A medical provider can run a few tests to see how metformin is affecting your health: Blood work can check if your glucose, insulin, and HbA1C levels are in range. If they are, the medication is working.
Metformin starts working on your liver and insulin right way, but you won't notice the effects yet: “The deficiencies [in your ability to regulate blood sugar] are so great that one dose of it isn't going to affect any real change,” says Albanese.
Luckily, metformin may start to work within the first week of treatment. In one study of over 700 people, metformin ER lowered blood glucose within the first week of treatment. But it took about 2 months for it to have its full glucose-lowering effect.
Unexplained increases in blood sugar may be the first sign that metformin has stopped working. You may also experience symptoms of hyperglycemia such as excessive thirst or hunger, fatigue, and blurry vision.
Metformin does cause side effects in some people, but many of these are mild, and are associated with taking the medicine for the first time. Nausea and gastric distress such as stomach pain, gas, bloating, and diarrhea are somewhat common among people starting up on metformin.
Some studies have noted less cognitive decline and a lower rate of dementia, as well as a lower rate of stroke, among people with diabetes taking metformin compared with those who were not taking it. Slow aging, prevent age-related disease, and increase lifespan.
Metformin side effects can include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and gas. Taking metformin on a schedule can help reduce side effects. Most metformin side effects are short-term, which is 2 weeks or less. See a healthcare provider if you're experiencing long-term metformin side effects.
Metformin lowers your blood sugar levels by improving the way your body handles insulin. It's usually prescribed for diabetes when diet and exercise alone have not been enough to control your blood sugar levels.
Everyone is different, but the average blood glucose levels for an adult, before a meal, is usually between 70–130 mg/dl, and less than 180 mg/dl one or two hours after a meal. If your tests are consistently falling into these ranges, it's likely a safe bet to say that your diabetes medication is working.
Metformin should be taken with meals to help reduce stomach or bowel side effects that may occur during the first few weeks of treatment. Swallow the tablet or extended-release tablet whole with a full glass of water. Do not crush, break, or chew it.
The administration of metformin, as glucophage retard, at bedtime instead of supper time may improve diabetes control by reducing morning hyperglycemia.
If your blood sugar is high despite medication, it could mean a few things: Your dosage is not high enough, you are not responding to the medication as expected, or your diet, exercise, and lifestyle are not helping enough to control your blood sugar.
Official answer. Metformin (brand name: Glucophage) will be in your system for 96.8 hours which is approximately 4 days. Metformin has an elimination half-life of approximately 17.6 hours.
Deterioration of sleep is an important unwanted side effect of metformin.
Metformin treatment led to increased energy expenditure, but decreased locomotion. Metformin treatment caused a futile, energy consuming glucose–lactate–glucose cycle.
If metformin no longer works for you, your doctor may add another drug to your treatment plan. “But there's no magical second drug; the secondary options will depend on the individual,” she says. Your doctor may prescribe other oral medications or noninsulin injectables.
Metformin treatment resulted in a 25–30% reduction in fasting plasma glucose concentrations and glucose production, which is consistent with the results of previous studies (2,22,24,25).
This can lead to excessive thirst and the need to drink and urinate more.
Metformin is an oral medication used to treat type 2 diabetes that is generally well tolerated. GI upset, especially diarrhea, is the most common side effect.
So can foods high in sugar. As much as possible, avoid white bread, white rice, white pasta, candy, soda, desserts, and snacks like chips or crackers. Eating foods that can spike your blood sugar will not necessarily make the metformin not work, however, it will increase the burden it has to work against.
You should not take metformin if you have severe liver problems. Your liver clears lactic acid from your body. Severe liver problems could lead to a buildup of lactic acid. Lactic acid buildup raises your risk of lactic acidosis.
Outside of their work, other scientists are hailing metformin as a wonder drug not only because of its effect on Type 2 diabetes, but because of its emerging prominence in cancer research and potential influence in the lungs of those diagnosed with tuberculosis.
Longitudinal clinical studies have indicated that metformin may reduce the risk of cognitive decline in diabetic patients [2, 14]. Metformin treatment improved cognitive function and produce antidepressant effects in diabetic patients with depression [3].
Your doctor may increase your dose if needed until your blood sugar is controlled. Later, your doctor may want you to take 500 or 850 mg two to three times a day with meals. However, the dose is usually not more than 2550 mg per day.
Dosage and strength
The maximum daily dose is 2,000mg a day. This can be taken as four 500mg tablets a day. Liquid metformin should be taken in 5ml doses of 500mg, 850mg or 1,000mg.