I've never heard of metformin causing weight loss. I do think I heard about weight gain though. Although that may have been Actos. I've been on metformin for 8 years and haven't lost any weight due to the medication. It was the healthier eating, exercising, and then being sick all of summer 2006 that caused my weight loss.

I agree. I've never lost weight on metformin and actually think I gained. I've been on a low dose for 10 years and I believe I gained about 10 lbs. in the beginning.

Metformin is one of the few diabetes drugs that does not have the side effect of weight gain. Most do but it will not cause you to lose any weight either. and different meds cause different types and weight. Actos causes extra water weight. Insulin adds fat but metformin is nuetral

Metformin reduces sugar release from your liver to prevents blood sugar levels from rising too high, so your body doesn't need to produce as much insulin that makes you hungry and causes your liver to make fat.
Several studies are showing how metformin promotes weight loss in patients with obesity with non- insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
The mechanism may be attributed to decreased food intake.
From my personal experience I can say that metformin helped me to curb my appetite the first year reducing my weight considerably. But I have to mention the fact that for that year I was on a very strict low carb diet.
I lost 70 pounds!
Metformin appears to be dose dependent when it shows this weight lose effects.
What I noticed, in these 10 years using it, it is that metformin lose its effects after a couple of years if you not increase the dosage.

Iam on metformin and as soon as i started taking it. I lost 20 pounds the first month.I dont know if it is from the metformin but i have lost alot sence i started taking it.

Here's a good article outlining why it may or may not cause you to lose weight:
http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/N117.htm

Like the poster said he was on a low carb diet, and this is probably what caused the major weight loss.


After reading this article I see that metformin won't help me much.

I have lost about 10 lbs but I have no idea whether the metformin helped or hurt. I made other changes at the same time. I have learned however that taking it with insulin does make you gain weight.

I had the same problem that Cliffenstein mention since one year ago I started again to take insulin. I am fighting to keep my weight stable.

I am on two medications Metformin is one of them. I have lost a total of 19 #'s so far.

Women with PCOS have taken Metaformin. My wife is one of them and has lost a 100lbs.But since her thyroid has been low she has started to gain the weight back.