HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Combining Metformin w/ Antibiotics

Support Forums
>
Lyme Disease
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/16/2022 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
Has anyone ever combined metformin with antibiotics?

I know there has been some chatter about this topic in other communities. Metformin has been shown to increase effectiveness, enhance intracellular concentrations, and reverse bascterial resistance for some abx, namely doxycycline.

Figured someone has tried this or has some insight as to whether this is a feasible thing to try......?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8123943/#:~:text=Results,toxicity%20on%20the%20mammalian%20cells.
Posted 4/16/2022 2:39 PM (GMT 0)

JaSon2233 said...
Has anyone ever combined metformin with antibiotics?

I know there has been some chatter about this topic in other communities. Metformin has been shown to increase effectiveness, enhance intracellular concentrations, and reverse bascterial resistance for some abx, namely doxycycline.

Figured someone has tried this or has some insight as to whether this is a feasible thing to try......?

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8123943/#:~:text=Results,toxicity%20on%20the%20mammalian%20cells.

So you don’t have diabetes -but want to take Metformin?

I would be concerned about your blood sugar dropping too low.
Posted 4/17/2022 8:40 PM (GMT 0)
Yes I would monitor that. Quite easy to do at home.

Metformin is being widely used by the anti-aging community. There is legitimate research showing it lowers cancer risk and may slow aging by acting as a 'caloric restriction mimetic.' It is not just a diabetes drug anymore.
Posted 4/17/2022 8:52 PM (GMT 0)

JaSon2233 said...
Yes I would monitor that. Quite easy to do at home.

can’t monitor during the night while sleeping.
My father went into a coma when he was in the hospital after his hip repair.
BUT it wasn’t metformin - it was insulin.
The stupid doctor switched his med to a fast acting from a slower acting - right before bed - plus he didn’t give him something to eat with it.
Metformin isn’t as likely to put you into a diabetic coma but it could still be a risk?
Posted 4/17/2022 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
I am sorry to hear about that. Thats horrible.

I could theoretically get one of those continuous blood glucose monitor implants that would monitor it at night. They are available at the same anti-aging clinic that I go to that offers metformin. But they are a pain in the ass. I think the the most serious side effect from metformin (lactic acidosis) is like 1 out of 30,000.

Interestingly there was also a small study showing that HGH + metformin + DHEA reversed markers of biological age and boosted immune function via improving function of the thymus gland. I don't really understand the science at all. But David Sinclair, one of the world's leading anti-aging researchers, talked about it on his youtube channel. I have been considering using HGH post-treatment to try to regenerate the extensive connective tissue fibrosis and degeneration from bartonella. I wonder if metformin negates this effect (it was used in this study to negate the reduction in insulin sensitivty induced by HGH). Would be an amazing combo, maybe towards the end of treatment, if it could actually rejuvenate connective tissue, improve immune function, and improve antibiotic activity.
Posted 4/18/2022 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
I took metformin for a while and didn't notice any herxing from it. The main effect I noticed was that it relieved some of the fatigue, since it increases glucose uptake in muscles.
Posted 4/18/2022 3:32 AM (GMT 0)
Very interesting post Jason. I'm aware of the off-label uses for metformin such as anti-aging, cancer, weight loss (also for people not diabetic) etc.

However, I did not know about the combination treatment with antibiotics.

Are you thinking of trying it?
I'm going to look into it a bit more myself.

I found this:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.201902227
Posted 4/18/2022 5:12 AM (GMT 0)
Quin - thanks for reporting your experience. I doubt it will be a huge game changer. But I like to experiment. Your anti-seizure druge (forget the name) + minocycline is on my list of potential protocols.

Ranycloud - yah I am going to pick up a script tmrw. I am on a pulse of high dose doxy, fluxonazole, and nitroxoline right now. First time trying nitrox so gonna wait until after this pulse to try it.

I think this is the youtube episode where David Sinclair talks about the HGH + metformin + DHEA - sorry no timestamp. It's a good channel. So much of relieving lyme & co's symptoms and potentially rejuvenating damage is basically the subject of anti-aging in general.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRWT7hVgwuM&t=1872s&ab_channel=DavidSinclair
Posted 4/18/2022 9:20 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jason,

Thank you for the additional information! I'm considering giving it a try as well.

In the original post you mentioned increased abx effectiveness, is this based on the ability to fight drug resistance? Or are these separate benefits?
Posted 4/18/2022 6:17 PM (GMT 0)

RainyCloud said...
I found this:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.201902227


This proposes that the mechanism is disruption of the membrane potential. Disruption of membrane potential is also a known effect of atovaquone, and I did notice that atovaquone enhanced the effect of some antibiotics. It's possible that metformin does too and I just didn't notice because I wasn't taking the same antibiotics at the time.
Posted 4/19/2022 5:47 AM (GMT 0)
Rainy cloud

I think the in vitro study showed it had some anti-microbial effect by itself. But I think it worked in a synergistic manner with many of the abx tested. I don't really think they know the mechanism. Possibly what Quin pointed out.
Posted 4/19/2022 5:57 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you both!
Posted 4/26/2022 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
Just took 1/4th of a 500mg pill.

Let's see how this goes 🙂
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply