Metformin - Neuropathy - Vitamin B12

[gusgold]

Metformin can cause Vitamin B12 depletion which causes Peripheral Neuropathy and if left untreated is irreversible......if you also take berberine + metformin..you are at real high risk.

Gus

webmd.com/diabetes/news/200...

[pjoshea13]

Neuropathy is a common problem for both, diabetics & those with B12 deficiency. I can see why, after 45 years of looking at Metformin use & neuropathy in diabetics, there might still be no clear picture.

Unlike in many countries, the U.S. FDA dragged its feet on Metformin for decades. A big (unintentional?) favor to BigPharma, since Metformin is dirt cheap. Consequently, Metformin was not in use in the U.S. until 1994. One would think that a before-after analysis of the frequency of neuropathy in diabetics would provide some concrete facts. Instead, the most recent paper on the subject (this October) states that the reported prevalence of B12 deficiency in Metformin users is 5.8% - 52%! Absurd.

Here is the 'Conclusion' from that paper:

"There is almost a current consensus on metformin’s

potential to lower vitamin B12 levels. Whether the

medication can cause cellular vitamin B12

deficiency remains controversial. The reported

prevalence of the deficiency has shown great

variation due to differences in the utilized

diagnostic biomarkers, their cut-off points as well

as sample- and study-related factors. Controversy

over proper and practical vitamin B12 deficiency

diagnostic approaches is probably a factor behind

the relatively slow advancement of research on metformin-induced vitamin deficiency. The yet

undefined clinical implications of marginal and

functional vitamin B12 deficiency further

complicated the topic.

Several studies have recently investigated

metformin-induced vitamin B12 deficiency’s ability

to cause or worsen PN in T2DM patients with

conflicting results. Exploiting large electronic

record databases and using more objective assessing

tools to quantify the outcomes may be beneficial for

the progression of research on the clinical

consequences of metformin-induced vitamin B12

deficiency."

ejournals.library.ualberta....

Anyway, as with those becoming vegans, it's good to have a heads-up that there may be a B12 issue.

I have written in the past why I feel I need to flirt with B12 insufficiency, but I see that I haven't done a B12-specific PCa post yet.

-Patrick

[Neal-Snyder in reply to pjoshea13]

Hi Patrick,

1. So you think taking Metformin without B12 & flirting with B12 insufficiency is good for us advanced PCa guys?

2. Do you take a multi-vitamin/mineral? I was taking Trader Joe's, but I stopped because the first ingredient is Vit. A as beta-carotene. My acupuncturist/herbalist thinks I should find a good multi that omits it, if there is such a thing. I'm taking many supplements & can't imagine doing a bunch more to get multi ingredients (in addition to multi ingredients I am taking.

3. Unrelated topic: I'm up to 4 walnut halves a day without getting diarrhea, as I did when I ate handfuls of nuts. Is that enough nuts?

Thank you very much for this & for all you do for all of us! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Neal