...

and I'm considering doing that without a doctor's advice.

 

This is a bit of a can of worms topic.

 

Metformin is a very common med for people with Type 2 (not Type 1) diabetes.

 

I don't have such a diagnosis though I suspect possibly pre-diabetes which I do plan to get screened for medically first which of course would also be a screening for Type 2.

 

That said, based on reading I have done recently Metformin seems to be very promising for off label purposes. A number of them including prevention of dementia.

 

Being in Thailand, I don't expect a doctor here would usually suggest this. As I'm not aware of much in the way of downsides of taking it as a non-diabetic, I am strongly considering taking it anyway as it can be bought without a scrip here.

 

Obviously if diagnosed with Type 2 I would follow a doctor's treatment plan which would likely include Metformin anyway. If diagnosed with pre-diabetes even more reason to take it than no diagnosis. But again I'm considering taking it without any such diagnoses. 

 

I'm not going to post links about this but if you're interested this info is widely available.

 

Go for it.

Potential anti-aging drug

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

...

and I'm considering doing that without a doctor's advice.

 

This is a bit of a can of worms topic.

 

Metformin is a very common med for people with Type 2 (not Type 1) diabetes.

 

I don't have such a diagnosis though I suspect possibly pre-diabetes which I do plan to get screened for medically first which of course would also be a screening for Type 2.

 

That said, based on reading I have done recently Metformin seems to be very promising for off label purposes. A number of them including prevention of dementia.

 

Being in Thailand, I don't expect a doctor here would usually suggest this. As I'm not aware of much in the way of downsides of taking it as a non-diabetic, I am strongly considering taking it anyway as it can be bought without a scrip here.

 

Obviously if diagnosed with Type 2 I would follow a doctor's treatment plan which would likely include Metformin anyway. If diagnosed with pre-diabetes even more reason to take it than no diagnosis. But again I'm considering taking it without any such diagnoses. 

 

I'm not going to post links about this but if you're interested this info is widely available.

 

Looks interesting. 

Change your diet better than taking meds.

1 minute ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Change your diet better than taking meds.

Why not both and more?

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Why not both and more?

Got to get to the root causes of illness. Meds is not the way tog; IMO.

Just now, Stiddle Mump said:

Got to get to the root causes of illness. Meds is not the way tog; IMO.

That depends on tne specifics.

I would have been dead in my 20s without meds. 

Why would anyone want  the GI issues that accompany  metformin? Diarrhea, gas, bloating are not desirable. Nor are the other issues like low blood pressure and fainting. Metformin will not prevent dementia, which can have multiple causes. Ozempic was a wonder drug too until the side effects started to appear.

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

That depends on the specifics.

I would have been dead in my 20s without meds. 

We are subject to mental conditionong. So perfectly natural for you to think that.

 

But illnesses don't just happen. There are reasons why we get sick. And those reasons are quite limited, depending a great deal on environment, lifestyle and diet. There is also the medicine factor. What were the medical procedures growing up? 

2 minutes ago, Stiddle Mump said:

We are subject to mental conditionong. So perfectly natural for you to think that.

 

But illnesses don't just happen. There are reasons why we get sick. And those reasons are quite limited. And they depend a great deal on environment, lifestyle and diet. There is also the medicine factor. What were the medical procedures growing up? 

Total bull.

One example. As a kid I almost died of anaphylactic shock from a bee sting. Rushed to the ER and given a shot. Sorted.

I don't know, metaformin has a bunch of troublesome side effects I wouldn't take it unless it was prescribed by a doctor.  Regular exercise, nutrition, and a healthy weight is almost certainly way healthier and more successful in preventing both dementia and diabetes. 

5 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Total bull.

One example. As a kid I almost died of anaphylactic shock from a bee sting. Rushed to the ER and given a shot. Sorted.

Given a shot of what may I ask?

9 minutes ago, Furioso said:

I don't know, metaformin has a bunch of troublesome side effects I wouldn't take it unless it was prescribed by a doctor.  Regular exercise, nutrition, and a healthy weight is almost certainly way healthier and more successful in preventing both dementia and diabetes. 

The benefits are more than that.

I'll do research on side effects but it sounds like you're exagerrating.

As I said I doubt many Thai docs would prescribe for off label reasons. 

 

Look I acknowledged this is a can of worms topic. Self prescribing pharmaceuticals is perhaps bleeding edge.

4 minutes ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Given a shot of what may I ask?

Epinephrine I presume.

I was very young at the time.

I actually blacked out with no memory of the ambulance ride until I woke up on a hospital bed good as new.

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I'll do research on side effects but it sounds like you're exagerrating.

 

According to this, Metformin can have serious side effects that require a 9-11 emergency call. Although not clear how rare that is.

"Metformin has a boxed warning — also called a black box warning — about this risk. A boxed warning is the most severe warning the FDA issues."

Also, lowers B-12, so may need to supplement with B-12.

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/metformin-side-effects#serious-side-effects

 

Berberine may be a safer alternative to Metformin (it's plant based and metformin is a synthetic drug). It's been used in Chinese Traditional medicine and has become popular in the West in recent years. 

It appears to do similar things to Metformin, but has additional benefits such as reduce inflammation and supports cardiovascular health. 

https://www.naturecan.nz/blogs/news/is-berberine-a-natural-alternative-to-metformin

 

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

The benefits are more than that.

I'll do research on side effects but it sounds like you're exagerrating.

As I said I doubt many Thai docs would prescribe for off label reasons. 

 

Look I acknowledged this is a can of worms topic. Self prescribing pharmaceuticals is perhaps bleeding edge.

I don't blame you for wanting to be proactive about your health, especially trying to stave off or prevent dementia.

 

However, If you're a healthy, active person with no chronic disease then the odds of you getting dementia is a LOT less than someone who is not. For example; a person who already has diabetes is much more likely to get dementia than someone who is not. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again there are number of reported benefits for off label usage OTHER than possibly preventing dementia. However, it's my understanding that it's not OK to post popular press medical articles that are not direct scientific research studies here so I won't. You're welcome to look for that information yourself.

I DID find one and only one serious concern about taking it label or off label.

Kidney stuff.

Apparently anyone with kidney disease or any kidney abnormality shouldn't take it and all people taking it should have their kidney function monitored.

Personally I'm not aware of having kidney disease but it seems to me it would be prudent to be screened for that before taking it and to also periodically monitor kidney function while taking it. That gets into the question of whether to get a doctor involved in that or if there is an easy way to get tested yourself for monitoring. As I said I don't expect doctors here will be endorsing such off label usage. So this is the most negative thing about it that I've found so far.

Update on this. A few minutes online and I realize I would need a doctor for kidney function monitoring. Too complex otherwise. The "good" news is this could be requested for a number of conditions including just being over age 60 or hypertension so probably very easy to get that done medically even without specific endorsement for off label metformin.

Going further, I probably should be doing that already regardless.

 

These reported off-label "benefits"  are not actually proven benefits.

 

Rather they are mas media misreporting/exaggerating of research that shows (or suggests, sometimes there are confounding factors nto well controlled for)  some correlations (which does not mean causation) worth further investigation.

 

A long, long  way from proven benefit. If/when such benefits are proven the relevant usage will become "on label". 

 

All drugs have side effects, and  this includes metformin. 

If you suspect you might have pre-diabetes, get an HbA1c blood test to confirm / rule it out.

 

If you are pre-diabetic, adjusting your diet and lifestyle can reverse it. That's preferable to taking any pills or potions.

 

If you're considering Metformin, you might like to take a look at Berberine. It's a herb that has many benefits, some of which have been compared to Metformin. There's a lot of good stuff online, including on YouTube. Google "Berberine or Metformin for pre-diabetes" or similar searches and you'll find heaps of info out there. Some doctors and practitioners recommend Berberine over Metformin for blood sugar control.

 

Personally, I avoid pharmaceuticals. If I had a medical condition, I'd always look to natural products, like Berberine, first. But the best thing to do is to make lifestyle and dietary adjustments to address the root cause.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

These reported off-label "benefits"  are not actually proven benefits.

 

Rather they are mas media misreporting/exaggerating of research that shows (or suggests, sometimes there are confounding factors nto well controlled for)  some correlations (which does not mean causation) worth further investigation.

 

A long, long  way from proven benefit. If/when such benefits are proven the relevant usage will become "on label". 

 

All drugs have side effects, and  this includes metformin. 

Thank you very much for commenting

Pretty much as I assumed though.

However, suppose some of these positive possibilities are solidly proven decades from now.

Wouldn't help me or many others who MIGHT benefit now.

Considering this, I suppose the most important question might be about the downsides even if it doesn't help, which so far to me seem not so much.

I understand you're speaking as a medical professional and that's what I would expect from a medical professional. Not knocking that at all. I respect it but at the end of the day as adults, we need to make our own medical decisions for our own lives in the here or now. Especially in places like Thailand if you know what I mean and I think that you do.

11 minutes ago, mstevens said:

If you suspect you might have pre-diabetes, get an HbA1c blood test to confirm / rule it out.

 

If you are pre-diabetic, adjusting your diet and lifestyle can reverse it. That's preferable to taking any pills or potions.

 

If you're considering Metformin, you might like to take a look at Berberine. It's a herb that has many benefits, some of which have been compared to Metformin. There's a lot of good stuff online, including on YouTube. Google "Berberine or Metformin for pre-diabetes" or similar searches and you'll find heaps of info out there. Some doctors and practitioners recommend Berberine over Metformin for blood sugar control.

 

Personally, I avoid pharmaceuticals. If I had a medical condition, I'd always look to natural products, like Berberine, first. But the best thing to do is to make lifestyle and dietary adjustments to address the root cause.

I have also recently heard of berberine. I'll definitely look into it. 

I think you have failed to get my main message here though. My interest is not only in possibly helping with diabetes and dementia prevention but a number of other possible benefits as well.

Also as I said I do intend to get screened for diabetes and prediabetes. I have only one suspicious symptom of prediabetes but nothing conclusive from that. I've been meaning to do that regardless of considering metformin for other reasons.

Cheers.

 

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

These reported off-label "benefits"  are not actually proven benefits.

 

Rather they are mas media misreporting/exaggerating of research that shows (or suggests, sometimes there are confounding factors nto well controlled for)  some correlations (which does not mean causation) worth further investigation.

 

A long, long  way from proven benefit. If/when such benefits are proven the relevant usage will become "on label". 

 

All drugs have side effects, and  this includes metformin. 

Sheryl, 

I do have a question for you as a medical professional.

In the west now given that the off label benefits of metformin are not as you say really proven, do you think doctors there would usually accept a patient that wants to try it anyway for off label reasons and support that medically with screening, or would they usually just get all huffy and say don't do that, that's stupid or even dangerous?

 

Many longevity experts (both MDs and others) are taking metformin (usually 500mg daily, aka and sold under brand name Glucophage in Thailand). As Cheryl mentions that research has not conclusively proven benefits but the evidence is convincing enough for many people to take this not only for controlling blood sugar but also for its purported longevity benefits. I do take it daily, but A1C readings range from very good to pre-diabetes over the years, and my cardiologist (one of the top ones in Thailand) does also take it and is not pre-diabetes.  The drug has been around a long time and tons of research has been done so that potential side effects are well known.

9 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Why not both and more?

Americans love taking drugs, they've been brainwashed, if pre diabetic change your diet and reverse it as others have said, very lazy to opt for drugs instead

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

Americans love taking drugs, they've been brainwashed, if pre diabetic change your diet and reverse it as others have said, very lazy to opt for drugs instead

Not me.  I only take them as a last resort.

What you're suggesting is practicing medicine without a license. For gawd's sake, check with a doctor. Find a qualified doctor and present your idea. If you don't like the answer that doctor gives you, check with another doctor. If they BOTH tell you it would be a bad idea then it's probably a bad idea.

I took it off-label for its anti-aging properties; however it gave me kidney stones, and my urologist told me to stop taking it.

58 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

I took it off-label for its anti-aging properties; however it gave me kidney stones, and my urologist told me to stop taking it.

Sorry about the kidney stones.

There is that kidney connection again.

Can I ask if you had any kidney issues and or stones before taking the med?