Re: Dont mean to scare anyone.... (long reply)
From: Renee (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Mon, 28 Oct 2002 19:25:40 -0800
Thanks, anonymous.
Renee
anonymous wrote:
>
> Renee....very well said. My compliments to you.
>
> At Mon, 28 Oct 2002, Renee wrote:
> >
> >Delwicky,
> >
> >First, there is not such thing as "a little bit of sugar." It's like being
> >pregnant: you either are diabetic or your're not. My suspicion is that either
> >she didn't accept the fact that she was diabetic (I see this all the time in
> >my patients), the doctor did a poor job educating her, or it was pretty well
> >controlled so that her blood sugars weren't very high, though she was still diabetic.
> >
> >What is the evidence you say they have? I have never heard of this being an effect.
> >
> >I went to the prescribing information about the drug. In this, they discuss
> >all the testing they've done, precautions, contraindications, drug
> >interactions, birth defect info, and most other things you want to know. They
> >are also up to date, as the FDA requires changes in labeling when new info
> >comes in.
> >
> >Under the cancer section, they report mouse studies. Yes, I know people are
> >different, but you can't stuff a person full of drugs and see if they develop
> >cancer. Under very high doses (4 times the max human dose, per weight), no
> >cancer or mutation occured. There was also no indication of cancer in their
> >adverse reaction section.
> >
> >I did a web search, since that is where most of the fear literature and
> >misinformation is. I couldn't find anything there linking metformin and liver
> >cancer. If there was any suspicion at all, valid or not, it would be there.
> >
> >I searched the FDA, looking for safety reports (people can report any adverse
> >reactions that occur from meds). There was nothing there.
> >
> >I did a literature search of medical journals. Here's the only one I found:
> >
> >Diabetes mellitus and cancer. Czyzyk A, Szczepanik Z. Eur J Intern Med 2000
> >Oct;11(5):245-252. He points out that there is an increased risk of cancer,
> >most commonly liver cancer, for people who are diabetics. He states that the
> >hypothesis is impaired glucose tolerance, and the risk may be decreased by
> >treating it, including the use of glucophage.
> >
> >There is a risk of liver dysfunction from met. That's why liver function
> >tests are recommended, but that's different from liver cancer. Perhaps the
> >person who make the connection got mixed up?
> >
> >In conclusion, there are several causes of liver cancer, even in those people
> >who don't drink or smoke. There seems to be no evidence that it could be
> >that. It was almost certainly due to something else. If hers if from
> >glucophage, she'd be the first one. So, don't be afraid of it for that
> >reason, and get the help you need. If you really are afraid of the drug, then
> >you may try to control your insulin through exercising and a very low-carb
> >diet. But, I really don't think that cancer risk is a reason to stay off the
> >medication, since there seems to be no risk, except the potential to lower risk.
> >
> >Renee
> >
> >anonymous@obgyn.net wrote:
> >>
> >> Hello there. I am hoping that someone can give me some insight. I have been
> >> diagnosed with PCOS almost a month ago, but its very obvious now that I have
> >> been suffering from this syndrome probably for 11 or 12 years. I am in the
> >> process of going to an enodcrynologist for all of the blood work I hear
> >> about on here to pinpoint the problem. My mother keeps telling me that if my
> >> sugar is playing a part in all of this that I may need to be put on
> >> Glucophage to help in weight loss and controlling the wrong signals I am
> >> receiving for sugar due to this illness. I am very scared now to learn that
> >> this medication is one of the main ways to control this illness because my
> >> step mother told me NOT to go on the medication...that it is very dangerous.
> >> Her mother is dying of a very rare form of cancer right now, dead center of
> >> her liver. She has never been a drinker or smoker, is a small woman with !
> >> just a little bit of sugar, but never a full blown diabetic. They had her on
> >> this medication two different times in her life, for long stretches, and now
> >> they believe (with some evidence of course) that the glucophage is
> >> responsible for this horrible cancer. Has anyone else heard of this? I am so
> >> scared now to be treated for the PCOS with the medication that I don't even
> >> want to persue medical attention that I so desperately need right now. I
> >> can't just let the PCOS have its way with my body, I have been going through
> >> too much to allow that to happen, but at the same time, I am so scared to
> >> seek treatment that will put me on this medicine...any thoughts ladies???
> >> Delwicky@aol.com
> >
> >--
> >--------------
> >Renee Cordrey, MSPT, MPH, CWS
> >
> >---
> >Dwell in Possibility.
> >--Emily Dickenson
> >
>
--
--------------
Renee Cordrey, MSPT, MPH, CWS
---
Dwell in Possibility.
--Emily Dickenson
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