r/PMS

Dear community,

I'm 32 years old.

A week ago I was diagnosed with insulin resistance (no diabetes/pre-diabetes). My lab results:

• Glucose: 5.2
• HbA1c: 5.32
• Fasting Insulin: 28.70 ⬆️
• HOMA-IR: 6.63 ⬆️

Despite being in a calorie deficit, 🍟 ⛔ drinking 1.5–2L water daily, 🌊 and exercising regularly for years, I keep gaining weight continuously (need to lose ~30kg). 😡

My endocrinologist prescribed Metformin (Glucophage) 500mg and advised staying on it for 3 MONTHS. ❓

I've been taking it for 7 days alongside daily moderate exercise and controlled intake, but I see no changes on the scale. 😔

P.S. Strict Keto is not an option for me due to intense carbohydrate cravings (especially during PMS), so please refrain from recommending full Keto. 🥦

Questions:

1. Is 500mg METFORMIN ER 💊 just a starter dose, or should I give it more time than 7 days to start seeing weight loss?
2. Is it safe to gradually increase to 1,000mg or 1,500mg XR on my own, or should I definitely seek a second opinion first? 😕
3. I experience severe PMS symptoms 🩸 (facial/thigh swelling, palpitations, blood pressure surges but, WITHOUT high pressure or cholesterol). Could these be directly linked to high insulin? ❓
4. I DON'T HAVE PCOS!

Would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences! 💗