What happens if someone without diabetes takes metformin for a long time? - #29770
If someone without confirmed disease takes metformin for some time. Why he doesn't get permanently damaged because metformin is mostly tested on people with certain disease. I have stopped it forever.
How long did you take metformin?:
- More than 6 monthsWhat prompted you to start taking metformin?:
- Self-medicationDid you experience any side effects while taking metformin?:
- Mild stomach upsetHave you had any health issues after stopping metformin?:
- Mild symptomsAre you currently taking any other medications?:
- No, only metforminWhat is your general health status?:
- Very healthyHave you discussed your metformin use with a healthcare provider?:
- Yes, once100% Anonymously
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Doctors' responses
You’re very unlikely to have caused any lasting harm from what you describe. Taking around 40 tablets over 7 months is a low and intermittent exposure, and Metformin has a strong safety record—even when used long term in people with diabetes. Since your tests are normal, that’s already very reassuring.
There isn’t really a concept of “needing to recover” from metformin in this situation. Once you stop it, the drug clears from your body within a day or two, and its effects don’t linger in a harmful way. The main things we watch with longer or regular use are vitamin B12 levels and, rarely, digestive side effects or fatigue.
Your fatigue could be unrelated, but to be thorough you can check:
* Vitamin B12 * HbA1c (average sugar) * Kidney function (if not already done)
If these are normal, you can be confident there’s no damage. Going forward, it’s better not to use metformin for “anti-aging” without medical advice—evidence for that in healthy people is still limited and not strong enough to justify routine use.
100% Anonymously
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