Common side effects of metformin can include dizziness, irregular heartbeat, feeling cold, tiredness, and more.
Long-term side effects
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.
Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are some of the most common side effects people have when they first start taking metformin. These problems usually go away over time. You can reduce these effects by taking metformin with a meal.
But some oral diabetes drugs, notably metformin, can cause vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to postural instability (balance problems). Peripheral >neuropathy (nerve damage) adds to the risk of falling in people with diabetes; some estimates state that one-third of people with diabetes have this complication.
Under certain conditions, too much metformin can cause lactic acidosis. The symptoms of lactic acidosis are severe and quick to appear, and usually occur when other health problems not related to the medicine are present and are very severe, such as a heart attack or kidney failure.
The most common side effects are feeling and being sick, diarrhoea, stomach ache and loss of appetite. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also a common side effect of taking metformin in higher doses or for long periods. Metformin does not cause weight gain, unlike some other diabetes medicines.
How to check if metformin is working. 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.
Lightheadedness
If you experience this common symptom of hypoglycemia, treat the hypoglycemia quickly with 15 to 20 g of fast-acting carbs, such as juice, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Try to lie down, too, and if the lightheadedness keeps up for more than 15 minutes, it's time to seek medical help, suggests Harvard.
When the brain experiences low glucose levels, it doesn't receive enough fuel to function as it should. This can lead to mental confusion as well as feeling dizzy. This effect can be experienced by people with type 1, type 2 diabetes, or LADA (latent autoimmune diagnosis in adults).
People with diabetes may experience dizziness, either as a symptom of the condition or as a result of dehydration or certain medications. A doctor can help determine the cause and how to manage or treat it. Diabetes can cause low or high blood sugar, which can make people feel dizzy or lightheaded.
Nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, diarrhea, gas, weakness, or a metallic taste in the mouth may occur. If any of these effects last or get worse, tell your doctor or pharmacist promptly. If stomach symptoms return later (after taking the same dose for several days or weeks), tell your doctor right away.
Month two and beyond. By now, your side effects should have leveled off because your body has gotten used to the drug. If you still can't handle the GI issues a couple of weeks after taking the full dose, talk to your pharmacist or provider.
Why Shouldn't You Stop Taking Metformin? Metformin works by decreasing the amount of sugar your liver releases into your blood, making your body more sensitive to insulin's effects. If you suddenly discontinue use, it can lead to dangerously high blood sugar levels.
It's best to take metformin tablets with, or just after, your evening meal to reduce the chance of getting side effects. Swallow your metformin tablets whole with a drink of water. Do not chew them.
“Dizziness can be caused by lots of different conditions including dehydration, a drop in your blood pressure, inner-ear problems, vertigo, stress/anxiety, low blood sugar, viruses, migraines and many other conditions,” says Amandeep.
"When you don't have enough blood sugar, every system in your body goes on reserve to use as little energy as possible, including your brain, making you feel lightheaded or confused," says Dr. Grossman.
If you feel dizzy, sit or lie down at once. This will lower your chance of falling down. If you have vertigo, it may help to lie down in a dark, quiet place with your eyes closed. Drinking water may also give you fast relief, especially if you're dizzy because you're dehydrated.
An early study on people with diabetes and morbid obesity found significant weight loss after 28 weeks of metformin alongside a healthy diet. Other risk factors for coronary heart disease were lowered as well, including fasting insulin, leptin, and LDL cholesterol.
Orally administered metformin slowed down weight gain on a high fat diet. Metformin treatment led to increased energy expenditure, but decreased locomotion. Metformin treatment caused a futile, energy consuming glucose–lactate–glucose cycle.
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.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, breathing difficulties and low blood pressure: if suspected immediate medical assistance is needed. If you have any of the following medical problems then Metformin may not be suitable. The list is based on those at high risk of lactic acidosis: Chronic kidney problems.
The use of metformin by non-diabetics stems from some evidence that metformin can decrease inflammation, protect against cardiovascular disease and cognitive impairment, minimize cancer risk and progression, and prolong life.
Metformin and weight loss
In a much larger trial in over 4,000 people with type 2 diabetes, it was found metformin use was associated with a 2.4 kg (roughly 5.3 lbs) weight loss over a four-year period. There are a few ways that metformin might impact weight. One is that the medication can reduce your appetite.