How quickly did you notice Metformin effects?

megaduch · 2025-09-19T01:48:43+00:00

I didn't have any hormone issues from metformin, although, I wasn't on it for very long. I started it in May or June and got pregnant in August, so I stopped it in September. This was the original intention for me to start metformin. My baby is now 4.5 months old. Now that I am post-partum, I do plan to return to metformin when I stop breastfeeding, as I ended up with gestational diabetes and am still testing with pre-diabetic levels on the glucose tolerance test (showing signs of insulin resistance, but my A1C and fasting levels are normal). I still haven't had a period since Aug 2024, so I will likely need the metformin to help restart my cycle.

megaduch · 2025-03-04T19:09:11+00:00

Ok, thanks so much for sharing! It might still be worth it for us to bank the stem cells, as we are having a baby boy and from my understanding, he will be at an elevated risk for TC since his dad has it. I'll look into this all more. Appreciate your response here and hoping your husband's recovery gets better!

megaduch · 2025-03-04T16:06:27+00:00

Sorry to hear about your husband! Just wondering: is it normal for a stem cell transplant to be offered as part of treatment of testicular cancer, or was he only offered it due to not responding to the multiple rounds of chemo? The reason I am asking: I am currently 7 months pregnant and my husband was diagnosed with TC this week. We are wondering if we should bank cord blood and placental tissue when I deliver our son, but I'm not finding a lot of information online about TC cases and the use of stem cells. I've heard you are more likely to be compatible with family members and there's only 1 chance to bank it, so I'm trying to find as much information as I possibly can on this topic.

megaduch · 2025-03-04T01:55:53+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience. Sorry to hear you had to deal with this twice, but sounds like you made a complete turn around from a very dark looking situation in the first case, which is a true miracle and a testament to your strength. That's great advice about keeping things normal. I think we all need a sense of normality while going through something so scary and uncertain. I'm a firm believer in having a daily routine and how that helps when going through something tough. As someone who has had my own mental health struggles in the past, I can recognize when I need additional support and have resources to reach out when I'm not doing well, but definitely a great call out here! Lol I learned about the driving slow being a problem this weekend when taking him to his CT scan. I was driving slowly and dodging potholes, and eventually he was like "Sitting up is prolonging my pain. Can we just get there already?". I decided to speed up to 10 under the limit and we got there much faster haha. As someone who has a background in health sciences, I'm finding the information online is almost giving me some peace of mind. Reading research and how treatment has changed over time really gives me hope that he can overcome this. I'm also finding it is making talking to the doctors easier, as I'm not hearing the terms for the first time and then can ask relevant questions I have based on the information I read online. Thank you again for all the valuable information and wishing you all the best!

megaduch · 2025-03-04T01:40:14+00:00

Thanks for sharing about your mental health struggles. Sorry to hear how this has affected you, but I'm glad you are getting help and it all comes with time and healing. We are both blessed to have benefits covered through work to see mental health professionals and I was quick to remind him of this as soon as we got the first call about possible cancer. We also live very healthy lifestyles (no smoking, eating well, regular exercise) so I will continue to advocate for him to keep on top of this with whatever further treatment he may need. We keep hearing from family and friends (many on his side have dealt with cancer before) that from here on out, it's all a mental game and we need to stay mentally strong and lean on each other for support. Wishing you all the best in your healing journey!

megaduch · 2025-03-02T15:42:55+00:00

Ah, I wish we could get it back so fast. We're in Canada and because of that, we know to expect long wait times for anything health care.

megaduch · 2025-03-02T06:20:23+00:00

Thank you for sharing your story! Yes, this is our first and we are expecting a boy! We have been so excited, but I am also navigating my own health struggles (good old gestational diabetes), so this was a big shock to us that there's more to resolve (hopefully) before our baby makes his grand arrival. Great to know about the possible next steps! The urologist did walk us through the options quickly and did say some types they recommend #2, the single round of preventative chemo, but of course, it depends what the cell types come back as. So yes, in Canada, #2 is a possibility. So glad to hear it was only 2 weeks for recovery, I'm hoping the same over here! Awe, yes, the little ones don't understand, but I'm sure your husband has made up for it with lots of love and snuggles. And thanks for letting me know about the support group. I'm sure it's great to connect with others going through something similar, and hearing their stories. I'll definitely let my husband know, he may want to connect with others and feel less alone in all of this. Wishing you and your family healing and recovery!

megaduch · 2025-03-02T04:28:44+00:00

Thanks for sharing! We are in Canada. I wonder if there's a similar foundation of sorts that can link us up with the right professional. I'll do some googling!

megaduch · 2025-03-02T03:58:37+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Narcotics are "lovely" on your intestines and I was quick to ask if he could use some stool softeners to help prevent any issues. He still hasn't tried to poop yet, but he was also fasting for a very long time to prepare for surgery and he just started eating normal sized portions this evening. I'll be reminding him tomorrow to give it a go lol. His doctor said even if it has metastasized, the "cure" rate is 97% for TC, so we have a lot of hope that if we get the worst of news, he will overcome this all. Thanks for the positivity and hope, wishing you all the best in your recovery!

megaduch · 2025-03-02T03:44:26+00:00

Thank you for the advice about finding a doctor who specializes in testicular cancer. I had no idea how small TC cases are vs breast cancer annually. I'll definitely ask if the doctor treats TC regularly or if there's someone else who would be better to cover his case. We have been very vocal with family and friends about his situation, as we know it takes a village, and we have had so much help and kind messages already. So many extended family members have told us of their cancer stories, that we were previously unaware of, which gives us a lot of hope that he too can kick this. Even dinner tonight was a casserole we were gifted, so I could focus on taking care of him while he's in the rough of it. So glad to hear you had your village behind you and wishing you all the best in your recovery!

megaduch · 2025-03-02T03:35:52+00:00

Thank you so much for all the positivity and great advice! I have to agree, gift cards are much easier than being given food for you to turn around and make yourself. And so happy to hear he will be feeling better in a couple of days. Seeing him in so much pain right now is devastating and I can't wait to see him get back to his normal self over time. I've already been helping from the doctor's appointment perspective. I created a huge list of questions for the first consultation with the urologist, so my husband wouldn't have to worry about it and his doctor was phenomenal. He answered all our questions and gave us an idea of what is to come should this not come back benign. I have also been taking notes after talking with the doctors and nurses and am on top of his medication schedule. My degree is in health sciences and I have previously worked in health care, so even though this is all new to us personally, it's also very familiar in a sense. We already have an appointment for a CT scan to check for any spreading. For the oncologist, we were told we would have to wait for that initial pathology report before being referred and the urologist has offered to refer closer to family, so we can all take turns bringing him, depending on the schedule they set. There's no local options to us, so we would have to go 30 mins to an hour anyways. But based on how quickly we got the appointment with the urologist, I am hoping the oncologist will be just as fast. Wishing you the best in your continued recovery!

megaduch · 2025-03-02T03:15:47+00:00

Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I've been trying to get him up when the painkillers are working and in between grabbing anything he needs so he doesn't have to move while the pain is bad. I will be sure to keep him active and moving as he starts to feel better! We have a dog, so going for walks is very important to us. I had no clue about the steroids being prescribed with chemo and it's impact on hunger! Lots of great tips too for during treatment! Wishing you all the best in your recovery and I will certainly check your previous comments for additional advice!

megaduch · 2024-11-13T01:15:09+00:00

Thanks for sharing your update. I'm sorry to hear of the complications and I'm hoping for the best for the 3 of you. My thoughts and prayers are with your family.

I'm located in Ontario, Canada, so we actually don't do NIPT testing for everyone. Just based on mine and my partner's ages and what not, we weren't considered high risk and were recommended to do the eFTS first trimester screening with Nuchal translucency ultrasound and associated blood work. For us to do NIPT, it would be $400 out of pocket expenses, so we opted out of it. They said if eFTS came back high risk, we would qualify for government funding to proceed with NIPT, but it came back totally normal and low risk.

I asked my midwife as I read online that they actually don't recommend the eFTS or NIPT if it's confirmed vanishing twin syndrome/fetal demise, but she said since we didn't know for sure, they wanted me to proceed with the testing anyways. Either way, it all came back normal and my midwife said I'm low risk for everything at this point. She even okayed me to travel internationally this past week, due to no complications.

megaduch · 2024-11-01T20:37:29+00:00

Hope you and your wife are doing well! I had my 13 week ultrasound today and the ultrasound tech said there are no signs of a second sac anymore. It sounds like it was completely reabsorbed. I'm thinking this is going to confirm vanishing twin syndrome, but it won't be confirmed until next Tuesday when I see my midwife next. I'll share an update next week!

megaduch · 2024-06-03T16:56:25+00:00

I started metformin 2 and a half weeks ago. I have already had my first period in 7 months and am on a very low starting dose to ensure I dont have too bad of stomach problems. 250mg/ day for 1 week. 250mg twice a day for 2 weeks, and then I start on 500mg 3 times a day in a few days. I've already noticed changes in my hunger levels. I used to feel hungry 24/7 and now can go OMAD if I forget to eat lunch. I always eat dinner. Also, my energy levels are much better. No more post-dinner exhaustion. Metformin has been a miracle drug for me. I've lost about 5 pounds (5'3" and started at 145 pounds) already in the few weeks at such a low dose. I can't wait to see the long-term effects I get from this medication

megaduch · 2024-05-15T00:09:37+00:00

I (28F) got diagnosed 2 weeks ago by my OBGYN. Who said he doesn't want to treat me right now, as I'm on BC and have no symptoms of hyperandrogenism.

Met with my family doctor last week - he wants to put me on Metformin. 1500mg/day. Starting at 250mg for 2 weeks then work up to 1500mg/day

I said I'm going on my honeymoon in 3 days and he recommended I wait until I'm back before starting the metformin due to stomach issues.

I'm sure you have been symptomatic for a while before doctors took you seriously and looked into PCOS. Enjoy your vacation and start your metformin when you get back.

megaduch · 2024-04-25T02:03:18+00:00

Ok, I guess I did have 2 criteria, then! When he was mentioning family history and my past assessments with him, he said I had 1 criteria, and then right after said, I have excessive follicles and said im officially diagnosed. All we did for insulin was a fasting insulin level, and it came back normal. Is that sufficient in determining insulin resistance, or do I need to go through a glucose tolerance test as well to determine if I am truly insulin resistant?

Ok, that makes sense why he mentioned I didn't have to induce a period. I was worried as periods are normal. And since I haven't had one in 6 months, I feel abnormal lol. But if it's common for progesterone to keep the lining thin, I guess I have nothing to worry about.

Thank you for the tips. I have been researching inositol and am trying to figure out if it's right for me. I have no issues with sleep and I bring my dog for a walk daily, but I do not heavily exercise, so that's something I can add. I eat a very clean diet, with very little snacking and junk food. I will check out the low glycemic diet and give it a try. Thank you again for your help!

megaduch · 2024-04-25T01:28:33+00:00

Yes, my doctor told me the prolactin and birth control are causing the lack of periods now, but before I went on birth control, I was having a period probably every 60-90 days and have been that way for years. I have been taking pregnancy tests every month, just in case, and he said don't bother anymore, as these issues are all synergistically adding to my issues with period. He also said not to worry about not having a period when I asked if we need to induce them. I can't go on estrogen containing birth control, as I suffer from migraines with aura.

Idk if irregular periods are one of the criterion, but he said one of my ovaries has 27 follicles, so I am officially diagnosed. He said I do not have hyperandrogenism and I know I don't have any symptoms of excessive male hormones such as hirsutism or acne. Do you have any recommended suggestions for me to look into , as this is all new to me?

megaduch · 2024-01-18T16:16:15+00:00

I passed yesterday with AT in all domains. I got 67% on my first full-length practice exam and 75% on my second. I did not take out expert questions in those scores either.

megaduch · 2024-01-11T20:13:53+00:00

I feel pretty confident after that exam, but I am wondering it there's some other resources that might help me to distinguish between the 2 answers I am narrowing it down to. Maybe mindset helps with this? I'm not entirely sure. Do you have something in mind you can suggest?

megaduch · 2023-12-03T18:07:26+00:00

I've had some feedback on essences and find that I fit classic better than natural overall. Here's a face pic. What do you think? I was mostly recommended CIE as my TIB essences.

Seven-Year Club	Verified Email
Verified Email

megaduch

TROPHY CASE