What's Inside
Metformin is a type of medicinal drug used by type 2 diabetic patients. The drug is taken with a proper diet to control the blood sugar levels, decrease glucose content made in the liver, and improves insulin sensitivity. Consuming metformin on an empty stomach raises new complications. Metformin also helps to prevent kidney damage, blindness, and nerve problems.
Metformin functions in restoring your body’s response to the insulin created in your body. Metformin helps the liver to produce less glucose and to absorb less glucose from the intestine. Diabetes patients have a high chance of developing heart strokes, kidney problems, and other life-threatening complications.
Regular exercise and medications can regulate the blood sugar level to an ideal state. Keeping a proper diet and healthy lifestyle can improve any patient’s health.
Can We Intake Metformin On An Empty Stomach?
No, metformin cannot be taken on an empty stomach because there possibility of raising new complications. So metformin is generally taken with meals to prevent any stomach-related issues or any bowel side effects. Metformin helps insulin to work efficiently in the body, so it is necessary to intake metformin along with meals.
How Is Metformin Taken?
Metformin comes in three forms: a liquid, a tablet, and an extended tablet. All three medications are taken with meals as per the doctor’s instructions. Do not split, chew or crush the tablet form of the medicine.
Before taking the liquid medicine, shake the bottle and measure the dosage carefully with a syringe or a dose-measuring device. Blood sugar levels are monitored throughout the treatment.
What Are The Risks Of Consuming On An Empty Stomach?
Although there is a minimal risk of hypoglycemia if metformin is taken without any food, because metformin controls the glucose level in the body, moreover absence of a meal does not provide any additional glucose to the human body.
Foods To Include While Taking Metformin
- Carbohydrates come from vegetables, fruits, whole-grain bread, and rice. These carbohydrates include more fiber. This results in slower body metabolizing, hence it also slows the release of glucose into the bloodstream.
- Healthy fats from fish, nuts, and olive oil. Avoid food consisting of saturated and trans fats.
- Lean proteins from fish, turkey, beans, and peas help in losing weight, support the immune system as well as reduce chronic heart diseases.
- Fiber intake is recommended by doctors because fiber regulates the blood glucose level
Foods To Avoid While Taking Metformin
- Sugary drinks and desserts such as tea, coffee, cake, and sodas have high sugar content. Avoiding sugary drinks and foods can help metformin to do its job more effectively
- Refined grains have low fiber and nutrients. These types of grains are more likely to raise blood sugar levels and weaken the immunity of insulin.
- Cutting off fried foods can help you lose weight, in addition, which can improve insulin sensitivity
Things Not To Do
- Try not to miss taking the medicine if missed you can take the medication as soon as possible. Avoid taking the missed dose if it is almost time for the next dose. Do not take two doses at the same time.
- Do not overdose. Lactic acidosis or severe hypoglycemia can result from an overdose. Immediately seeking medical attention by calling an emergency helpline, as well as eating or drinking a source of the instant sugar-acting product may recover.
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol it affects the blood sugar level vigorously.
Precautions While Taking The Medicine
- Always consult a doctor if you have allergies to metformin
- Take the medicine along with a meal to avoid any stomach irritation or a severe blood sugar low
- Usually, start with a low dosage to accumulate with your sugar levels
- Try not to split the dosage of the medication, to avoid gastric side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and indigestion
- Follow proper diet and exercise to improve the diabetic condition in addition to the medication
- Intaking metformin without food has a slight risk of causing hypoglycemia due to a drop in blood sugar levels.
