Metformin and Breast Cancer

Edda, I've been wondering about that too! Since I've been on Halavan I've craved sweets like I never have in my life. I mean ice creme, cookies it's disgusting how strong my cravings have been. They have even woken me up in the night. I'm trying to be better about it. Like get rid of it and don't have it in my house.

Lucy - I wouldn't be in a trial either, I would just want the goods, no time to gamble.  I think trials are too much a gamble if they are going to use a placebo and lives are at risk.

Kaara, the book,heard of it a few times and it really is on the want to order list, think this weekend.  Thanks for reminding me : )

Galena - I hope you GP gets you on it, just as much as I am hoping mine will up my dosie to what I am taking now w/o telling her.  I will talk to her Monday.

Protandim is such a supplement, best taken with a fat.  I would suggest coconut oil sometimes, it is so good for us.  I put my pet skunk on it a few nights ago, she has had 3 doses now, loves it.  She was not eating, she is not getting clear oxygen, neither skunk andHubby and I and the dog, all are not getting the oxygen we need when we are at the house, both skunkies are here all the time.  Blossom has enlarged heart and we almost had to put her to sleep but she is eating again after weeks of not, force feeding her.  and nutrients andCo10 and more, and she is so much better it seems.  Then Lacey started to not eat and I started her on stuff and both on coconut oil  Man was Lacey feeling it, running all over last night and this morn, also eating well and  was under the bed all night and making herself a new nest gggrrrrr, she has a den in her ownroom.  But am happy she is better already.  So coconut oil, pure stuff, cold pressed only, it is solid at room temp.  Also one of the fats Johanna Budwig includes in her recipes, has a Oleolux made out of it, with flaxseed oil and coconut oil, onions and garlic, heat then strain out the onion and garlic.  Of course some are not able to eat flaxseed oil, I know. 

Logically, the canccer cells can be starved and while they are not getting the 10x +++ energy that they were, the normal cells get fed?  Right?  I dunno, still trying to get it. 

I do know I had read online about a protocol for cachexia and wanted to remember in case I needed it.  Finally found the link, sort of, on cancertutor, but that is not where I found it originally.  http://www.cancertutor.com/Other02/AdvCachexia.html   The Cellect is premium nutrition developed by a man whose friends and family had been through cancer.  The video of him, he seems very nice and intelligent.  Is it all up and up, I don't know, but the product seems very compatible with everything.  Now the Budwig protocol, she even took stage IV cases and brought them back from the door within days but one had to follow specifically her direction and she had a resort of sorts to heal so one could follow her direction LOL.  

I am not certain of anything, but I am trying here..... Metformin, logically, keeps the glucose from being abused by the body, thus the cancer cells will not get fed.  IMHO, Not all cancer cells are about glucose, IMO, I think there are some that are full of microbes, but the Metformin is worth the try for everyone because it just might work. 

That's-Life --- I don't know it is such an interesting life, but I do know I love to tell stories so that makes it more fun.  

I have a question.  How long do we take Metformin after BC?  Forever? 

I wonder how it affects someone like me who is ideal weight. Lost 20 lbs between Sx and chemotherapy . My MO would never approve of this drug. Guess they want people to get in the clinical trials.

Im considering trying baby aspirin.low dose naltrexene. And maybe metfirmin. In addition to the tamoxifin. And then there's a neuovax trial I may be eligible for. Seems like s lot of pills

Metformin acts somewhat like the IPT chemotherapy, (edited to insert that metformin does not necessarily mean taking chemo therapy too)  the IPT uses insulin  so the chemo will be taken up by the cells more easily, thus less chemo needed and only targeting the greedy cancer cells that ar not getting the glucose they want. 

http://www.iptforcancer.com/index.php?md=8 

In part::: A Closer Look at How it Works

IPT exploits the fact that cancer cells, unlike healthy cells, are not able to metabolize fat for energy. They rely completely on glucose (sugar/carbohydrates) for their energy supply. This is a weakness of cancer cells, and we can use this weakness to control them. We use the hormone insulin to do this.

When insulin is injected into a patient, it has the effect of causing the patient's blood glucose to drop. As the blood glucose drops, the patient's healthy cells simply shift over to fat metabolism. But the patient's cancer cells become seriously compromised.

Shutting down the amount of glucose that a cancer cell can have has the same effect as depriving it of oxygen. You know what it's like to hold your breath. You know you can do it for 1-2 minutes, but much longer than that and you will quickly die. Depriving cancer cells of glucose has the same effect. If it were possible to completely deprive them of glucose, they would die within a matter of minutes. Unfortunately we can't do that, but IPT can decrease the amount of glucose by at least 60-75%. And this is just enough of a decrease to cause them to go into an emergency mode. It is when they are in this emergency state that they are very vulnerable to chemotherapy drugs."

I will do Metformin forever, gladly, but this is also 'up my sleeve'.

What about people that don't have BC like my sister. Would it be beneficial for her to consider taking metformin?

Circles  -  I did a low carb diet (under 100 grams a day) for ten years and it didn't prevent breast cancer.  I think there is something in the way metformin works at the cellular level that makes it effective. 

Circles - I didn't go extremely low with Atkins because I am diabetic and didn't want to risk hypoglycemia.  So I kept my carbs between 60 and 100 grams.  That worked as a weight "maintenance" for me.  And it gave me enough freedom to eat some fruit and all the veggies I wanted.  A small apple is 15 grams, one piece of whole grain bread is about 20.  Watermelon is one of the foods that got me through chemo, but it has a relatively high natural sugar content.

I'm 5'2" and weigh 123 so ketosis would not be advisable for me right now. 

The ketogenic food pyramid made me laugh.  http://thumbs.ifood.tv/files/images/ketogenic_diet_new.jpg  the link here is about cancer and glucose...  This was suggested to me right after surgery.  Of course, I would have to go with clean meat, grass fed, no hormones or antibiotics unless to save their life, preferably bison, angus, goat, venizon, elk, chicken, duck, turkey.  And the eggs from organic, free-range that are flaxseed and such fed for high Omega-3s, and the cheese from raw milk products, all natural, and the fats, same.  But I just cannot wrap my head around all that meat.  Then the hormone in dairy scared me, even though I use organic and will be on the raw soon I feel cautious.

Metformin, when I started taking my Met for certain 3 x a day, as rxd, I did lose weight, I seldom eat three meals, am more a snacker, even though good snacks, but even before cancer, decided to take it even when I had ice cream or dessert and I noticed it made a difference for me.  But still got the BC. I was eating many things that could not help though.

Laurajane - please try the metformin with your chemo.  There is substantial evidence that metformin enhances the effectiveness of the chemo.  While the current clinical trials for post-treatment metformin are for early stage BC, there are no weight restrictions on participants. 

There is a specific clinical trial using metformin with standard chemo for Stage IV patients:

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01310231?term=metformin+and+breast+cancer&rank=4

There is additional evidence that known diabetics on metformin who undergo chemo have a higher rate of complete pathological response. 

Please trust your gut. 

Galena - he may have started you with a low dose to avoid any GI distress.  Some people do have issues for a week or two, until their systems adjust.  Your GP is probably exercising reasonable caution.

Sounds like you might be diabetic if you're concerned about keeping your blood glucose stable.  Talk to your MO about how much steroid you really need to take.  I made it through DD AC-T with just 6 mg on treatment day only.  There are other drugs that can counter nausea and SEs so that the minimal dose of steroids is all you need.

Congrats on the weight loss Fighter.  Do you think the weight loss was because of GI issues or because it helped, or just because you've been trying?

fighter, how do you stay on target?

Morning Ladies,

Had a quick question.  Dr. put me on Metformin last week, a low dose, 500 mgs 2 x a day.  Lately I've been feeling like I'm full & bloated, almost like PMS.  Just wondering if if could be a side effect of the Metformin.  I know I heard it can give you some GI issues but other than that uncomfortable bloat feeling I can't say I've had anything. 

Thanks!