Metformin in practice
I started Metformin with Rx (due to genetic defects for glucose and glucose control that is no longer optimal - plus the aging benefits) according to the Life Extension protocol. I started with 250mg for a week, then 500/week, then 1000 then 1500. Everything is fine, no side effects except around the 1000mg point I developed heart palpitations. After consulting with my doc and the FDA report which indicates that 1%-5% of subjects experience various side effects including palpitations, I'm taking a break and will restart later. What about going to the time release version instead?
Please share your experience on Metformin and ideas. My Dr suggests that on restarting keeping it at 1000mg, assuming the palpitations go away. He says that synthetic medications commonly cause side effects like this. Is Metformin synthetic? I thought it was produced from French Lilac, but I can easily believe it's synthesized a cost savings.
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My wife and I have been taking 850 mg of Metformin per day tor the past 30 months, with no apparent side effects, no palpitations, and considerable improvement in our yearly physical exams. I ordered the Metformin as 850 mg tablets without a prescription from a pharmacy in New Delhi, India via the Internet.
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JGC Thanks for your details. I went to my primary and they didn't see anything on an EKG but are referring to cardio to make sure. Which is fine, it's on my list to do a through heart check.
She did say she has 100's of patients on Metformin and there no evidence of cardiac issues, only stomach upsets sometimes.
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JGC hello, how do you know whether the fisetin or the metformin produced your amazing antiaging benefits, or a combination of the two? do you take just one 850mg metformin daily? thanks.
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karl kuffner
Our daily 850 mg Metformin doses have been taken over about 30 months, and taking these has at least helped my wife and I lose weight and keep our glucose levels low, which has led to good yearly physical exam results.
For the two Fisetin sessions a month apart, we did bloodwork before and after, and I reported the changes seen in three "blood-age" calculations. It's possible that the Metformin played some role in those changes, but I don't think that's likely.
I'm aware that others take larger daily Metformin doses (~2-3 g), but I only break the 850 mg Metformin tablets in half, and we each take a half-tablet twice a day.
In my opinion, Metformin and Rapamycin are doing effectively the same thing: producing the same body-response as caloric restriction without the starvation. But Rapamycin has some ugly side effects ...
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JGC JGC thanks for quick reply the metformin I take is supposedly 250mg size( thin, round 3/8inch across, how would you describe your 850 mg size? You've inspired me to be more vigilant about taking it daily. Thankyou fellow life extender ( where do you find you fistelin? Sorry about bad spelling Karl and family
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karl kuffner
My metformin pills from India come in 10-pill bubble packs. The pills are white, about 3/4" long, 3/8" wide, and 3/16" thick, with rounded ends and a groove across the middle to make them easy to break in half. They are manufactured by Combitic Global Capulet Pvt. Ltd. I don't remember the pharmacy that I ordered them from, but I started by looking for a Canadian pharmacy from which I could order metformin without a prescription, and I ended by getting the metformin from India. If you search "metformin India" you will probably find lots of sources.
I note that metformin is supposed to inhibit absorption of vitamin B12 by the small intestine, so you might want to take some B12 supplement at the same time as the metformin.
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JGC
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For me, I was in 500mg extetended release for years, and recently increased to same, 2X/ day.
When first taking, I had diarrhea a bit for a couple weeks. Increasing this time, a few days (small amount).
I would say give your body a month or two at each dose level before increasing.
just my thought😎
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BobM Results of my recent blood work after doubling my Metformin dose to two 500 extended release pills (once At breakfast, once at dinner): Finally, after many years, my A1c dropped to 5.3. On the previous dose on one tab, I ran at 5.9 to 6.3 for ~ 10 years.
And some more weight loss / better cholesterol levels (2.3 ratio of total/HDL).
Early last year I also take the LEF AMPK supplement with it. 1/2 dose AM, 1 dose lunch, 1/2 dose PM. It did not really change my results.
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I must be the only one in this community trying a low dose 250 mg (sometimes 500 mg) when compared to other experimenters. I am trying this since about 3-4 years, taking in the late evening as I understand it might potentiate autophagy which itself tends to happen in low metabolism periods of circadian rhythm, but please do not take this for granted as it would require more research. Nothing really to report (e.g. on A1C or fasting glucose) not surprisingly at these doses though. I do see a (likely coincidental) lowering in the aging.ai values for which I have the doubts expressed elsewhere which is also confounded by other factors.
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I'm generally wary of powerful drugs and went to several sources regarding metformin. I suppose it's fine in healthy people, up to a point. There is a caution I'd like to post here, for what it's worth. Metformin users might go beyond blood tests and check kidney functioning at least annually.
Here's a link and an excerpt:
https://www.drugs.com/pro/metformin.html#A84878125-D294-42C4-A68A-BB7C05AE3F1F
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Before initiating Metformin hydrochloride tablets, obtain an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)
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Metformin hydrochloride tablets are contraindicated in patients with an eGFR less than 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (see CONTRAINDICATIONS ).
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Initiation of Metformin hydrochloride tablets is not recommended in patients with eGFR between 30 to 45 mL/min/1.73 m2.
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Obtain an eGFR at least annually in all patients taking Metformin hydrochloride tablets. In patients at risk for the development of renal impairment (e.g., the elderly), renal function should be assessed more frequently.
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In patients taking Metformin hydrochloride tablets whose eGFR falls below 45 mL/min/ 1.73 m2, assess the benefit and risk of continuing therapy.
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Drug interactions —The concomitant use of Metformin hydrochloride tablets with specific drugs may increase the risk of Metformin-associated lactic acidosis: those that impair renal function, result in significant hemodynamic change, interfere with acid-base balance, or increase Metformin accumulation. Consider more frequent monitoring of patients.
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Age 65 or greater —The risk of Metformin-associated lactic acidosis increases with the patient’s age because elderly patients have a greater likelihood of having hepatic, renal, or cardiac impairment than younger patients. Assess renal function more frequently in elderly patients.
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Don
some data I found:
Of 100,000 people, the incidence of lactic acidosis was 5.1 cases in the metformin group and 5.8 cases in the non-metformin group.
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Don
good post with data. Thanks!
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BobM Thanks, Bob. Information is what we're about here. How relevant it may be, or how useful, is an individual matter.
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By the way Metformin (MET-Pro) is also available at antiaging.clinic, along with Rapamycin, Dasatinib, Oxytocin and Deprenyl (helps improve focus and attention). Once at the site you will need to enter the code " Research ".
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CSC
I note that Antiaging Clinic sells 60 x 20 mg Dasatinib (Sprycel) tablets for a mere $1,499.99. I guess that's better than $2k for 4 pills, but it still reflects the rapacious pricing of Bristol-Meyers Squibb.
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JGC I get that Antiaging Clinic only recommends sources they can verify for the benefit of people buying these drugs from foreign countries. Four tablets of the Bristol Meyers brand in the US comes out to about $550/pill. I ordered mine from the Indian pharmacy and their cost is about 1% of the US price. I am willing to tolerate that risk to save 99% of the price of these meds.
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Hi,
For anyone in Canada, here's how to get Metformin without a prescription:
1) Create an account with www.reship.com
2) Order Metformin from https://theantiaging.store/. Pay by bank wire (easy to do, just visit your bank branch). Delivery address is USA re-ship address.
3) When product arrives at Reship USA address, have them re-send it to your address in Canada. In product description put 'weight loss supplement'.
4) Metformin arrives at your address!
Note: Canada Customs will block direct shipments from the antiaging store to Canada. Re-ship gets around this problem.
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Hi what is the latest thoughts on benefits to taking metformin. ? Thankyou
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karl kuffner Dr. Sandra Kaufmann has a whole chapter (Chapter 16) on Metformin in her 2018 book, The Kaufmann Protocol. Metformin rates well on her Kaufmann number system "3.1.3.2.2.2.3" which means has favorable affects for all the aging pathways that she uses in her number system.
Dr. David Sinclair favorably mentions metformin in his 2019 book, Lifespan, and his many interviews and lectures. He also mentions that he takes 1gr of Metformin per day for it's anti-aging properties and his 80 year old father takes metformin for anti-aging also.
Life Extension has recommended metformin for anti-aging for many years and stills does.
These are 3 indications are good enough for me to have started taking daily metformin a month ago.
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41yrs old. Started taking metformin ~6 months ago. Effects: increased energy (mild), weight gain stopped (not much weight loss unfortunately), [TMI] persistent bleeding in the rectal area of ~8 years stopped a week after taking it. Blood sugars and Ha1c were always normal (<90, 5.2) before taking it.
Taking 500mg x 2 daily with Food. Higher doses gave me fatigue!
Had my mom of 67 yrs old start ~3 months back. She's very happy with it. Her mental acuity went up (she was starting to get forgetful). She tells me her arms no longer ache during or after swimming. She can walk longer.
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FDA and other drug regulatory bodies have been investigating diabetes drug metformin for possible contamination with a carcinogenic called N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).
European Medicines Agency (EMA) officials said they have asked pharma companies to test metformin across Europe for a possible NDMA contamination because they found some metformin products tainted with NDMA in Singapore.
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This is a new study that casts some aspersions on the use of metformin late in life. There have been some comments about it in other threads that detail the study's limitations - use of nematodes, old/senescent cell cultures - but worth the read.
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Hi everyone.
I'm from Greece and my english is not good enough, so please forgive me if i will do any mistake.
Well, I have high insulin and for this reason i take metformin 2000mg per day from March2020. From then I want to eat all the time, especially bread or pasta or any sweets and I have take back the kilos, which I had lost when my dose was 1000mg per day.
Do you believe that is that normal?
Ps: In Greece we don't need any paper from any doctor for metformin's buying. Also it costs almost 2,50 euro per box (30tab).
