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Medicine Highlights
| Uses | To manage blood sugar levels in Type 2 Diabetes |
| Common Side Effects | 1- Decreased appetite 2- Diarrhea 3- Fast or shallow breathing 4- Fever or chills 5- General feeling of discomfort |
| Additional Information | Avoid drinking alcohol after taking metformin, as it causes severe hypoglycemia. |
| Storage | 1- The medicine should be stored at room temperature 2- Keep away from sunlight and moisture 3- Keep away from the reach of children |
| How to Take This Medicine | This medicine should be taken orally |
Metformin Summary
Metformin 500 mg helps manage type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin response. It also supports hormone balance in PCOS. Take it as prescribed, avoid alcohol, and pair it with a healthy diet and exercise for the best results.While generally safe, metformin can cause stomach discomfort, nausea, or, in rare cases, lactic acidosis. If you have kidney issues or metabolic conditions, consult your doctor before use. Stay consistent with your medication and lifestyle to keep diabetes in check.
Metformin Uses
Metformin 500 mg is an oral biguanide category of antidiabetic medicine. It is approved for use in following indications:
- To manage blood sugar level (Type 2 diabetes)
- Polycystic ovarian disease (Off-label use)
Metformin Side Effects
More Common
- Abdominal or stomach discomfort
- Cough or hoarseness
- Decreased appetite
- Diarrhea
- Fast or shallow breathing
- Fever or chills
- General feeling of discomfort
- Lower back or side pain
- Muscle pain or cramping
- Painful or difficult urination
- Sleepiness
Less Common
- Anxiety
- Blurred vision
- Chest discomfort
- Cold sweats
- Coma
- Confusion
- Cool, pale skin
- Depression
- Difficult or labored breathing
- Dizziness
- Fast, irregular, pounding, or racing heartbeat or pulse
- Feeling of warmth
- Headache
- Increased hunger
- Increased sweating
- Nausea
- Nervousness
- Nightmares
- Redness of the face, neck, arms, and occasionally, upper chest
- Seizures
- Shakiness
- Slurred speech
- Tightness in the chest
- Unusual tiredness or weakness
Direction for Use
- Take metformin 500 mg exactly as prescribed by your doctor, consistently at the same time each day.
- Do not stop taking metformin without your doctor’s approval, even if you feel better.
- If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it’s close to your next dose—then skip the missed one
How Metformin Works
Metformin helps lower blood sugar levels in three ways: it reduces the amount of sugar your liver makes, lowers how much sugar your body absorbs from food, and makes your body more responsive to insulin. This helps control both fasting and after-meal blood sugar levels. In PCOS, metformin lowers insulin levels, which also reduces certain hormones like luteinizing hormone and androgens. This helps balance hormones and regulate the menstrual cycle in women.
Safety Measures and Warning
📌 1- Allergy/Hypersensitivity
If you ever had an allergy to metformin, inform your doctor immediately.
📌 2- Kidney Disease
Since metformin is excreted out of the body through the kidney, patients with pre-existing kidney disease should inform their doctor before taking the medication. The medication should not be prescribed to patients 80 years of age.
📌 3- Metabolic Acidosis
If your body produces too much acid in a short period of time, a condition known as metabolic acidosis, inform your doctor, as metformin is not recommended for patients with this condition.
Metformin Interaction With Other Medicines
Avoid taking metformin 500 mg with the following medicines, as it may increase or decrease the desired effect, or in worse cases, it could be fatal:
Metformin Interaction With Food Products
Avoid consuming alcohol and tobacco with metformin as alcohol increases the risk of lactic acidosis (building up of lactic acid in the bloodstream).
Storage
- The medicine should be stored at room temperature
- Keep away from sunlight and moisture
- Keep away from the reach of children
Metformin Chemical Structure
IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry)/ Chemical name-
3-(diaminomethylidene)-1,1-dimethylguanidine.
Intake Routine/Cycle
📌 Daily Dose
Take metformin exactly as your doctor recommends. The dose may change based on your condition and how well you respond. Do not take more than prescribed without consulting your doctor.
📌 Missed Dose
If you forget to take your medicine, take the medication soon as you remember. If it’s nearly time for your next dose, skip the missed one and continue with your regular schedule. Always consult the doctor before making any changes to your dosage.
📌 Overdose
If you know someone taking metformin who experiences symptoms like tiredness, weakness, vomiting, nausea, or rapid breathing, rush them to the hospital immediately, as they may have knowingly or unknowingly taken more than the required dose.
Dietary and Lifestyle Management
Diabetes cannot be cured permanently, but with a healthy lifestyle and exercise, it can be managed easily. Diabetic patients are advised to monitor their blood sugar level before and after meals. Following are the natural ways to manage blood sugar levels:
Food
Eating healthy is important for managing diabetes. Carbohydrates have a huge impact on our blood sugar level, as they break into sugar (glucose), which is poison for diabetic patients as they already have elevated blood sugar levels. Therefore, a diabetic patient needs to count the amount of carbohydrates he is taking.
Do Exercise
Exercise plays an important role in managing diabetes. When our body moves and gets active, the muscles use blood sugar for energy, resulting in a low amount of sugar in our bloodstream. Adults are advised to exercise for at least 150 minutes a week.
Medicine
Take your medicine on time, as it is designed to lower blood sugar levels.
Avoid Alcohol
Consumptions of alcohol while on therapy with metformin increase the risk of lactic acidosis, that is, lactic acid increases in the bloodstream. Lactic acid can cause symptoms like muscle pain, difficulty breathing, stomach pain, and weakness. Alcohol also decreases the level of blood sugar. It is generally recommended to avoid alcohol while on glimepiride.
FAQ’s
1. Can metformin cause weight loss?
➡️ Yes, metformin can cause a 2%-3% loss of body weight within the first year of starting the medicine.
2. How much metformin can be taken in a day?
➡️ The daily dose limit for metformin is 2,000 mg. This means you can take 4 tablets of 500 mg or 2 tablets of 1,000 mg per day, as instructed by your doctor.
3. Can metformin cause diarrhea?
➡️ Yes, one of the side effects of metformin is diarrhea.
4. Why is metformin used for PCOS?
➡️ In PCOS, there is a significant hormone imbalance that leads to the formation of cysts in the uterus. Metformin helps restore hormonal balance in the body and triggers ovulation, making it an effective treatment for PCOS.
5. Can metformin cause hair loss?
➡️ Yes, metformin is associated with hair loss. Long-term use of metformin can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia, which may cause symptoms like hair fall.
Reference
- Type 2 diabetes – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. Available From.
- Mayo Clinic. Gestational diabetes – Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic; 2023. Available from.
- World Health Organization. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). WHO; 2023. Available from.
- WebMD. Metformin oral: uses, side effects, interactions, pictures, warnings & dosing [Internet]. 2024 [cited 2024 Sep 14]. Available from.
- Metformin (Oral Route). Mayo Clinic. Available from.
- Lukas G, Fehse T, Ashton M. Metformin. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023. Available from.
- Stanford Medicine News Center. Many people with diabetes who take metformin lose weight [Internet]. Stanford Medicine; 2024 Mar [cited 2024 Dec 14]. Available from.
- NHS. How and when to take metformin [Internet]. National Health Service; [cited 2024 Dec 14]. Available from.
- Subramaniam K, Joseph MP, Babu LA. A Common Drug Causing a Common Side Effect at an Uncommon Time: Metformin-Induced Chronic Diarrhea and Weight Loss After Years of Treatment. Clin Diabetes. 2021 Apr;39(2):237-240. doi: 10.2337/cd20-0101. PMID: 33986581; PMCID: PMC8061542. Available from.
- Attia GM, Almouteri MM, Alnakhli FT. Role of Metformin in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)-Related Infertility. Cureus. 2023 Aug 31;15(8):e44493. doi: 10.7759/cureus.44493. PMID: 37791160; PMCID: PMC10544455. Available from.
