Metmorfin is one of the most common medications taken orally for Type 2 diabetic patients. It can either be used alone or combined with other medications such as insulin. This medication is only effective for Type 2 diabetes patients because it helps control the the sugar levels in your blood. This cannot be done with Type 1 diabetic patients because in their case, the body doesn’t produce insulin since the sugar level cannot be controlled in this case.

What to know before you take metformin?

Off course you can’t simply decide on your own to take this drug, and you will need a doctor’s prescription for it. Since the job of the drug is to lower or control the amount of sugar in  your blood, you ought to let your doctor about anything that may affect your blood sugar levels. Here are some things that  you should discuss with your physician.

• Pregnancy. This is an extremely delicate time to start taking strong medicines like metformin. Make sure you let your physician know if you are pregnant, planning to get pregnant or are currently breastfeeding. This will affect weather the doctor will consider giving you the medication.
• Physical activity. This can greatly affect your blood sugar levels by lowering it. Make sure you let your doctor know how frequent and what kind of activities you engage in. This will help him give you the right dosage.
• Eating habits. This can also affect the level of your glucose.
• Medical conditions. These include the following:
  • Serious infection
  • Diarrhea or vomiting
  • Fever
  • Are due for surgery
  • Non subscription drugs. These may include any vitamins, antihistamines and the like that you may be taking at the moment. This will help him identify those that may cause a reaction.
  • Allergies. If you have already proven that you are allergic to metformin, you should let your doctor now ASAP. Also inform him of any other medications that you are allergic to.

What side effects can metformin have?

Since the medication is designed to lower your blood sugar, there is a chance that you will get hypoglycemia. If this happens, the best thing to do is to drink some high-sugar drink. Aside from this, there are other side-effects that you may experience.

• Numbness
• Behavioral changes
• Sweating
• Clumsiness
• Shakiness
• Dizziness
• Hunger
• Loss of consciousness (if hypoglycemia isn’t treated immediately)

The mentioned are usually caused by the rapid lowering of your blood sugar causing hypoglycemia. However, metformin has its own side effects as well.

• Stomach pains and diarrhea or constipation
• Headache
• Runny nose, cough or sneezing
• Muscle pains
• Heartburn

These are very common side effects of metformin and should be expected. If you experience things such as chest pain or rash though, you ought to consult your doctor. These may be signs that you are allergic to the medication.

Metformin is a very effective drug when it comes to Type 2 diabetes. As long as you consult your doctor and are aware of the side effects, you will appreciate this wonder drug.

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