Medicinal drug Metformin belongs to the group of hypoglycemic agents. More than fifty years Metformin has been used in therapy, mainly diabetes mellitus. The active substance of the drug has the following effect on the body:
- reduces the sugar content in the blood ;
- reduces appetite;
- strengthen lipolysis - the reaction of fat burning.
Indications for the use of Metformin
Metformin is caused by the following diseases:
- diabetes mellitus type 2, including in cases accompanied by obesity;
- Gestational diabetes - a disease associated with a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism on the background of hormonal changes in pregnant women;
- syndrome of polycystic ovaries in women with a violation of the response to glucose.
Also, Metformin is used as a prophylactic for conditions that threaten the onset of diabetes (prediabetes). In recent years, information has been published that the hypoglycemic drug reduces the activity of compounds that stimulate the growth of malignant tumors in the mammary glands and tumors accompanying diabetes. This is confirmed by studies conducted by scientists from the University of Michigan (USA) and Seoul University (South Korea).
Contraindications to the use of Metformin
There are a number of contraindications to the use of Metmorphine. These include:
- severe chronic damage to organs involved in metabolism (liver, kidney and lungs);
- ketoacidosis - a disease associated with a violation of the carbon metabolism due to insufficient insulin production;
- myocardial infarction;
- laktatsidoz - disease, because of which the body accumulates large amounts of lactic acid;
- conditions associated with dehydration (due to infections, physical trauma) and finding on low-calorie diets;
- hypersensitivity to the components of the drug.
With special care Metformin is used in the treatment of pregnant and lactating women, as well as patients older than 60 years.
Metformin treatment for diabetes mellitus
Metformin tablets should be taken after a meal, the dosage of the drug depends on whether insulin is used to treat the patient or not. In this case, it is assigned:
- To people who do not take insulin, 2 tablets (1 g) twice a day in the first 3 days, from the 4th to the 14th day - 2 tablets 3 times a day. Starting from the 15th day, the dosage is reduced according to the doctor's recommendations depending on the glucose content in biological fluids (urine and blood).
- With the simultaneous use of insulin in an amount of 40 units per day, Metformin dosage is the same, but the insulin dose is gradually reduced by approximately 4 units per day.
- At a dosage of insulin more than 40 units per day, including in therapy Metformin, it is necessary to reduce the dose of insulin only when the patient
under constant medical supervision, for example, when staying in a hospital.
Excess Metformin dosage can cause hyperglycemia - an increase in glucose levels and an even more severe condition - to hyperglycemic coma with possible fatal outcome. In this regard, it is necessary to regularly monitor the level of glucose. Excess of its level is a signal to the fact that taking the drug should be interrupted for several days and switched to insulin.
Attention! Treating diabetes with metformin without the simultaneous use of other drugs can cause weakness and drowsiness . This is because the active substance reduces the glycogen content. To eliminate the unpleasant condition it is recommended to make an injection of insulin.