Metformin ratiopharm
Metformin ratiopharm is a medicine for type 2 diabetes that helps lower blood sugar when diet and exercise are not enough.
How to Use
Dosage
Children aged 10 and older typically start with 500 mg or 850 mg once daily; adults typically start with 500 mg or 850 mg two or three times daily.
Method
Take tablets whole with water with or after a meal; do not crush or chew. Take once daily in the morning, twice daily in the morning and evening, or three times daily in the morning, midday, and evening.
The maximum daily dose for children and adolescents is 2000 mg divided into 2-3 doses; for adults, the maximum daily dose is 3000 mg divided into 3 doses.
Possible Side Effects
- •Digestive issues: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, loss of appetite.
- •Taste disturbances.
- •Low blood vitamin B12 levels (symptoms can include extreme tiredness, sore and red tongue, tingling, or pale/yellow skin).
- •Lactic acidosis (symptoms include vomiting, stomach pain, muscle cramps, general feeling unwell, severe tiredness, breathing difficulties, low body temperature, and slow heart rate).
- •Abnormal liver function tests or hepatitis (symptoms can include tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss, yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes).
- •Skin reactions: skin redness (erythema), itching, or hives.
Important Warnings
- Do not take this medicine if you are allergic to metformin or any of its ingredients.
- Do not take if you have liver problems or severe kidney problems.
- Do not take if your diabetes is not controlled and you have very high blood sugar, or if you have nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid weight loss, lactic acidosis (too much acid in your blood), or ketoacidosis.
- Do not take if your body has too little fluid (you are dehydrated) due to severe diarrhea or vomiting, for example.
- Do not take if you have a severe infection, heart failure, a recent heart attack, severe circulation problems, or breathing difficulties.
Show 4 more warnings
- Avoid excessive alcohol use while taking Metformin ratiopharm, as it can increase the risk of lactic acidosis.
- Temporarily stop taking this medicine if you have a condition that might cause dehydration (e.g., severe vomiting, diarrhea, fever). Ask your doctor for more instructions.
- Stop taking this medicine immediately and seek urgent medical help from a doctor or the nearest hospital if you experience symptoms of lactic acidosis (such as vomiting, stomach pain, muscle cramps, severe tiredness, breathing difficulties, low body temperature, or a slow heart rate).
- Tell your doctor if you need an X-ray with contrast dye or a major surgery, as you might need to stop Metformin ratiopharm before and after the procedure.
Use in Elderly Patients
Suitable for older adults, with specific precautions. Reduce the dose already in mild renal impairment. Do not use in severe renal impairment or tissue hypoxia. May reduce the absorption of vitamin B12. Consider risk of lactic acidosis. The drug should be paused during fever, gastroenteritis or dehydration, and before surgery or imaging with a contrast agent. (updated 20.5.2024)