in today's video we are going to be talking about metformin
what it is how it works and the side effects of taking it if you've clicked on this video
it's probably because you've been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes insulin resistance or pcos and
have been prescribed metformin or you might have been prescribed it under the brand name
glucophage metformin is the number one drug prescribed to people who have issues managing
blood sugar and while it can be effective at managing symptoms the side effects might outweigh
the benefits especially if you end up taking it for a long time so in today's video we are
going to be talking about metformin and 10 common side effects you might experience from taking it
hey guys welcome back to my channel if you're new here my name is kait i'm a health coach and i post
videos on a high fat nutrient-dense way of eating if you like this video please give it a thumbs up
feel free to share and make sure to subscribe and make sure to follow me on instagram twitter and
facebook where i show new posts every single day as of 2018 metformin is the fourth most prescribed
drug in the united states with over 180 million people prescribed it worldwide and while metformin
can definitely be effective for controlling blood sugar there are several side effects both mild and
severe they can be experienced we're going to start off today talking about what metformin is
and how it works then we will get into the 10 side effects you might experience and we'll finish off
talking about what other options you have that can be just as if not more effective than metformin
what is metformin metformin also known by the brand name glucophage is an oral prescription
drug that improves how your body responds to insulin now if you have watched some of my other
videos you will know that high blood sugar and type 2 diabetes are caused by insulin resistance
insulin is the hormone that shuttles sugar from our blood to various cells throughout the body
but when we are insulin resistant our cells stop responding to insulin correctly and this
eventually leads to high blood sugar and a type 2 diabetes diagnosis but metformin helps your
cells to accept the sugar again so there isn't too much floating around in your blood metformin also
reduces the amount of sugar your liver releases into your blood once again helping to control
blood sugar for women with pcos metformin can also be effective because the symptoms that define pcos
irregular periods high testosterone and ovarian cysts are all caused by insulin resistance every
month just before ovulation there should be a big spike in the hormone estrogen all estrogen is made
from testosterone but high insulin levels block the ovaries from converting it and the spike in
estrogen doesn't happen so you do not ovulate and the eggs remain in the ovaries and become
cysts and you are left with high testosterone levels as a result another positive is that
metformin helps those with type 2 diabetes lose weight which is otherwise difficult and once again
this ties in with insulin resistance when insulin levels are high in the body we cannot burn body
fat high insulin is a sign that there is high sugar in the blood which our cells can use for
energy and therefore our bodies do not have to use body fat for energy instead and this is
why it can be so difficult to lose weight if you are type 2 diabetic or insulin resistant so once
again metformin can be beneficial okay so right now you might be thinking that metformin sounds
pretty great but unfortunately no drug comes without side effects metformin side effects
we're going to start off talking about some of the less severe side effects of metformin and then
we will get into some of the more serious ones number one gas bloating and digestive distress
this is one of the most common side effects of metformin and the reason why a lot of people who
are prescribed it stop taking it over half of the people prescribed metformin report experiencing
diarrhea as a result metformin interferes with the body's ability to absorb synthesized store
and metabolize certain nutrients this means that the body can become depleted in them
two of the nutrients that metformin depletes are vitamin b9 and vitamin b12 and when this happens
this can cause digestive distress and diarrhea number two nausea and vomiting another common
side effect of metformin is nausea with 25 percent of users reporting this symptom however this does
seem to go down when metformin is taken with a meal or after a couple of weeks of regular use
number three fatigue once again this is due to nutrient depletion as i already mentioned
metformin depletes vitamin b9 and vitamin b12 but another nutrient it depletes is coq10
all three of these are needed to ensure that red blood cells of the right size are created in the
body and cells are able to produce energy without them you will feel weak and tired number four
tingling in palms and feet vitamin b12 is critical for nerve function when stored in the body are low
our nerves can become extra sensitive number five low testosterone this is one side effect that men
are not going to be happy to hear about metformin causes a significant reduction in testosterone
which can also lead to erectile dysfunction and low sex drive number five hair loss vitamin b9
is responsible for healthy cell growth when our bodies are depleted in it this can cause us to
lose hair and even form bald spots number six muscle pain as we already discussed metformin
depletes coq10 which is needed for muscle energy people on metformin will often complain about
random pains in their calves and other muscles throughout the body number seven brain fog if you
haven't already caught on the nutrient depletion effects of metformin are what cause a lot of the
side effects and this includes brain fog this one also comes down to vitamin b12 with low
b12 you might experience memory loss and even mood swings and anger number eight hypoglycemia because
metformin affects how your body handles blood sugar some people experience hypoglycemia also
known as low blood sugar this is the opposite problem of high blood sugar but it isn't any
better hypoglycemia can make you feel dizzy shaky and lightheaded number nine anemia and now we are
getting into some of the more serious side effects anemia is when your blood doesn't have enough
healthy red blood cells in this situation anemia is caused by very low vitamin b12 and anemia leads
to reduced oxygen flow to the body's organs the results of anemia can be severe so it is really
important to make sure you are getting enough vitamin b12 in through diet number 10 lactic
acidosis this is probably the most scary side effect but it is also the most rare metformin can
cause lactic acid to build up in the bloodstream and if your body isn't clearing it effectively
this can be a big problem if you have any kidney problems or consume excessive amounts of alcohol
you are at a greater risk if not treated lactic acidosis can lead to a coma or death
so if it hasn't already become abundantly clear making sure you are getting more than adequate
amounts of vitamin b9 vitamin b12 and coq10 is really important if you are taking metformin
yes supplementing these vitamins can help but our bodies absorb them better when we get them through
food beef liver is one of the best sources of vitamin b9 vitamin b12 and coq10 and as
unappealing as it sounds your body will only thank you if you add it into your diet or there's the
option to take beef liver capsules and i know i just said that whole foods are better than
supplements but with beef liver capsules the liver has been freeze dried so you are still
getting all the benefits of eating liver whereas with most supplements you are getting artificial
and isolated versions of only one or two nutrients beef chicken and pork is also a really good source
of all three nutrients metformin alternatives at the start of this video i said that there
was an alternative to taking metformin for the rest of your life to manage blood sugar
because that is all metformin can do it can manage your symptoms but it can't reverse type 2 diabetes
and insulin resistance thankfully there is another option and that is to address insulin resistance
head-on because if you can make yourselves more sensitive to insulin again naturally your fasting
blood sugar will go down and you will be able to keep it stable and the best way to reverse
insulin resistance is through diet the foods we eat can either have a big impact on our insulin
or a small impact on our insulin and if we stick to foods that do not have a big impact
on our insulin then insulin levels will remain low blood sugar will remain stable and your cells will
start to become more insulin sensitive and the best way to do this is to eat a low carb diet
because carbs cause insulin to rise the most when we eat them and fat and protein only very little
focus your diet around healthy sources of protein fat low sugar fruit and non-starchy vegetables
cut out processed food as these are usually isolated and refined sources of carbs eating
less frequently not snacking and maybe practicing intermittent fasting can all help to keep insulin
low as well and if you can keep insulin low your cells will begin to become more sensitive to it
again and your need for metformin will reduce or go away entirely i have another video where i talk
about low carb diets and their effectiveness at reversing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
which i will link above if you want to check it out afterwards in one study i talked about
in that video done on type 2 diabetics 94 of them were able to reduce or get off their medication
entirely simply by making a diet change anyways guys that's all i have for you today let me know
in the comment section down below if you take metformin and if you experience any side effects
if you did like this video remember to give it a thumbs up and click that subscribe button and
if you want to check out that video i mentioned earlier where i look at different studies done on
low carb diets and insulin resistance and diabetes you can check it out here if you want to catch
up on my most recent upload you can find it right here and if you want to check out my keto diet and
carnivore diet coaching programs you can find them here thanks again guys i'll see you next time bye