These comments are made for the purpose of discussion and should NOT be used as recommendations for or against therapies or other treatments. An individual patient is always advised to consult their own physician.
Glucophage
Question: My mother has been taking glucophage for the last six months and has
experienced bouts with diarrhea. I have heard stories of heart attacks.
Is this possible? Is there a normal/safe amount. Her dosage is 850 mg, twice per day.
Answer: Is the diarrhea constant? If it is episodic, I doubt the glucophage is involved. Patients do experience diabetic enteropathy, which is manifested by diarrhea. Clonidine usually fixes this. Heart Attacks are common in diabetics, but glucophage has not been implicated yet. Her dosage is about average.
Glucophage & Alcohol
Question:I am curently taking Glucophage 500 mg. can I have a glass of wine with my meal?
Answer:Glucophage(metformin hydrochloride) is a relatively new oral medication for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. It is a medicine that works primarily by inhibiting the glucose release from the liver-rather than at the cellular level like other oral agents(glyburide, tolinase, etc.). Metformin unlike the sulfonyureas, will not produce hypoglycaemia. It should be used with extreme caution-or not used- in patients with renal or liver dysfunction. Alcohol can potentiate the effect of glucophage so one should watch the finger stick glucose very closely after alcohol. For practical purposes, one drink shouldn’t be a big deal if you monitor your glucose.
