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10-15-2009, 12:48 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South East Wisconsin
Posts: 3,431
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Taking Metformin?
Anyone taking Metformin? Having side effects? How do you manage Metformin around iodine contrast scans? Supposedly a problem.
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10-15-2009, 03:30 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 508
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Re: Taking Metformin?
Hi Rich. I began to take Metformin last February...a rather small dose that has significantly lowered my blood sugar. As for side effects....let's just say that when I think I need to use the bathroom, I can't dawdle! I have to have a contrast CT every six months as follow-up for early stage endometrial cancer and yes, managing the Metformin around them is a little tricky. I have a lab for kidney function a week prior to the scan, stop taking the Metformin a day before the CT, have another lab drawn the day after the scan and then resume taking the Metformin once I hear that kidney function is ok.
Barb A.
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10-15-2009, 08:38 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South East Wisconsin
Posts: 3,431
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Re: Taking Metformin?
Thanks. Sounds like minor side effects for taking something to synergize w/chemo and knock down cancer stem cells. What chemo are you taking?
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10-15-2009, 11:07 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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Re: Taking Metformin?
Rich - do you mean Metformin as a diabetes patient or Metformin strictly as a compliment to chemo? do we know anything at all about what the side effects could be to someone who doesn't have diabetes?
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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10-16-2009, 05:29 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 508
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Re: Taking Metformin?
Hi again Rich. I'm not on any chemo agent...my endometrial cancer was caught early and no further treatment was necessary. Didn't realize you were talking about taking it as part of a chemo regimen. My meformin is for pre diabetes.
Barb
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10-16-2009, 11:36 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South East Wisconsin
Posts: 3,431
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Re: Taking Metformin?
Just trying to understand people's experiences with this drug in "normal" diabetic usage in cancer patient setting. With that, and with any information on possible issues with non-diabetic use, would like to have some sense of risk/benefit. Apparently, it has been used off label for weight loss and body building. Certainly not advocating anything other than maybe a collective nudge to get oncs to look into this. Of course, a non-drug approach like a ketogenic diet might achieve the same benefit.
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10-16-2009, 01:54 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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Re: Taking Metformin?
I can certainly try and ask my new endocrinologist (never had to have one of those docs before, until my pituitary gland got it's feelings hurt by a little tumor - that now has been effectively ZAPPED off the planet -) what she thinks about it and also ask my onc... he actually found the info interesting when I shared it with him several months ago. But, don't know what would happen to a non-diabetes patient. There's got to be a down side. Seems there always is.
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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10-16-2009, 10:15 PM
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#8
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Guest
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Re: Taking Metformin?
Metformin acts as a antidiabetic drug by decreasing the output of glucose from the liver into the blood and by acting as an insulin sensitizer making the insulin act more effectively in the body. It does not directly lower blood sugar as the sulfonylurea medications such as Amaryl. These drugs work by increasing the insulin secretion in the body.
In other words you can take Metformin without fear of drastically lowering your blood sugar. A sulfonylurea drug such as amaryl could caue severe hypoglycemia.
The main side effects of Metformin are nausea and stomach upset. If you kidney function is below normal there is a danger of severe lactic acidosis. You also have to be careful of the contrast media used in lab tests as these can increase the posibility of lactic acidosis.
Paul
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