When you're first getting started on metformin, it's normal to experience side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and gas. For most people, these side effects get better within a few weeks. Taking your dose with food — particularly with the largest meal of the day — can help in the meantime.
Take metformin with food to reduce the chances of feeling sick. It may also help to slowly increase your dose over several weeks. Ask a pharmacist or your doctor for advice. Take small, frequent sips of water or squash to avoid dehydration.
How long does it take to work? Metformin does not instantly reduce blood sugar levels. The effects are usually noticeable within 48 hours of taking the medication, and the most significant effects take 4–5 days to occur. However, the timing depends on the person's dosage.
If you eat a lot of sugar while taking Metformin, your body will have to work harder to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range, and the Metformin will not be as effective for weight loss. However, if it happens infrequently, you should not suffer too many negative side effects. The key is moderation.
Nausea and gastric distress such as stomach pain, gas, bloating, and diarrhea are somewhat common among people starting up on metformin. For some people, taking large doses of metformin right away causes gastric distress, so it's common for doctors to start small and build the dosage up over time.
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.
Taking metformin with or after a meal can curb side effects
Metformin can be taken with or without food. However, if you're prone to its side effects, such as nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, or vomiting, it is best to take metformin with or after a meal.
Is it safe to have coffee while consuming Metformin? Caffeine gets broken down by the body to remove it. Metformin may reduce how rapidly the body breaks down caffeine. Metformin when consumed in combination with caffeine can enhance the effects and side effects of caffeine.
“Because the metformin helps your cells absorb sugar like they should, I've noticed an increase in energy and the ability to actually feel satisfied and not want to snack so much because my body's utilizing sugar like it should,” Steve says.
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.
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.
Metformin may have an adverse effect on renal function in patients with type 2 DM and moderate CKD.
Because metformin is known to be associated with B12 deficiency, the investigators suggested that “any effect metformin has on cognitive performance may be at least partially mediated by altering serum vitamin B12 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.
Moreover, metformin as an insulin sensitizer can affect sleep via altering glucose metabolism. Metformin improves the neural glucose resorption and it can affect the nervous system health, and therefore affecting sleep quality.
Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol while taking metformin is not safe. It can raise your risk of experiencing lactic acidosis. This is because metformin and alcohol both cause lactic acid to build up in the blood. As discussed above, too much lactic acid in the body can make you very sick.
Many people with diabetes will describe themselves as feeling tired, lethargic or fatigued at times. It could be a result of stress, hard work or a lack of a decent night's sleep but it could also be related to having too high or too low blood glucose levels.
Metformin is often the first line of treatment for the management of type 2 diabetes. But emerging research shows it may improve some signs of aging. Research is ongoing to understand how exactly metformin influences aging to extend lifespan and improve healthspan.
Can I take metformin with alcohol? Ideally, you should avoid the combination when possible. This is because alcohol can worsen your diabetes control and the odds of experiencing medication side effects.
Alcohol and Metformin should not be combined since doing so has harmful impacts on your health. If you have diabetes, you should avoid heavy drinking because it can cause low blood sugar. Before taking Metformin, you should consult your doctor.
It is occasionally safe to drink a moderate amount of alcohol while on a course of metformin. However, regularly drinking excessive amounts can reduce the effectiveness of the medication and increase the risk of serious complications.