Metformin - side effects

[archthel]

What are the side effects of metformin ? Would it be OK to increase/decrease dosage depending upon test results ?

[gangadharan_nair]

Common side effects include diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain. Metformin may rarely cause a serious, life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis.

You may try to lower high blood sugar by low carbohydrate diet and regular exercise instead of increasing the dosage of medicine.

Sources:--

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metfo...

medlineplus.gov/druginfo/me...

[anands1952 in reply to gangadharan_nair]

What about Israel 50 mg.Istavel,a costliest medicine does not control sugar effectively whereas glynase mg works effectively.Why

[gangadharan_nair in reply to anands1952]

The main ingredient in Instavel (brand name) is sitagliptin. The side effects of this medicine is pancreatitis or pancreatic cancer. It is recommended as a second line of drug along with metformin.

The main ingredient of glynase (brand name) is glipizide. It is oral short and rapid acting medication. Glipizide is classified as second generation of sulfanylurea.

Sources:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitag...

medlineplus.gov/druginfo/me...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glipi...

medlineplus.gov/druginfo/me...