Metformin overdose associated with lactic acidosis presents with nonspecific symptoms and includes severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, epigastric pain, thirstiness, lost appetite, lethargy and hyperpnoea. Hypotension, hypothermia, acute renal failure, coma and cardiac arrest also represent significant clinical features.
The vast majority of patients who accidentally take a double dose of their metformin have either no symptoms at all or mild stomach upset like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. On the other hand, a large overdose might result in life-threatening effects like lactic acidosis.
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.
Intake of 35 g of metformin has been shown to be lethal (Teale et al. 1998).
If you've accidentally taken more than that in a single day, seek emergency medical help immediately, especially if you are on insulin. Overdosing on metformin can cause fatal low blood sugars and extreme nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and can be hard to control.
Taking metformin can cause vitamin B12 deficiency if you take it for a long time. This can make you feel very tired, breathless and faint, so your doctor may check the vitamin B12 level in your blood. If your vitamin B12 levels become too low, vitamin B12 supplements will help.
Dosage of Metformin 1000 MG Tablet
Exceeding the dosage may result in hypoglycemia or other related side effects. The doctors do not recommend Metformin for older people and people with liver and kidney problems as it can lead to Lactic Acidosis and other gastrointestinal problems in the patients.
If you accidentally take too much metformin, you may experience side effects like diarrhea, nausea, or stomach pain. Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) isn't as common with metformin on its own. But if you feel weak, shaky, or sweaty, be sure to check your blood glucose.
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.
Even in studies that indicated weight loss, the results were modest. One of the most extensive studies to date, performed by the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), tested metformin in people with prediabetes (those at risk for developing T2D). People randomly assigned metformin lost an average of 4-7 pounds.
The administration of metformin, as glucophage retard, at bedtime instead of supper time may improve diabetes control by reducing morning hyperglycemia.
Metformin dosage for weight loss
After titration, the maintenance dose of immediate-release metformin is 2000 mg/day in divided doses. Divided doses should be taken with meals, typically twice per day (for example, with breakfast and dinner). The maximum dose is 2550 mg/day.
Metformin doesn't cause kidney damage. The kidneys process and clear the medication out of your system through your urine. If your kidneys don't function properly, there's concern that metformin can build up in your system and cause a condition called lactic acidosis.
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 alone: At first, 500 milligrams (mg) two times a day taken with the morning and evening meals, or 850 mg a day taken with the morning meal. Your doctor may increase your dose if needed until your blood sugar is controlled.
Another study, published in May 2020 in the journal Diabetes Care, found that when participants increased their metformin dose by 1,000 mg or more, they lost significantly more weight than those who didn't change their metformin dose or decrease their dose.
You're not losing weight or you've gained weight
However, if you're eating healthy and exercising regularly in conjunction with taking Metformin, but your weight hasn't budged or you've gained weight, this could be a sign that you may need to increase your dose or seek an alternative.
Considering all factors, metformin can cause a modest amount of weight reduction in those who take the medication regularly, although average weight loss is only between 4-7 pounds per year.
Metformin may have an adverse effect on renal function in patients with type 2 DM and moderate CKD.
Metformin has two advantages over other diabetes drugs: There's less risk of your blood sugar level falling too low. It doesn't cause weight gain.
Metformin promotes lactate production by virtually any tissue and cell containing glycogen and/or taking up glucose, either distal (including gut, liver, and muscles) or proximal (such as cardiac fibroblasts, astrocytes, or renal medullar cells).
Metformin Effective In Treating Depression
Metformin helps in reducing depression and anxiety by increasing serotonin, the happiness hormone. Even more astounding, data suggests that women who take metformin may have a staggering 3.3 times lower risk of developing major depression.
As already discussed, metformin can result in sleep disturbance, and this might affect normal dream patterns. Nightmares are reported in patients receiving metformin. [7] However, they are less frequent than insomnia.