Details

Metformin is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels. Metformin is for people with type 2 diabetes. Metformin is sometimes used in combination with insulin or other medications, but it is not for treating type 1 diabetes. Before taking metformin, tell your doctor if you have liver disease or a history of heart disease. Some people develop a life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis while taking metformin. You may be more likely to develop lactic acidosis if you have liver or kidney disease, congestive heart failure, a severe infection, if you are dehydrated, or if you drink large amounts of alcohol.

Typical Uses

Metformin is used with a proper diet and exercise program and possibly with other medications to control high blood sugar. It is used in patients with type 2 diabetes. Controlling high blood sugar helps prevent kidney damage, blindness, nerve problems, loss of limbs, and sexual function problems. Proper control of diabetes may also lessen your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Metformin works by helping to restore your body's proper response to the insulin you naturally produce. It also decreases the amount of sugar that your liver makes and that your stomach/intestines absorb.

Side Effects

Metformin side effects may include muscle pain or weakness numb or cold feeling in your arms and legs trouble breathing feeling dizzy, light-headed, tired, or very weak stomach pain, nausea with vomiting slow or uneven heart rate swelling or rapid weight gain or fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms.

Drug Interactions

• Metformin+diatrizoate- Diatrizoate should not be used with metformin without talking to your doctor. Contrast agents are only used in a hospital or clinic for certain procedures, like X-rays and CT scans. Any drug containing should be stopped prior to the test and not begun until at least 48 hours after the procedure. Your kidney function needs to be checked as well.
• Metformin+gatifloxacin- Gatifloxacin can affect blood glucose levels and should not be used in patients with diabetes. Both hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and, less frequently, hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) have been reported. Severe cases of hypoglycaemia during treatment with gatifloxacin have resulted in coma and even death.
• Metformin+metrizamide- Metrizamide should not be used with metformin without talking to your doctor. Contrast agents are only used in a hospital or clinic for certain procedures, like X-rays and CT scans. Any drug containing should be stopped prior to the test and not begun until at least 48 hours after the procedure. Your kidney function needs to be checked as well.

Mechanism of action

Metformin belongs to class of medications called anti-diabetics. It decreases the amount of glucose absorbed from the food and the amount of glucose made by liver. Metformin also increases the body's response to insulin (a natural substance that controls the amount of glucose in the blood).

Pregnancy Category : B