Metformin

9MM

Anyone any knowledge or understanding of this?

Mallet

Ya it's pretty useless stuff, it's a glucose disposal agent, or repartitioning agent. it's alright if you have the first stage of diabetes, but not much for the sake of shuttling carbs into muscle cells. your better off with ala, chromium, cinnamon. Well insulin of course. Oh Avandia is a much better choice over metformin as well.

What were you planning on using it for?

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There is only one disease known to mankind, though it has a thousand names. It's the disease of too many toxins in the body and too few nutrients reaching the cells.

9MM

I didn't have any specific plans for it. I just saw it increased insulin sensitivity. I though it might be useful for someone using slin, but I wasn't sure.

RedBaron

For increased insulin sensitivity, Actos and Avandia are far better. Metformin is great if your BG levels are skyrocketing and you need to get them down right away. As already mentioned, its function is to rid your body of glucose ... it causes your GI tract to take in less, you liver to store and release less, and almost in a secondary fashion helps your body take in a slight bit more. Actos and Avandia work specifically to get your tissues to absorb more glucose in response to insulin to get it out of your bloodstream in that fashion.

Jet Jaguar

I've always understood metformin (glucophage) is prescribed for type II diabetes - specifically those who suffer cell insulin receptor site insensitivity. A drawback I've read about is that glucophage can encourage lactic acidosis if used improperly. Also in conjunction with 17-alfa-alkylated drugs, liver damage is considerably amplified. It seems to me that thiazolidinediones like avandia that red baron suggested would be the better route.

I'll try to hunt down the sources to substantiate what i've said. Hope that helped sort of.

Jet Jaguar

I've always understood metformin (glucophage) is prescribed for type II diabetes - specifically those who suffer cell insulin receptor site insensitivity. A drawback I've read about is that glucophage can encourage lactic acidosis if used improperly. Also in conjunction with 17-alfa-alkylated drugs, liver damage is considerably amplified. It seems to me that thiazolidinediones like avandia that red baron suggested would be the better route.

I'll try to hunt down the sources to substantiate what i've said. Hope that helped sort of.

RedBaron

Just for chance anyone is interested in a little more technical description, here is the deal on Metformin and Avandia.

Metformin is indeed prescribed for type II diabetes. It is an anti-diabetic drug from the biguanide class of oral hypoglycemic agents. Metformin is the most popular anti-diabetic drug in the United States and one of the most prescribed drugs overall, with nearly 30 million prescriptions filled as of a couple of years ago.

Its method of function is decreased absorption of glucose from the gastrointestinal tract, and increased insulin sensitivity. The 'average' person with type 2 diabetes has three times the normal rate of gluconeogenesis; metformin treatment reduces this by over one third. It has also been shown to decrease intestinal absorption of glucose, and may also improve insulin sensitivity by increasing peripheral glucose uptake and utilization, although such an effect will occur nonspecifically following the lowering of glucose levels, regardless of how this lowering was achieved.

A 2001 study showed that metformin stimulates the hepatic enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which plays an important role in the metabolism of fats and glucose.

In rare cases it can cause lactic acidosis, but it isn't a large percentage of users that experience that as a side. Typically, a type II diabetic would be on it for less than 5 years as can be somewhat tough on the liver. Regular liver enzyme checks are the order of business for those taking it.

Avandia on the other hand is s an anti-diabetic drug from the thiazolidinedione class. Like other thiazolidinediones, its mechanism of action is by activation of the intracellular receptor class of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), specifically PPAR?. Avandia is a pure ligand of PPAR?, and has no PPAR?-binding action.

Apart from its effect on insulin resistance, it appears to have an anti-inflammatory effect: nuclear factor kappa-B (NF?B) levels fall and inhibitor (I?B) levels increase in patients on Avandia.

In a nutshell, both of them lower your blood glucose levels. Metformin disposes of glucose to accomplish this, while Avandia sensitizes your cells to the effects of insulin to force the cells to uptake more glucose to get it out of your bloodstream.

They do have some pretty hefty potential sides, so like Mallet suggested supplements to accomplish the same end are a better/safer place to start. Avandia in excess can cause edema - even around the heart ... a few users have experienced this and it is certainly NOT something you want to experience. Metformin can cause some gastric upset and be tough on your liver. Both have their place, but should be used only where appropriate.

9MM

Thanks for your feedback everyone.

Loz

I been using chromium and biotin to increase insulin sensitivity while on GH. I've read contradictory statements on its effectiveness but I can say I havent suffered from hypo or hyperglycemia while on GH. I am up to 4ius and all seems to be going good as far as the insulin sensitivity issue. Hand cramps suck though but thats another topic.

I was going to look in to thiazolidinediones until I read all the sides. Edema was the deciding factor for me.

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