Metformin?

[6357axbz]

Is anyone here with metastatic stage 4 hormone naive (not yet castration resistant) PCa taking Metformin, in addition to ADT (Lupron or Eligard or degarelix)? If so what are your observations regarding effectiveness? Thank-you.

[jdm3]

Do a forum search for Metformin here and you will be busy reading for hours. A lot of info and references.

Others can chime in to answer your question with personal experience.

[Longterm101]

I have not but my understanding from several friends who are on it swear by it

Here is a video by snuffy Myers who many have used on this forum

(He’s now retired)

youtu.be/Kg9RBFwNlxg(Not working as expected?)

[Hidden in reply to Longterm101]

Thanks Longterm101..

[Longterm101]

R u taking it?

[6357axbz in reply to Longterm101]

I am not taking it but I have a script from my pcp should I decide to.

[Mkeman]

I have Ben taking Metformin for many years for Type 2 Diabetes. It obviously didn’t prevent my Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. I continue to take it with Eligard, Zytiga and prednisone but is impossible to say whether or not it has helped keep my PSA undetectable for the past 18 months.

[6357axbz]

Thanks for all your input. FYI I just received the following from my MD Anderson oncologist when I asked if he would specifically recommend metformin:

The prospective study from the UK using metformin for patients with prostate cancer will take many years to complete.

For patients who are not willing to wait, we have checked Hb A1c to diagnose prediabetes and to check the metabolic panel to diagnose metabolic syndrome, so that they can receive metformin from their PCP and will be monitored by their PCP.

Unfortunately, in this day and age, the insurance and the guidelines dictate rather than the doctors decide how to treat patients...

[Don_1213]

I've been on it for about 4 months. I had asked my medical oncologist (research MD, PhD at Columbia University) about it - and he said basically what Snuffy said. He suggested since I was categorized before PCa as "Pre-Diabetic" by my GP, that I approach my GP and request a prescription - explaining the potential positive effects against PCa - and the use of it to keep the pre-diabetic from moving to a diabetic due to the ADT treatments.

Started out as Snuffy suggested - 1 500mg pill at breakfast. After about 4 weeks, I added a 2nd 500mg pill at dinner. Since I was receiving radiation therapy for the past 9 weeks, and there are some gastro side-effects involved with the treatment, I haven't gone to 3 pills a day - yet - but in about a month I probably will, and see how that's tolerated.

I did lose 13lbs in about 2 weeks when I first went on it. Those pounds haven't come back. Perhaps 3 pills a day might boost that a bit, I could still stand to lose another 20.

[6357axbz]

Good info. Thanks Don!

[Spaceman210]

It kills me to give it up but I lost 45 lbs on it and had terrible diarrhea for a year. Still have issues with the XR version.

[GeorgesCalvez]

I tried two times 850mg per day for a couple of months; I lost several kilos, I had diarrhoea and I felt very indolent so I switched to two times 500mg per day.

I am what could be termed pre pre diabetic so I think a couple of grams of metformin a day may just be two much and the side effects were not tolerable for what is a dubious benefit.

On the current dose, no diarrhoea, no indolence and my blood sugar is closer to the normal range.