Category Archives: Metformin HCl

Metformin Food Interactions

Posted by on November 26, 2011 No comments

How Does Metformin And Other Anti Diabetic Drugs Interact With Food?

Most individuals suffering from Type 2 Diabetes think that food only contains fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. This is definitely not true.

Foods, especially those that originate from plants, possess different chemical compounds that also interact with the enzymes present in the liver. These enzymes are the very ones that are also used by the liver to destroy and detoxify active chemicals that are present in the medications you take to control diabetes. It would be advantageous to be able to discover which type of foods are able to recycle the active ingredients present in diabetes medications as well as which type of foods can slow it down as these will affect the rise and the dip of blood sugar levels.

How the food you eat will affect the diabetes medication you take in will depend on what enzyme is used by your liver. This is an overview of the interactions of several medications that are typically used to treat Type 2 Diabetes and how the food you eat affects how the liver will process them.

  1. Metformin, which is also known as Glucophage is one medication that does not get processed by the liver. This means the use of Metformin cannot be affected by the food you eat.
  2. Vildagliptin, which is also known as Galvus is a diabetes medication that is processed by the liver with cytochrome P450. However, the processing is very limited. Through consuming licorice, grapefruit, ginger, or hot peppers, you can increase the ability of this medication to decrease blood sugar levels in the body.
  3. Sitagliptin, which is also known as Januvia gets processed in the liver with the CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 enzymes. Avoid eating too much fruit and drinking fruit juices as these will interfere with the enzymes and they will increase the possibility of acquiring the side effects caused by the medication. When using Sitagliptin, you should avoid the consumption of mangoes, oranges, dragon fruits, rambutans, passion fruits, pawpaws, wild grapes, pomegrenates, wild mullberies, and kiwis.
  4. Pioglitazone, which is also known as Actos, is processed with the CYP2C8 enzyme. All of the fruits mentioned above will also affect this medication so it is important to avoid them especially pomegranate juice.
  5. The CYP2C8 enzyme also processes Rosiglitazone, also known as Avandia, so it is also advised to avoid the fruits mentioned earlier. The intake of promegrenate juice will also cause this medication to produce greater side effects so stay away from the fruit juice as much as possible.

Also remember that these diabetic medications will become more effective when you are following a healthy lifestyle, which includes the following:

  1. Eating the right amount of healthy foods
  2. Increased regular physical activities
  3. Reducing stress

These medications are not used to cure diabetes as the disease currently has no possible cures. Most of these medications will work for a certain period, but they will slowly lose their efficiency overtime as the body becomes immune to them. When these medications available lose their desired effect, injectable insulin might be your second best option.

Diabetes And Heart Attacks

Posted by on November 25, 2011 No comments

How Does Heart Attack Survivors Respond to Taking Metformin?

A study was made in the Cardiology Unit of the Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute in Sweden, which involved a group of researchers that aimed to discover how heart attack survivors that were diagnosed with diabetes respond to different types of treatments. On February 2011, the results of their findings were published in a journal named Diabetologia.

Included in the study were 1,145 patients that were diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and had also suffered and survived a heart attack. These patients where divided into three different groups.

  1. The first group where administered with insulin
  2. The second group where administered with insulin along with conventional treatment
  3. The third group were only provided with conventional treatment for 2.1 years

All of the patients were monitored at an average of 4.1 years. The study showed that the number of fatal heart attacks during the monitoring period was the same in the three groups. However, non-fatal heart attack rates differed. The highest rate of heart attacks that were non-fatal was in the group treated with insulin. The group who received conventional treatment had the lowest risk in death from cancer while the group that were administered with Metformin both had low risks in death from heart attack and from cancer compared to the other patients from the other groups.

Metformin, which is available in tablet form and is commonly known as Fortamet, Glucophage, or Glucophage CR is used to lower blood sugar levels. Individuals diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes commonly use it and it can also be used to prevent the acquisition of Type 2 Diabetes for those who have high risk in acquiring it. A study done in Canada shows that the use of both Avandia and Metformin helped decrease the risk of diabetes in volunteers who were pre-diabetic.

This medicine is commonly taken once, twice, or three times per day depending on your doctor’s prescription. A dosage of 500 milligrams twice per day or 850 milligrams once per day is the usual dose. Moreover, the dosage can be increased gradually mainly depending on how the blood sugar levels in the body react to the dosage.

The following effects are caused by the regular intake of Metformin:

  • The intestinal absorption of sugar is lessened
  • Insulin released by the pancreas is increased
  • Sugar production in the liver is decreased
  • Muscles and fat cells respond to insulin and efficiently take in the needed sugar.

In general, Metformin is considered safe to use, but it can also provide some side effects to someof its users. The most serious side effect that can be caused is lactic acidosis, which will have the following symptoms:

  • chills
  • cool or bluish skin
  • fatigue and muscle pains
  • dizziness , sleepiness, or nausea
  • difficulty in breathing / fast shallow breathing
  • irregular or slow heartbeats
  • pain in the abdominal area
  • diarrhoea or vomiting

 

Although it is a rare case, Metformin might also cause hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar. This condition often occurs when Metformin is used along other anti-diabetic drugs. Symptoms of hypoglycaemia include unexplainable hunger, tingling sensations in the hands and feet, sweating, involuntary shaking, and heartbeat.

Patients that have kidney problems should use Metformin cautiously as the body excretes it through urine. It is advised that patients, especially the elderly should first take some tests to determine their kidney functions and whether the medication is safe for use. Patients who will also undergo X-ray procedures are advised to temporarily stop taking Metformin for a few days before they undergo the X-ray scan.

Metformin HCl – What is it?

Posted by on September 15, 2011 No comments

What you need to know about Metformin HCl

One of the more often approved medications in treating diabetes is Metformin HCl (Glucophage®).  It is prescribed to type 2 diabetes patients to decrease their levels of blood sugar. Metformin hydrochloride is the abbreviated form of Metformin HCl.

The effects of the medicine are as follows:

1) Restricts the quantity of sugar the body absorbs from a diet;

2) Lowers the amount of sugar produced by the liver;

3) Aids the body to react to its insulin by making insulin receptors more receptive. The blood sugar level diminishes with these results.

Today, Metformin HCl is a leader in the most preferred brand of medications for diabetes treatments. An on-going inquiry of the tablet is being conducted, and new benefits are still spotted. Because of this the number of ailments treatable by Metformin is getting bigger. Side effects of Metformin are also being studied and an on-going research is aimed at minimizing them.

The fact the Metformin HCl is included in WHO’s list of essential medications support the drug’s reputation and popularity. Metformin HCl is perfectly safe for humans and nearly found with no side effects with proper dosage. A Metformin treatment is prescribed by your medical professional basing it on the condition of your health and the severity of your diabetes.

The dosage of Metformin HCl is usually once to thrice a day. It’s available in a few types and potencies such as tablets, syrup, or two distinct types for long treatment.

As compared to other diabetes treatment, with Metformin HCl, the patient is unlikely to suffer from hypoglycaemia (a serious condition where blood sugar is very low) because it doesn’t cause an increase of insulin in the body.

Metformin Dosage Information

Your health practitioner may prescribe a specific dosage for you based on a few aspects such as:

  • The way you control your diabetes.
  • Your other health conditions.
  • You may need extra medications.

Generally, you are not supposed to change your dose without consulting your medical practitioner.