|  | Conditions Treatments | Diabetes

Warnings on Glucophage

Glucophage is a very popular drug used in the management of diabetes. It is prescribed mainly for the management of blood sugar, but it has also been prescribed for the condition known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Also known as metformin, it is a relatively safe drug, but it does have some warnings that a patient needs to be aware of.

  1. Lactic Acidosis

    • Glucophage can cause the body to go into a state called lactic acidosis. This is when the pH of the blood is too acidic for the cells of the body to function properly. Some symptoms of lactic acidosis are weakness, muscle pain, shortness of breath, stomach pain, blue hands or feet, dizziness, irregular heartbeat and weight loss. This condition is very rare, but can occur if the patient has some of the risk factors for lactic acidosis such as kidney problems, liver problems and congestive heart failure.

    Alcohol

    • It is important to restrict alcohol while taking Glucophage due to its tendency to increase the chances of lactic acidosis. Drinking large amounts of alcohol greatly increases the risk of causing this side effect of the drug. It is often recommended that those who take Glucophage stop drinking alcohol altogether. It should also be noted that "binge" drinking or drinking large amounts of alcohol occasionally is just as dangerous as persistent alcohol drinking in causing lactic acidosis.

    Contrast Medium

    • Glucophage needs to be stopped before any procedure that uses a contrast medium. A contrast medium is an injected or oral dye that is used in a radiological procedure to get a clear look at an anatomical structure. This would include procedures such as heart catheterizations, some CT scans and certain procedures used to look at the gallbladder. Since the kidneys are harmed by contrast mediums, they would be unable to handle the Glucophage as normal and could cause a build up of lactic acid in the blood. That is why it is important to stop the drug before any of these procedures.

    Pregnancy

    • Glucophage is classified as a category B for pregnancy. This means that it has not been studied in humans, but it does not appear to cause harm to a fetus during pregnancy in animal studies. Insulin has been the drug of choice for diabetes in pregnancy. However, when Glucophage has been used for infertility treatments, it may still be used while a woman is pregnant. It is important to ask one's health care provider to know for certain.

Diabetes - Related Articles