If it is helping you lose weight, what then is the drug doing to you? And what will happen when you stop taking it as you must event[u]ally? As for the message from someone who lost 10lbs without effort, I would be careful. It is never healthy to suddenly lose a lot As a previous post indicated, insulin sensitizers aid in weight loss by curbing the levels of insulin in the body which naturally combat any sort of weight loss one might try to induce. "This drug" as you call it doesn't *cause* you to lose weight; it instead magnifies whatever you might be doing independent of it. In other words, if you are doing nothing to control the amount of food that enters your mouth, you will gain weight with met. If you are being conscientious about weight control, then it will magnify those efforts and make it easier. And I would caution you to take a tone that is a little more supportive of someone who is excited at their weight loss; many of us have struggled with this issue for years and despite exercise and extreme diets have had little to no success. Just rejoice with the person and let them enjoy their newfound success. The person who posted about the weight loss didn't just lose it "for no reason," she instead has found the magnifying effect I spoke of and was amazed. Our bodies are often quite "glad" to shed some of the weight we often carry around and will take any opportunity to shed it when the conditions are right (i.e., an insulin sensitizer is introduced).
>Remember, Glucophage is approved for the treatment of diabetes but NOT PCO.< While you are correct, Glucophage is an effective treatment for our condition and after years (this condition was first named and written about in the early 1900s [1935, I think]) of having no treatment and doctors tell us that "if we just lose weight, we can have babies....." And believe this: when there is a statement that comes from the FDA concerning insulin sensitizers (met, actos, and avandia) and their effectiveness in treating PCO, the drug manufacturers will jump all over it; it's a whole new population to use their drugs and support their companies. --Sue
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