Tuesday, September 09, 2008 Mary P asks

Q: can i take glucophage to help me lose wieght even though i dont have diabetes?

I do not have diabetes but I am about 150lbs. overwieght and my Doctor has precribed this medication for me to help me lose weight...my question is, will this cause me any harm considering I dont have diabetes and this is a diabetic medication? And, will it truley help me lose wieght? Because I have failed in every other attempt to do so.

Answers (3)

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Cherise Nicole

9/ 9/08 8:15pm

Mary P-

I agree with Frank! I am not sure why your Doctor would prescribe metformin for a non diabetic. You may want to talk to him about it and see why he truly prescribed metformin. Diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight and maintain it. Click here"Metformin", it will take you to drug facts, how to use, precautions and side effects.

Cherise

Community Moderator

frankenduf

9/ 9/08 5:18pm

Not sure why your doctor prescribed this as opposed to other appetite suppressants. I think to rationally prescribe metformin for weight loss, you should have another risk factor. These would include:

1- risk for diabetes: does anyone in your family have (type II) diabetes? do you have a high blood sugar after you eat? do you have a high level of insulin in your blood?

2- risk for polycytsic ovary syndrome: do you or anyone in your family have PCOS?

If so, metformin may help prevent these conditions. If not, again, why take a diabetes med over and against other appetite suppressants? The choice, of course, is yours- metformin may help you lose weight, but as a drug it may cause other problems. Lactic acidosis is the worst, so if you have any liver or kidney problems, there is some risk.

Good luck, and don't forget- no matter what you do, diet and exercise will help you keep the weight off in the long run.

vero214

2/17/09 1:21pm

i have the same problem as you. my doctor prescribed glucopage, but i don't have diabetes. she took blood test and everything is ok. but she told me that this will help me loose weight because i want to get pregant i cannot because im over weight.

annette R

12/18/09 11:56pm

i have the same exact problem as well as my periods not being regular sometimes have a period for 3or 4 month's then none the next month after and the fact that i am overweight. i want a baby. so who really has tried metform, or glucophage to loose weight and get pregnant and how long do you think it took to get pregnant afterstarting medication? please respond

ginagina

1/14/10 4:38pm

i have had the same problem for 10 years ( my son is 11), overweight not diabetic and obgyn has rx metformin and have not been able to have a child. metformin does help you lose weight slowly cause it causes loose stool /diarrhea right after you eat. appetite suppresant I don't think so. but this is just me. thanks

AAZSAZ

2/24/10 2:41pm

Hi,

Check out this site for more information on people being successful in getting pregnant after taking Metformin.

AAZSAZ

2/24/10 2:41pm

sorry! forget to put in the link:

http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/PCOS-success.html