Question About Metformin

I'm going to start taking metformin and wondering dosage to start with and time of day, that you take it.

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  • I would start with 500 mg along with 2 major meals a day. Start with extended release time formula, as it makes side effects that may appear in the beginning (loose stool, gas) much milder. After few weeks you may go to 750 mg twice with meal, but with regular release, researchers say it’s more efficient to control carbs spikes

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    • David H
    • David_Hanson
    • 4 yrs ago
    • Reported - view

    On October 2019 I started with 500mg/day and each week added 500 mg a day until I was up to 2000mg a day. I used to take it with meals but last month I started to take it 30 minutes before Breakfast and dinner.

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    • Moshe M.
    • moshe_m
    • 4 yrs ago
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    Anyone have thoughts on pulsing metformin?

    I am 38, and was planning on starting metformin, when I got slightly worried about the impact blunting of exercise. 

     

    I figure that I dont exercise much on the weekends, and generally dont eat as well either. I wonder if having mtor inhibited sometimes is enough to get (some of) the benefits for someone who generally eats well and exercises.

     

    I started last week taking 1 gram of metformin only on Sat-Sun

     

    Does anyone have any idea if this method has any merit?

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      • David H
      • David_Hanson
      • 4 yrs ago
      • Reported - view

      Moshe M. In the most recent Peter Attia podcast with Dr. Barzilai and Dr. Mannick, Dr. Barzilai mentioned that, at least for older people, metformin did not cause a loss of muscle function. He said that while the metformin group had less muscle mass growth, the function was actually the same. Dr. Barzilai also said that in this elderly population, metformin kept the young profile of muscle. And that at the end, maybe you had less muscle, but you had the same function, and you gained by metformin protecting 500 transcripts that are  aging transcripts. [These comments are mostly from Dr. Attia’s show notes. I listened to the whole 2 hour and sixteen minute podcast while gardening.]

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    • @David H  Dave, I tried metformin about 5 years ago, and it reduced my testosterone by ~ 50%.  Calorie restriction does the same. In both cases my total T was below acceptable level as  even though I supplement with androderm. You can confirm this with google. Both  also increased my my cholesterol due to feedback loop. Suggest everyone  be careful as testosterone and  estradiol (due to to aromatization) are critical for preventing dementia, osteoporosis and  sarcopenia in seniors. I ceased both as result since I am almost 80 and continue to already supplement with androderm due to andropause.. 

      I just did 25 chin ups and 26 pull ups this am. Don't need the adverse impacts of metformin at my age.

      I also note that there is some opposition to metformin as It is thought to adversely impact mitochondria after long term use.

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    • Larry
    • Larry.1
    • 4 yrs ago
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    Peter Attia came out with a podcast on that today. 

    https://peterattiamd.com/joanmannick-nirbarzilai/

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    • Moshe M.
    • moshe_m
    • 4 yrs ago
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    I listened to the podcast, but he didnt really provide anything new in terms of metformin. He takes rapamycin, so probably feels less the need to try and play with metformin

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