Glucophage

Drug name

Glucophage (Metformin)

Drug Uses

Metformin is intended to treat type II diabetes in any age. The drug may be used alone as well as combined with other diabetic drugs. The medication is also helps to prevent the diabetes for those with a risk of such disease as well as treat polycystic ovaries.

How Taken

Adults should begin the therapy from 500 mg two times a day or 850 mg once a day. Each week the dosage is increased by 500 mg or by 850 mg every 2 weeks. This is caused by the response of the sglucose level in blood. The maximum daily dose is 2550 mg splitted into 3 doses. In case you use Glucophage XR tablets you should start with 500 mg a day taken in the evening throughout the meal. Then this dose should be increased by 500 mg each week and the maximum daily dose is 2000 mg splitted into 2 doses. Glumetza tablets should be taken once a day. Metformin is to be taken throughout the meals.

Drug Class and Mechanism

Metformin is an oral medication that lowers blood glucose (sugar) and is used for treating type II diabetes. Insulin is a hormone, produced by the pancreas that lowers glucose levels in blood by reducing the amount of glucose, made by the liver and by increasing the removal of glucose from the blood by muscle and fat tissues. Diabetes results because of reduced production of insulin and reduced uptake (and effects) of insulin on the body's tissues. Metformin acts by increasing the sensitivity of liver, muscle, fat, and other tissues to the uptake and effects of insulin. These actions lower the level of sugar in the blood. Unlike glucose-lowering drugs of the sulfonylurea class, e.g. glyburide (Micronase; Diabeta) or glipizide (Glucotrol), metformin does not increase the concentration of insulin in the blood and, therefore, does not cause excessively low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) when used alone. In scientific studies, metformin reduced the complications of diabetes such as heart disease, blindness and kidney disease. Metformin was approved by the FDA in December of 1994.

Missed Dose

Take the dosage you have missed as soon as possible. But skip it in case it is almost the time for your next dosage and follow your regular schedule. Avoid taking two doses simultaneously.

Storage

Keep the medicine at the temperature between 20-25 degrees C (68-77 degrees F).

Warnings Precautions

Don't drink a lot of alcohol along with metformin therapy as this combination may amplify the risk of lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia. Do not avoid diet, medication and daily exercises as changing any of them may affect your blood sugar level. Let your doctor or dentist know you are taking metformin before receiving any medical care from them. Metformin therapy sometimes should be ceased for a while. Avoid taking any over-the-counter medications without consulting with your doctor. Let your doctor know you are taking metformin in case you are ill, experience heart attack, stroke, develop congestive heart failure; experience diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or dehydration from any cause; decrease in the amount of food or liquid in your normal diet, or develop other health conditions. In such cases metformin therapy may be stopped until you become feel yourself better. Cimetidine may increase the amount of metformin in the blood thus amplifying side effects from this drug. As for pregnant women. Most experts suppose insulin the best remedy with diabetes for pregnant. Metformin appears in the breast milk and thus you should avoid taking metformin throughout breast-feeding period.

Possible Side Effects

Taking the drug may cause: nausea, vomiting, gas, bloating, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Every third patient experiences these side effects. They may also be quite severe and require the stop of the therapy in one out of 20 patients. Furthermore these side effects are depend upon the dosage of the drug and decrease as the dose being decreased. Moreover taking the drug may cause lactic acidosis in one out of 30,000 patients. But this side effect leads to the death in 50% of cases. Its symptoms are: weakness, trouble breathing, abnormal heartbeats, unusual muscle pain, stomach discomfort, light-headedness and feeling cold. The patients predisposed to this side-eefect may have decreased function of kidneys or liver, congestive heart failure, acute illnesses and dehydration of the body.

More Information

Stop the therapy in case you have allergic reaction. Sometimes the drug can cause lactic acidosis that happens commonly in people experiencing problems with kidneys, liver. Discontinue the therapy and contact your doctor at once in case you have a feeling of general discomfort or sickness; weakness; sore or aching muscles; trouble breathing, unusual drowsiness, dizziness or lightheadedness; unusual or unexplained stomach upset (after the initial stomach upset that may occur at the start of therapy with metformin); or the sudden development of a slow or irregular heartbeat. All these may be symptoms of lactic acidosis. Metformin sometimes also causes hypoglycemia. It happens in case the patient skips the meals, executes too many exercises and drinks a lot of alcohol. The symptoms of the hypoglycemia are: hunger, headache, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, a fast heartbeat, sweating, tremor, and nausea. So, take a glucose tablet in case you experience episode of low blood sugar. Taking the drug may also cause other side effects. Do not stop the therapy and consult with your doctor in case you have nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea at the start of therapy; abdominal bloating or increased gas production; or decreased appetite or changes in taste (metallic taste in your mouth). You may also feel other side effects. Contact your doctor about any side effect that lasts for a long period of time or seems to be quite unusual.