After suffering from diabetes, it is usually treated by taking drugs to control blood sugar within a reasonable range. There are many kinds of anti-diabetic drugs currently on the market, among which metformin is the best choice for diabetes lovers. A medicine that is often taken.
Metformin not only has significant hypoglycemic effects, but also has a protective effect on cardiovascular disease. It can also improve blood lipids, hepatitis, liver fibrosis, etc.
What are the precautions for taking metformin? Maybe many people don’t understand it very well, so here’s a summary for you, so sugar lovers can take a look.
01
Is it appropriate to take metformin "at night" or "in the morning"? People who take medicine for a long time should pay attention
Whether to take metformin before or after a meal, you must follow the doctor's advice carefully. If the doctor does not specifically emphasize it, you can take it after a meal, because blood sugar is easy to rise after a meal. , taking it after meals can better stabilize blood sugar.
Because everyone’s blood sugar levels are different, some people only need to take metformin once a day, while others need to take it twice a day.
If your blood sugar is high, you can take it once in the morning and once in the evening. If your blood sugar is not very high, you can take it once, preferably after dinner.
Because after a day of intake, blood sugar in the body will accumulate, taking metformin after dinner can better help stabilize blood sugar.
Diabetic patients with high blood sugar can take it twice a day, the first time in the morning on an empty stomach, because the glucose tolerance of diabetic patients is damaged if they do not take the medicine in time. Blood sugar can easily rise after meals, leading to other complications.
The second time you take metformin should be after dinner. At this time, blood sugar has accumulated to a certain amount. Taking it after a meal can help better stabilize blood sugar.
02What should you pay attention to when taking metformin?
How to take the medicine
Because there is a sustained-release protective film on the surface of metformin tablets, people with diabetes should not break or chew the tablets when taking the medicine, grind them before taking them. Otherwise, the efficacy of the drug will be reduced and the purpose of controlling blood sugar will not be achieved.
Pay attention to supplementing vitamin B12 during medication
Regular use of metformin can easily cause digestive system discomfort, such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, bloating, indigestion, loss of appetite, etc. In severe cases, May cause gastrointestinal ulcers.
These uncomfortable symptoms of the body will affect the body’s absorption of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is very important to the body, so you should pay attention to supplementing vitamin B12 while taking medicine.
Dosage
Patients who have just started taking metformin should start with a small dose to avoid discomfort symptoms. Once your body adapts, you can gradually increase the dosage over a week or so.
If the optimal dose of medication is not achieved, it may lead to uncontrolled blood sugar in the body, and incorrect medication dosage will not achieve the effect of sugar control.
Daily diet
Although taking metformin can help effectively control blood sugar, constant daily diet will also cause blood sugar to fluctuate and even affect the efficacy of the drug.
Do not drink yogurt after taking metformin, because yogurt contains lactic acid. Metformin will inhibit the metabolism of lactic acid and may cause lactic acidosis.
Regularly check liver function
Although long-term use of metformin will not harm liver and kidney function, regular liver and kidney tests are required. Because when some patients take metformin in combination with other drugs, it may damage the liver and kidneys.
If the patient has liver and kidney function defects, people may be poisoned when taking metformin, so liver function should be checked regularly.
To lower blood sugar, you must not only rely on drug treatment and dietary adjustments, but also make adjustments in your life. For example, you should ensure adequate sleep every day and exercise more regularly to help consume fat and sugar in the body.
Regular exercise can enhance the activity of pancreatic islet cells and increase the secretion of insulin, which is very beneficial to diabetic patients. Moderate exercise can help your body secrete insulin and help lower blood sugar.