I'm considering taking Metformin for off label reasons

[Gottfrid]

2 hours ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Shoot the messenger; why don't you Sir!

 

I'm here to try to help people. 

 

Nature has the answers. We are nature. Nature is us.

I agree nature has much to offer. However, you are so blinded by all the trees, that you are missing the forest. In other words, you must look at the benefits from both sides. Sometimes, people need other medicine´s to stay alive. So, if you really want to help people, you got to broaden your horizon a bit.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

As I said the effect on weight loss might be not what you're expecting. 

I prescribed Metformin over many years. It worked for diabetics until Glibenclamid was first choice (diet first hand). The side effects of nausea and stomach ache was for many a reason to stop it. Life threatening cases I didn't see, but they are mentioned in some reports.

If you're overweight it's worth a try but cave: if you have to take other medication as I mentioned before please stay away and go for a strict diet regime because of interactions.

You might see a reduced crave for any food with metformin.

Questions?

Very interesting.

Well I can look up info about drug interactions but good point.

My food cravings aren't very dramatic except for something delicious (usually savory and spicy). Only rarely do I go for desserts though I do eat a lot of fresh fruit.

I eat so much brocolli that I get it delivered by the kilo. 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

I agree nature has much to offer. However, you are so blinded by all the trees, that you are missing the forest. In other words, you must look at the benefits from both sides. Sometimes, people need other medicine´s to stay alive. So, if you really want to help people, you got to broaden your horizon a bit.

It shouldn't be an either/all contest.

There are medical benefits from behavior and diet and there are also medical benefits from western medicine and meds. It's a case by case situation.

[KhaoHom]

I heartily recommend getting fit, eating proper, balanced diet and taking as few meds as possible especially as they may include with age. Fitness helps, medicine often does not. 

 

Good diet and excerise should clear up per diabetic problems like magic.

 

Good luck 

[newbee2022]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Very interesting.

Well I can look up info about drug interactions but good point.

My food cravings aren't very dramatic except for something delicious (usually savory and spicy). Only rarely do I go for desserts though I do eat a lot of fresh fruit.

I eat so much brocolli that I get it delivered by the kilo. 

I like broccoli too. But not for dinner because my wife kicked me out at night a couple of times (bloating🥳).

So for lunch excellent, yes.

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Try medical cleanliness, better diet, plumbing, waste disposal etc. Nothing to do with vaccines.

 

I suggested to the OP that diet might be considered before embarking on meds.

 

You come across as a pro-vaxxer. I say 'nature has the answers'. Go for a walk in the forest, Listen to the birds twittering. Sun on yer back. The grass beneath yer feet. Watch the snakes slither away. The squirrels in the trees. The beauty of clouds in the sky. Would do you good Sir.

 

 

 

Off topic but I'm definitely a pro-vaxer. Remember polio? As as a kid we all had to get the jab or stay away from school. That was good and we liked it. 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

I heartily recommend getting fit, eating proper, balanced diet and taking as few meds as possible especially as they may include with age. Fitness helps, medicine often does not. 

 

Good diet and excerise should clear up per diabetic problems like magic.

 

Good luck 

Again you're not getting the message here. Oh well. 

[cjinchiangrai]

17 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Probably the biggest factor is hygiene such as running water.

Also science

[cjinchiangrai]

12 minutes ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Try medical cleanliness, better diet, plumbing, waste disposal etc. Nothing to do with vaccines.

 

I suggested to the OP that diet might be considered before embarking on meds.

 

You come across as a pro-vaxxer. I say 'nature has the answers'. Go for a walk in the forest, Listen to the birds twittering. Sun on yer back. The grass beneath yer feet. Watch the snakes slither away. The squirrels in the trees. The beauty of clouds in the sky. Would do you good Sir.

Nature only got us to 35 years after several hundred thousand.

[Lacessit]

Every drug we take puts a burden on the kidneys and liver.

 

In my book, the less medications I can take, the better. Opportunistic use is better than daily use.

 

I have found a sensible diet and daily exercise eliminates the need for quite a few medications.

[david555]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Fair enough and I mentioned the need for kidney screening. But taking it as a treatment for Type 2 or pre is different than taking it without diabetes. 

some are even not aware to have type 2 diabetes , as i was not aware until my vision became foggy  .....to just to surprised was at that high level of 14% A1C.....The lady specialist was even surprised that i could get is so quick descending by my medication AND strict diet ...., now at A1C 6.4 % close to neutral per-diabetes  and daily glucose meter use  let me now enjoy choosing food that was  out of touch .... in limited use  depending my blood glucose readings 

 

My Gov. med program gives me free medication & docter visits , free glucose meter and pins, on contract condition 2 times a year Docter checkup with blood tests ( i do each 3 a 4 months) and once a year the hospital oncologe Docter who decide of any deeper checkups for eye , kidney and 1 check of liver & pancreas 

[Bacon1]

unnecessary comment & a reply to it removed 

[Jingthing]

53 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Every drug we take puts a burden on the kidneys and liver.

 

In my book, the less medications I can take, the better. Opportunistic use is better than daily use.

 

I have found a sensible diet and daily exercise eliminates the need for quite a few medications.

Yes, ideally.

 

[couchpotato]

Okay here you are...

Pill that costs just pennies a day linked to decreased risk of dementia, study suggests

[Oliver Holzerfilled]

Let's play a game of simple word substitution to hopefully illustrate how harebrained the idea of self-medicating is.

 

I'm considering taking Metformin Ivermectin for off label reasons....

 

Or we can just go with, "trust me bro, I've done the research."

[Jingthing]

Just now, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

Let's play a game of simple word substitution to hopefully illustrate how harebrained the idea of self-medicating is.

 

I'm considering taking Metformin Ivermectin for off label reasons....

 

Or we can just go with, "trust me bro, I've done the research."

Not the same.

[cjinchiangrai]

1 hour ago, couchpotato said:

Okay here you are...

Pill that costs just pennies a day linked to decreased risk of dementia, study suggests

Correlation is not causation.

[newbee2022]

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

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?

 

In many/most countries it's NOT off-label. Still a good really proven medication.!!

Available on prescriptions only

[Bacon1]

 

In Alzheimer's & Dementia, Zheng and colleagues published results from a UK-based cohort study of 210,237 participants, suggesting that metformin use reduced dementia risk beyond the level observed in patients with milder diabetes and better health profiles.

 

(Details of study omitted for brevity)

Link:

First published: 12 April 2025

https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70147

 

In conclusion, metformin is a safe, affordable, and widely used anti-T2DM drug, with growing evidence suggesting that its long-term use is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline. An ongoing 18-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial—the Metformin in Alzheimer's Dementia Prevention study (NCT04098666)—is investigating the protective effects of doses up to 2000 mg/day, with results expected in 2027

[Jingthing]

2000 is a high dose.

[nauseus]

19 hours ago, Stiddle Mump said:

Given a shot of what may I ask?

 

Well, it wasn't sense.

[david555]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

2000 is a high dose.

my dose metformin was / is 2x 850 , 1 morning breakfast and 1 afternoon/ evening eating time , so not far from2000 ...... 3 times is also done for diabetes  medication treatment depending patient

[Bacon1]

[couchpotato]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

2000 is a high dose.

He said 'up to 2000'..most people would be on 1000mg a day (2x 500) or one 850mg.

As you are doing this for your own means (which I'm sure many people do), then work out what you feel is good for you. Start low and work up if necessary.

3 pages on the subject without any real conclusions is a bit over the top.

[connda]

On 8/15/2025 at 5:00 PM, 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.

 

Alpha-GPC, Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin D, HIIT workouts, and various forms of fasting, and sauna..  Check out Dr. Rhonda Patrick.  I'd hold off on the Metformin.  
https://podcastnotes.org/tim-ferris-show/rhonda-patrick-ph-d-protocols-for-fasting-lowering-dementia-risk-reversing-heart-aging-using-sauna-for-longevity-hotter-is-not-better-and-a-few-supplements-that-might-actually-matter/

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

In many/most countries it's NOT off-label. Still a good really proven medication.!!

Available on prescriptions only

He is referring to off  label use,  not to the medication as such being off label.

 

He means taking it for other than approved purposes/indications.

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

He is referring to off  label use,  not to the medication as such being off label.

 

He means taking it for other than approved purposes/indications.

I can read very well. Your reply makes no sense for me.

[Puccini]

11 hours ago, Jingthing said:

...What do you mean by or bid?...

 

bid: bis in die, Latin medical term for "twice daily"

[jerrymahoney]

18 hours ago, Stiddle Mump said:

The squirrels in the trees.

Squirrels can have rabies.

 

BTW this we are nature - nature is us stuff has been around for a long time. AI quickie:

 

Christian Science is a religion and system of healing founded by Mary Baker Eddy in the late 19th century. It is based on the belief that spiritual healing can be achieved through prayer and a deeper understanding of God, as revealed in the Bible. Key to their beliefs is the idea that sickness is a mental error, not a physical condition, and can be overcome through spiritual means. 

 

-- I walked by the local Christian Science church each day on the way to grade school
 

[GammaGlobulin]

Very fortunately for me, I am not now taking any anti-psychotic meds....

 

Therefore, I do not need to consider metaformin to control any nonexistent concomitant weight gain due to meds that I am not taking.

I try to take as few meds as possible, and it is working for me, so far.

 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-metformin-a-wonder-drug-202109222605