The Atlanta Journal and Constitution this morning reprinted a NY Times article regarding metformin. I'd like to know what others here think since it seems so many are using this medication. The link is:
epaper.ajc.com/popovers/dyn...
I hope that the link does not require a subscription. If so, you can Google the author Gretchen Reynolds and NY Times.
Yea, with any meds/supplements we have to weigh risks vs benefits. IMHO, I'll keep up my Metformin as an adjunct to fighting Stage IV PCa and accept the possible decrease in health benefits.
Btw - before marathons, I stop the Metformin to allow for an increased blood glucose.
The key quote: “There was not an additive effect” from combining them, he says. Instead, Metformin and exercise “did not seem to play together very well.”
Fight on y'all
In the first randomized double-blind trial of metformin in non-diabetic men, it proved to have no benefit in men with advanced or recurrent PC. Why take something after it has proven to have no benefit?
ascopubs.org/doi/10.1200/JC...
What is your opinion about taking statins ref Crestor?
Many thanks. Mike
I take atorvastatin for high cholesterol. If your cholesterol levels are normal without it, there do not seem to be any PC-related reasons to take it. This study found that men who had a genetic abnormality that mimicked the effect of statins had the same incidence of PC as everyone else.
nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/N...
Some studies suggest that it might mask PSA:
TA, I believe all of the men in the study were on or starting ADT so it was really looking at the effects of metformin combined with ADT. Do you know of any studies of metformin on, for example, PSADT for men who are not on ADT?
Most studies are retrospective. Here is one (but it proves nothing):
Gretchen Reynolds writes the 'Phys Ed' column for the New York Times.
(If Gina Kolata, who writes about cancer for the Times, were to write about Metformin, I'd pay more attention.)
I wasn't aware that "healthy, active people may be considering taking the drug to slow aging". I have heard of many men with PCa being denied Metformin unless their blood sugar was high. So why would a doctor prescribe it to a "healthy" person?
The article will certainly be of interest to those here who exercise. It doesn't mean that one must choose between Metformin & exercise. Dockam's advice re: marathons seems useful, though.
-Patrick
I have been taking metformin for about 12 years give or take - started on the advice of an anti-aging doc. Not diabetic but it does run in my family - maternal aunts and grandmother - not immediate family. I was 42/43 at the time and it was the tail end of my marathon days. Probably only ran 1 marathon while taking it and don't remember noticing any difference whatsoever. It was one of the first things my husband's functional medicine doc added to his protocol when he was diagnosed 6 years ago.
Recently, Tall Allen posted the results from a French study regarding no benefit with Metformin and Docetaxol-- I believe that the real research that matters will be from Stampede, K arm for Metformin and survival benefit in PCa. I believe that it will be effective but I could be wrong. I base that belief on multiple articles such as this one:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...
It has an effect on the mTor and AMPK pathways. I guess we shall know before too long.
Don Pescado
I just quickly glanced through the page...but doesn't this refer only to pancreatic cancer?
my brain starts shutting down to read something like that too closely...LOL. I scan well still and I never saw "prostate" mentioned.
gJohn
Yes, but there are articles regarding various cancers.....this is not just one cancer's pathway...... multiple cancers breast, pancreatic, prostate, etc., have these pathways--mTor and AMPK...there are other articles if you have an interest... The Stampede K arm will be the tale of the tape.... It will involve more than 36 men....and the study TA showed was not extended out for OS to 5-10 years... I would guess we will have an answer soon--see Stampede info--guessing anytime to 2020--below:
stampedetrial.org/centres/i...
Hoping for positive benefit...
Fish
I'm actually taking it already. I thought that there was indications it helps with prostate cancer. Just was curious about only pancreatic being mentioned here.
J
87,344 patients study---prostate cancer--see below:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/299...
Arm K, Stampede will be a large comparison with SOC vs SOC and metformin--Stampede is usually the last word in these issues. Stampede has been of tremendous value for us...
Fish
My husband had a good drop in PSA with 100mg-1500mg metformin along other supplements (trying to block pathways with off-label meds and supplements). 500mg metformin did nothing. so maybe dose dependent. But he is not (yet) on ADT.
My doc said it's very hard on the liver.
Either you misunderstood or your doctor is full of shit.
Metformin is THE first-line drug for type 2 diabetes. Over 80 million prescriptions are written in the US alone every year; worldwide there are at least 120 million people taking metformin.
The most common side effects are gastrointestinal. People with liver or kidney disease shouldn't take metformin, but that has nothing at all to do with it being "very hard on the liver." People with liver disease have to avoid all kinds of things.
If metformin was hard on the liver we'd have millions of people with liver problems from taking metformin for years and decades. We don't. It's one of the safest drugs on the market.
A doctor full of shit?
youtube.com/watch?v=8OwN_fw...
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Tuesday 07/09/2019 9:02 PM DST
I have been taking Metformin for Type 2 diabetes for about 2 years, prescribed by my family physician. It has helped keep my daily blood glucose and A1c levels in check. When it was first prescribed to me, I added it to my medication list on my Mayo Clinic patient portal, and discussed it with my Mayo M.O. he was good with it, but also said that my Rx would have to continue through my family doc. He said he could not prescribe it as an adjunct for the purpose of treating prostate cancer.
To my knowledge, Metformin has not adversely affected my exercise ability. I can still play 18 holes of golf, do a few hours of yard work, and other aerobic activities without any decline in my ability to do the same tasks as compared to my pre-Metformin level. I recently had a cardiac stress echo treadmill test at my primary physician’s office and passed with flying colors.
I will continue to take it as a treatment for my Type 2 diabetes even if it has no benefit for my prostate cancer. If it does have a subtle positive effect on my PCa...great! If not, so be it.
I went from indolent to 3 months to live on Metformin..thanks Nalakrats…..omly antiddote is the blood of a pregnant warewolf
I’ve been on it since ‘15 . If it’s the cause of my bowel problems and is if no benefit I’m dropping it.
Saw Dr. Turner of Prostate Oncologist Specialists today, asked about Metformin since I've been taking it for many years upon the recommendation of Dr. Schloz and because usually my blood glucose is just below the preferred range. Dr. Turner said that it might benefit PCa patients somehow by low single digit percent and that it has no negative effects. Since I have been taking 2-50 mg pills daily, we agreed that maybe I could cut back to one.
Thanks. I consult with Dr. Turner a couple times a year. He said no real benefit to starting Metformin unless I had metabolic reason to do so as it has relatively little significance in the context of PCa. Maybe Dr. Turner and Dr. Scholz need to get together on this.
Nevertheless, a "low single digit percent" benefit seems worthwhile. If we can get some kind of small benefit from everything we do... diet, exercise, supplements, meds, etc.... then pretty soon you have a meaningful aggregate effect.
This Swiss trial shows benefit for CRPC people
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/2...
Note that they used 2x1000 mg per day
Does Anyone Have Suggestions Regarding AUS surgery?
Am I imagining things. 
Hi Guys & Gals, I posted this 2 days ago with zero responses. Scientists in the UK have found 5 very specific bacteria (3 never seen before)
