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Common questions
Metformin ER
The metabolic workhorse, prescribed.
Metformin ER · 500 mg
- Insulin sensitivity
- One daily tablet
- Decades of human data
- Provider-reviewed
Find the plan that fits you.
Answer three quick questions to match your priorities and budget. Get your recommendation and free treatment guide by text. No card to start.
Purchase type
Save 10% today and on every refill. Auto-renews at your selected cadence, pause or cancel anytime.
Cadence
Strength set by your provider. They confirm the right strength and dose after reviewing your required post-purchase intake.
Payment does not guarantee a prescription. Complete the required pharmacist intake after purchase.
What's included
- ✓Medication and supplies
- ✓Provider visit and unlimited follow-ups
- ✓Free expedited shipping
Pause, change, or cancel anytime from your account.
After checkout you complete a short medical review in your member portal, and a US-licensed provider reviews it before your metformin ER ships.
Built for insulin sensitivity
Metformin lowers the glucose your liver releases and helps your cells respond to insulin, the metabolic effects it is best known for.
One daily tablet
The extended-release form is taken once a day with food and is gentler on your stomach than immediate-release.
Decades of human data
Metformin is one of the most prescribed and best studied medicines in the world, with a long safety record.
A provider reviews you
A US-licensed provider reviews your history and labs and prescribes metformin off-label for metabolic health only if it fits you.
About Metformin ER
Metformin is one of the most-prescribed and best-understood medications in the world, and its effect on insulin sensitivity and metabolism has made it a fixture of longevity interest. The extended-release form is gentler on the stomach. Reviewed by a licensed provider, dispensed by a US-licensed pharmacy.
- Improves insulin sensitivity
- Extended-release, gentler on the stomach
- Decades of safety data
- Provider-reviewed, real pricing up front
Metformin reduces hepatic glucose output and improves insulin sensitivity, partly via AMPK activation. Dispensed by a US-licensed pharmacy.
Less glucose from your liver
Metformin reduces the amount of glucose your liver sends into your blood.
Better insulin response
Your muscle and fat cells take up glucose more efficiently.
Lower insulin load
With steadier glucose, your body needs less circulating insulin.
Steadier blood sugar and improved insulin sensitivity, the metabolic effects that put metformin at the center of longevity research.
How to get it
Today
Take the quiz
Share your history and goals in a few minutes.
Next
A provider reviews
A US-licensed provider reviews your history and, if appropriate, prescribes metformin ER off-label.
3 to 5 days
The pharmacy ships
Your metformin ships to your door in 3 to 5 days.
Ongoing
Check in anytime
Message your provider and adjust your dose over time.
What the research shows
Metformin has one of the deepest human evidence bases in medicine for blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. Its use for healthy aging is now being formally studied in the TAME trial, which is ongoing and has not yet reported. The results below reflect what large human trials have shown for metabolic outcomes, not for longevity.
31%
Lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes versus placebo over 2.8 years in 3,234 adults at high risk.
Knowler et al., New England Journal of Medicine, 2002
18%
Lower diabetes incidence versus placebo sustained across 10 years of follow-up in the same cohort.
Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study, Lancet, 2009
Metformin ER or Immediate-release metformin
Why we prescribe the extended-release form
| Metformin ER | Immediate-release metformin | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is released | Slowly, over hours | All at once |
| Stomach upset | Less common | More common early on |
| Daily doses | Usually one | Two to three |
| Glucose lowering | Equivalent | Equivalent |
| Lowest cost | Slightly higher | Lowest |
| Best for | A simple, gentle routine | Cost-focused, tolerant stomachs |
What to expect
Some stomach upset is possible early and eases with the extended-release form and taking it with food. Your provider sets the dose.
- Week 1 to 2
Start low
Begin at a low dose taken with food to ease your stomach.
- Week 2 to 4
Titrate up
Your provider steps the dose up as you tolerate it.
- Month 1 to 3
Settle in
Early stomach effects usually fade on the extended-release form.
- Ongoing
Check in
Your provider reviews your labs and adjusts over time.
Safety and side effects
Reviewed by a licensed provider. Not used with significantly reduced kidney function (rare risk of lactic acidosis), and paused around contrast imaging or acute illness. Tell your provider about kidney function and alcohol use; B12 is monitored long term.
Common
- Nausea or upset stomach, usually early
- Diarrhea or loose stools
- Gas or bloating
- Metallic taste
Less common
- Lower vitamin B12 over time
- Reduced appetite
- Headache
Seek care
- Lactic acidosis, a rare buildup of lactic acid that is more likely with kidney or liver problems
- Low blood sugar when combined with other glucose-lowering medicines
Metformin is started low and taken with food to limit stomach effects. Your provider checks your kidney function and may monitor vitamin B12. Tell your provider about alcohol use and any kidney or liver conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Other longevity options
Approval is never automatic.
An independent US-licensed clinician reviews every request. If they decide the treatment is not right for you, you get a full refund for the medication.
Prescriptions are filled by a US-licensed pharmacy and shipped free, in discreet packaging, on every plan.
LegitScript-certified · Cert 50087439
Compounded medications are prepared by a US-licensed pharmacy and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness. Products are dispensed only after a licensed provider determines they are appropriate. Information here is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice.