One batch was found to have higher levels (4.4‑times the limit). Only limited stock of this batch has been supplied, and it has now been recalled from wholesalers. Metformin is an important treatment for diabetes.
Talk with your healthcare provider about whether or not you should stop taking your metformin based on this recent recall. Back in June 2020 several companies recalled their ER metformin: Apotex Corp, Teva (labeled as Actavis), Amneal, Lupin, and Marksans (labeled as Time-Cap Labs Inc.)
In January 2022, the Food and Drug Administration announced a voluntary recall of metformin. People with type 2 diabetes use metformin to control their blood sugar alongside a healthy diet and exercise.
Now it has happened again. In the first drug recall of 2022, Cranford, New Jersey-based Viona Pharmaceuticals is voluntarily recalling 23 lots of metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets, USP 750 mg, at the consumer level. The pharma maker shipped the metformin nationwide to distributors.
Metformin is considered a safe, cheap and effective medication worldwide, but it can cause some minor side effects in some people.
Medicines containing guanidine, such as metformin and phenformin, were developed to treat diabetes. But they fell out of favor due to serious side effects caused by phenformin, and by the discovery of insulin.
SYNJARDY and SYNJARDY XR are prescription medicines that contains 2 diabetes medicines, empagliflozin (JARDIANCE) and metformin hydrochloride. SYNJARDY and SYNJARDY XR can be used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes.
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.
Insulin remains the most effective therapy to lower glucose, particularly in comparison to most oral medicines for type 2 (including metformin).
Metformin has a black box warning for lactic acidosis — a condition where too much lactic acid builds up in the blood. It's a serious problem and can lead to death. If you experience these symptoms, seek medical attention right away.
The most common Metformin brand name is Glucophage, but there are many other less common Metformin brands.
The bottom line
The three brands of metformin ER are Glucophage XR, Glumetza, and Fortamet. They're all similarly effective and taken once daily with your evening meal. While stomach-related side effects are the most frequent side effect, some people report that they tolerate metformin ER better than metformin IR.
The chemical name for metformin is dimethylbiguanide and common brand names include Diabex, Diaformin, Metex and Glucophage.
B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids: People with diabetes, particularly those who take metformin, can be at increased risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. Metformin can reduce the absorption of B12 as well as blood concentrations.
Making positive lifestyle changes such as eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly and getting down to a healthy weight (and maintaining it) are the key to possibly reversing or managing type 2 diabetes.
If your diabetes remains hard to manage even after you begin taking metformin, or you cannot tolerate metformin or do not want to take it, that's when a GLP-1RA or SGLT2i might come in. Studies have shown that both medications are safe and effective at lowering blood glucose when compared to a placebo.
Official answer. Most experts consider metformin to be the safest medicine for type 2 diabetes because it has been used for many decades, is effective, affordable, and safe. Metformin is recommended as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).
Metformin also has anti-inflammatory effects, which may contribute to its ability to slow aging. Since chronic inflammation is one hallmark of aging and age-related diseases, reducing inflammation can improve health and life span. “It takes an old cell or an old organ and fixes a lot of things.
But if you can't tolerate metformin or it's not doing enough to help you reach your diabetes goals, you may need an alternative. If you also have heart or kidney disease, GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic (semaglutide) or SGLT2 inhibitors like Jardiance (empagliflozin) are good alternatives.