Metformine for Hashimoto

[olgadimitri]

If you have any expirience with Metformine to reduce Hashimoto's simptoms, share it please.

[Hidden]

Why would Metformin help with Hashimoto´s symptoms; it´s a drug used to treat diabetes 2? Do you have high blood sugar? I cannot think of any reason to prescribe Metformin to a Hashi patient unless s/he also had blood sugar issues...it would seem insulin resistance (where blood sugar and insulin levels are highish but not (yet) out of range) is common in hypothyroidism as low thyroid function affects glucose metabolism, but I doubt conventional doctors would prescribe Metformin unless you´ve developed full-blown diabetes 2. And, from what I have read about this drug, it would not have any effect on your thyroid function or thyroid antibodies.

[olgadimitri in reply to Hidden]

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/327... this studies was very inspiring

[Caesard in reply to Hidden]

Metformin is also used early, when confirmed insulin resistance shows up during screening.

[nellie237]

Also causes malabsorption.

[olgadimitri in reply to nellie237]

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/327... that article gave me a hope

[nellie237 in reply to olgadimitri]

But remember, the antibodies don't cause the damage, they just mop it up.

[Caesard in reply to nellie237]

Controlling the Ab would definitely help controlling the damage, IMHO

[Hidden in reply to Caesard]

Even so, this article does not explain WHY Metformin lowers antibodies. If it´s because it lowers blood sugar (and therefore insulin) levels, would supplements such as berberine (shown in studies to be as effective as Metformin but without the side effects) achieve the same effect? I think this article is so succinct that it raises more questions than it answers. I am interested in these questions as I have read that poor glucose control caused by hypothyroidism is one of the reasons hypos gain weight and find it harder to lose. High blood sugar raises insulin and insulin increases fat storage. So breaking that vicious circle is important. But this article does not explain the link between Metformin and lower antibody levels. Nor does it mention what happens in patients where much damage has been done to the thyroid gland; at which stage of the process can Hashimoto´s be reversed by Metformin?

[Hidden in reply to Caesard]

Another important question would be: would the patients need to take Metformin for life, or could they stop it once the antibodies reach a certain level?

[Caesard in reply to Hidden]

Metformin is used for diabetes since the 50s if I remember correctly.However, your point is spot on, that's not an scientific study on the mechanisms of metformin action on antibodies.

I agree with you, it's not enough to jump on it, IMHO, not unless there is an underlying metabolic condition that demands metformin intervention (type 2 diabetes, possibly PCOS)

[Hidden in reply to Caesard]

I agree! At first, I thought this was just an abstract but it seems to be the whole article...

[Caesard in reply to Hidden]

It's a review, needs more research to dig for the data. But I think it's worth exploring, again, for people converging with metabolic issues, on top of the Hashi Ab

[Hidden in reply to Caesard]

Also, it would be interesting to compare Metformin to other anti-diabetic drugs to see if they have the same effect.

[nellie237 in reply to Caesard]

That's a really interesting idea. I must admit I don't know much about antibodies, and don't get mine checked. I have seen posts where people have adopted a GF diet and reported decreased thyroid antibodies? On the flip side, thyroid antibodies fluctuate, so........

[greygoose in reply to Caesard]

How? How would reducing antibody levels reduce the damage to the thyroid?

[olgadimitri in reply to nellie237]

I used to think that antibodies damage Hashimot's thyroid, making it smaller and weaker . Ultrasound test shows that my thyroid almost disappeared, very small size now. Keto diet and stress reduction helped me to reduce thyroid antibodies, and generally have improved my health, but still searching for more options to get back to normal. Metformine shows some kind is the miracle drug. Even healthy people taking it during exercises , for memory improvement, wait lost, prevent osteoarthritis...... for so many problems on side of diabetes. Anyway thanks for advices, I will go first to diabetic center to check my insulin resistance and more information . My sugar level is ok now, but Iron , vit B12, D, K2 and C I have to supplement. Will post if find something useful for us

[greygoose in reply to olgadimitri]

I used to think that antibodies damage Hashimot's thyroid, making it smaller and weaker .

So, what do you think now?

The antibodies do not damage the thyroid. They just come along to clean up the mess after the attack. How would reducing them be beneficial?

[Hidden]

I would advise against it. Since it lowers blood sugar levels you risk ending up with hypoglycemia if you are not diabetic.

[olgadimitri]

Yes, this is the risk. Thanks for replying

[Caesard in reply to olgadimitri]

And hypoglycemic state might be also dangerous in certain clinical contexts. Would recommend to test for insulin sensitivity and see if there is a convergence here. If not, it might mess up another metabolic balance.

[Miffie]

Contrary to some comments Metformin does not lower blood sugar, it will not cause hypoglycaemia. It works to ensure blood sugar is used more effectively in the body and allegedly helps weight loss for diabetic patients. Diabetic patients on other meds need to test blood sugar levels and be ready to treat ‘hypos’. This isn’t the case on Metformin.

[radd]

olgadimitri,

The link between sugar & Hashi is inflammation.

Antibodies by their very nature drive inflammation and there are many studies confirming the link between added sugar and higher inflammatory markers.

People like Datis Kharrizan and Chris Kresser claim Hashi sufferers are more susceptible to blood-sugar related conditions such as insulin resistance, leptin resistance, cortisol issues, etc, because of the way low thyroid hormone compromises our bodies and the inflammation we already hold from Hashi. All of which risks altering the HPA axis responses and how we utilise thyroid hormone meds when inflammation is not controlled.

Obviously sometimes these meds are essential but I haven't read the article as believe similar to the taking of AD’s, PPI’s, beta blockers, etc if Metformin can be avoided by addressing the root cause it would most likely lead to a better outcome long term.