Metformin-Anyone on this trial?
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you can buy metformin at walmart?
I started my trial on Sunday with 850 mg per day, I have not had any side effects, so I tried two today to see if anything would happen and nothing. I am a little concerned that I have the placebo, I should give it more time. My stomach is not usually very sensititve...
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Nicole4.. Not in Canada..
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Wow ... Great info LuvRVing! Thanks. Nice to know I can get it at a reasonable price if I have to...despite the fact I pay a small fortune for premiums!
Interesting info, Joy. THX.
Wouldnt it be fabulous if this stuff really helped our BC>?!!!!
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Metformin is on WalMart's $4 generic prescription list (actually many pharmacies and grocery store pharmacies have it really cheap). And they charge $10 for a 90 day supply, regardless of the strength of your RX. I have a few RXs that I get there because my prescription drug co-pay is $10 for a month supply of Metformin, $20 for three months if I use Express-Scripts. And oh, how I hate having to use Express-Scripts. We've had so many issues with them lately.
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AAARG! How I hate Express scripts, too! Just wanted to add my experience with drug interactions. I started presciption Metormin beginning with 425mg once daily in April. I had horrible constipation with bloating and abdominal pain. I was taking tons of OTC stuff to help get things going....I was miserable. I finally figured out that the Calcium supplement that I had been taking for the past 3 years did not agree with the metformin. So I stopped the calcium and GI issues resolved. I learned that there is more than one type of calcium supplement. I was on calcium carbonate. I am now on calcium citrate and even increased my dose of Metformin to 425 twice a day. No GI problems at all. Eventually i will be taking Metformin 850mg twice a day.
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I have a stack of papers about the trials and the drug itself as high as my forearm and I only found a handful of cases of non-diabetics having trouble with blood sugar. In those cases, it appears to be more with extremely advanced cases of cancer, in which the pancreas is assumed to be not performing it's proper function, or people with a history of pancreatitis. I think you're safe. What I did find of late, tummy troubles are much more tolerable when I had some probiotic yogurt with the pills.
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NavyMom - your comment about Calcium Carbonate made me look to see which one I take. It is Calcium Carbonate, but I don't have any real GI issues with my mega-metformin dose.
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I tell ya, one thing I learned when BC came into my life was to do my own research. And don't take "NO" for an answer. I would have given up on Metformin from the get go. I spoke to 2 pharmacists about my GI issues and neither had any ideas to help me except for OTC constipation meds. Oh Blech......I'll stop now. My point is to be diligent and don't give up on yourself and your own needs.
See ya over on the TN thread, LuvRVing!
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Luv is right Purple32, I wouldn't even bother going through your insurance company for your prescription. I just pay for mine at Walmart. I think your Endo is just crossing her t's and dotting her I's. She is giving you a shot at getting the drug, but doesn't want any problems associated with prescribing a drug for an experimental purpose. My doctor kept it much simpler and blunter: don't deal with the insurance company, pay out of pocket and get it at Walmart, and keep your mouth shut, lol. Love my PCP!!!!!!
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Hi kathryn
My dr. faxed in the RX to CVS yesterday ....$7.98 . I guess it would have ben $4 at Walmart.
I have not yet picked it up, but I am a tad confised .
Are you saying Walmart sells it OTC for $4? No, that cant be .
OR , are you saying , I should have asked the dr to call it in to Walmart and then I could get it for $4 and not go thru ins ? IF that's the case, I would have to wait until Monday I guess, call the dr again and ask her ... to fax to a Walmart pharmacy ?I have no issues with the metformn price whether copay or what - its the price of test strips, and I do want them. The DR gave me a free meter , but said my ins may cry about paying for strips. Right now, I have samples.
Yes, my ins co., is bad. I was disputing a 20% fee for my LX ( long story) and I appealed. They sent me a letter back saying I lost the appeal , yadyadyad,. reviewed by claims analysts eyc .,...
I called and asked to speak to the claims analysts an they said it was impossible- never done! NEVER!
They said since ' the new Health Care Reform Act' if I am denied that's it . Once I have appealed , it is done . Appeal exhausted- period. No more talking to the Claims Analysts or ..... I live in MA.( which I *Thought * was a part of the USA!)
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RE; Stomach issues.
Btw, my dr. said to take it with your largest meal of the day
Hope this helps someone.
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Hi Kathy! was glad to see you here! I am on the same wave as Purple about Wallyworld. Next time i go to my local store I am going to stop by the pharmacy counter and ask about the metformin. I have read somewhere on this board that the Publix stores that in the southern USA does the same thing with Metformin....but that it is free.
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I have a naturally low blood-glucose level, so they are watching that pretty carefully right now. I have been light-headed on a few occasions, but nothing serious and no change in my blood work. Massive indigestion about Week 3 after starting the trial (lasted more than a week), but it, finally, settled down. Now, I have to watch out for certain foods that never bothered me before: shallots; peppers; brussels sprouts.
I, also, have naturally, low blood pressure (my GP, sometimes, jokes that he doesn't know why I'm still conscious, but given the strong family history of cardiac- and cerebrovascular disease, I suppose this is a good thing) and - from years of athletics - a slightly, slower-than-normal heart beat and a slightly, higher-than-normal heart enzyme level.
Lately; however, my body has become a fat-burning machine!! I started to lose weight on tamoxifen and I've lost another 8 pounds on the Clinical Trial. (All tests normal and "clear".) Part of the problem is, I just don't get hunger pains anymore, so I - often - forget to eat and have to be reminded. However, both tamoxifen and Metformin can have this side effect (i.e., inappetence) in some women, so I don't know which drug is the culprit and neither does my MO. So, now, I grapple with the conundrum: how do I continue to eat well and healthily, and not resort to the "eat more carbs" approach to weight gain? Protein shakes?0 -
Purple - you have 2 options regarding the Metformin. CVS has a program where if you pay $12.99 a year, then you can get your 90 day supply of metformin for $12.99. Or you can just go to WalMart and get a 30 day supply for $4 or a 90 day supply for $10. It's definitely cheaper at Wallyworld, but some people just don't like to go there. Either way, it's a good deal. And...you can go to the Walmart pharmacy and ask the pharmacist to call CVS and get the prescription transferred. Almost any pharmacist will do that for a patient...they want the business.
Navymom - yes, when in Florida I have seen the signs in Publix that some of their generic drugs are free, and metformin is one of them.
Selena - yes, metformin can help a person lose weight. What you describe is one of the reasons it's so effective for women with PCOS and overweight Type 2 diabetics. You might try adding some good fats to your diet - nuts, olive oil, avocado, etc, and high quality protein along with more fresh fruit. Fruit is a healthier way of eating more carbs.
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and ask the pharmacist to call CVS and get the prescription transferred.
Brilliant, LuvRRing! Why didnt I think of that ? Thanks!
You mentioned the CVS option, and I am not sure if those prices were w/out ins (?) I've decided to keep my ins. co, out if possible. Going to call CVS right now anyhow...guess I have to take it from here :>)
Many thanks for all your info!0 -
Hi selena
While tammi *claims* to have weight loss as a SE, I have seen countless women on these forums say they have gained weight since being on it...only anecdotal, but I usually put more stock in that ! It would be more logical to think it was the metformin.
JMO
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SelenaWolf,
I think most gals gain weight on Tamoxifen. I would guess the weight loss is coming from Metformin. I see my doctor next week so I am not on this drug but hoping to get on it b/c I do have high blood sugar levels but technically not diabetic. I hope I can lose some of this weight too. It is hard when they put us on these drugs that cause weight gain but then tell us that extra weight is bad for us and cancer! ugugh!
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purple32... I lost 10 pounds on tamoxifen alone before starting the Metformin clinical trial. Lost 8 more, so I think it may be a bit of both...0
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Metformin can have negative effects for certain people, including acidosis which can be fatal. This most often occurs with people who do not have proper liver and/or kidney functions, something people who are on or were on chemo should have tested. That said, even small doses are beneficial (I am on 250 mg/day) and ARBs (a blood pressure med similar to ACE inhibitors which is suspected in increasing breast cancer occurance) also are tumor inhibitors. Beta blockers as well, but I can't take them, nor aspirin. I changed from ACE to ARBs showing my doctor the studies and he thanked me profusely. Go figure. Metformin not only attacks cancer stem cells and disables cancer cells, it is also good for the heart. As one doctor put it, it is like killing the seed and making the ground around that seed, hostile to growth. In Canada there's a large study going on now....I chose to put myself in the non-placebo group and I got the prescription because my sugar was just a tiny bit high (it's normal now)..maybe because I sucked a fisherman's friend prior just to get rid of that stale taste in your mouth after fasting. Tamoxifen makes my heart rhythm go up and I have had two episodes of atrial fibrillations and don't want anymore thank you. So, that left me with metformin. Just a note on beta blockers.....they have crappy side effects, especially propanolol....they actually initiated atrial fibs for me. Also, take metformin with your largest meal. Eating properly also stabilizes insulin levels. A large amount of abdominal fat is actually a BIG organ that causes INFLAMMATORY responses in your body....we need to get rid of that. Hard to do, I know.
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Wow, selena!
I guess you do have your answer(s) then. It is said to be an unusal effect and one that many women would like - but I suppose that doesn't help you !If you can eat peanut butter as a protein , and can tolerate that amt. of sugar, it is certainly high in calorie. Lots of nuts are high in calorie and good for you.
Happy eating!
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Yep... for the first time in my life since I was 10, I'm eating peanut butter again. I found a half-fat, lower sugar version that I can eat without my mouth puckering too badly.
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Any new findings on Metformin?? I guess meaning its effectiveness on breast cancer. I try to stay on top of things but I haven't seen anything lately.
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Fighter, I don't know what the latest information you have is. However, it has been proven, in some cases, to be quite effective, because it can repair DNA. I don't post studies, because the best information will always come from your physician, but I'm sure there's stuff out there on google that can explain how/if it has been proven to be beneficial. My physician is quite pleased with the results of the trials. I don't have the luxury of time, nor do I qualify for the trial, so I'm taking it based on it's ability to repair DNA alone. On the other hand, I heard on the news this a.m., that a diabetes drug developed by Glaxo has been proven to be quite dangerous. I only caught the trail end of the story, so I'm unsure as to whether or not it's metformin. Keeping my ears peeled and have a call in to my doctor to find out the scoop. When he calls back, I'll post what I've found out.
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The Glaxo drug is Avandia. Metformin is generic so there are many manufacturers. Anyways, it was discovered that Avandia was causing fluid retention and possible congestive heart failure, and it was pulled off the market in 2010, I think. Actos is now being questioned as a cause for bladder cancer.
Metformin has been around far longer than any of these newer drugs, and it's proven itself to be safe.
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Just heard back from my M.D. I am one of the luckiest people in the world when it comes to a doctor. A heart, a soul and a brilliant mind and someone I am pleased to call "friend". Here are the important parts of the conversation.
Dr. - no, it's not the drug on the news, so relax, have your latte and breathe.
Me - thank gawd. I started to panic because I didn't hear the full story.
Dr. - trust me sweetheart, there's no way I'd get you to take anything that I thought did more harm than good. Remember when you came to me about wanting to quit smoking?
Me - yes
Dr. - well, I could have easily prescribed Wellbutrin because of the studies showing people taking it for depression had the odd side-effect of losing their craving for cigarettes. I didn't want to give it to you because I thought what good is it if you stop smoking but end up sitting on railroad tracks because of the side effects.
Me - I appreciate that.
Dr. - trust me, please, metformin is one of the safest drugs out there unless you have other issues.
Me - like what?
Dr. - like having diabetes in the first place, kidney and liver problems and a sugar-free diet.
Me - (giggling) well, my diet's certainly not sugar-free. What about my liver mets? How can we be sure my kidney is o.k.?
Dr. - why do you think I put you through that battery of tests before I prescribed it? Trust me darling, you're good. Not to get too far ahead of myself, but I really think this can buy you a little more time...suck up the temporary diarrhea and we'll see you in a month. I have an office full of coughers and sneezers....got to go. Call me tonight if you have any more questions.
So, since I don't have a bunch of letters after my name, I'm putting my trust in his advice. In case anyone is interested in the tests I had before getting the metformin...here's the list.
liver, renal panel and blood glucose test
24 hour urine
abdominal CT
ultrasound of liver, kidney and pancreas
asked me for a list of my usual daily diet for a week
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Oh, and I forgot to add, sure metformin has some side effect like the runs, but on the plus side, I no longer have high blood pressure and feel better in general!
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So, he told you that metformin is not safe for diabetics? That's strange.
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Diana, it wasn't my doc who said it but it's not that strange a thing to say. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of end-stage kidney disease in this country, and significant kidney disease is one of the contraindications to taking metformin. Everybody with diabetes, taking metformin or not, should have more frequent monitoring of kidney function than people without diabetes.
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Metformin is a drug for diabetes so why would a dr say not to take it if you have diabetes? Maybe I am misunderstanding something?
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