Glucophage 500mg 50 tablets

Description

Glucophage contains metformin, a medicine to treat diabetes. It belongs to a group of medicines called biguanides. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that makes your body take in glucose (sugar) from the blood. Your body uses glucose to produce energy or stores it for future use. If you have diabetes, your pancreas does not make enough insulin or your body is not able to use properly the insulin it produces. This leads to a high level of glucose in your blood. Glucophage helps to lower your blood glucose to as normal a level as possible. If you are an overweight adult, taking Glucophage over a long period of time also helps to lower the risk of complications associated with diabetes. Glucophage is associated with either a stable body weight or modest weight loss. Glucophage is used to treat patients with type 2 diabetes (also called 'non-insulin dependent diabetes') when diet and exercise alone have not been enough to control your blood glucose levels. It is used particularly in overweight patients. How to use Children 10 years and over and adolescents usually start with 500 mg or 850 mg Glucophage once a day. The maximum daily dose is 2000 mg taken as 2 or 3 divided doses. Treatment of children between 10 and 12 years of age is only recommended on specific advice from your doctor, as experience in this age group is limited. Adults usually start with 500 mg or 850 mg Glucophage two or three times a day. The maximum daily dose is 3000 mg taken as 3 divided doses. Take Glucophage with or after a meal. This will avoid you having side effects affecting your digestion. Do not crush or chew the tablets. Swallow each tablet with a glass of water. Warnings and precautions Risk of lactic acidosis: Metformin hydrochloride may cause a very rare but very serious side effect called lactic acidosis, especially if your kidneys are not working properly, or if you have poorly controlled diabetes, serious infections, liver problems, or dehydration. Stop taking metformin hydrochloride and contact your doctor or nearest hospital immediately if you experience some symptoms of lactic acidosis, as this condition may lead to coma. Symptoms of lactic acidosis: Vomiting Stomach ache Muscle cramps A general feeling of discomfort with extreme fatigue. Difficulty breathing Low body temperature and heart rate Risk of hypoglycemia: If you take metformin hydrochloride with other medicines to treat diabetes, it may cause low blood sugar. If you experience symptoms of low blood sugar such as weakness, dizziness, increased sweating, rapid heartbeat, visual disturbances or difficulty concentrating, eating or drinking something that contains sugar usually helps. Side Effects If you experience any of the following symptoms you should contact your doctor or go to the hospital straight away: Very common side effects (in more than 1 in 10 people) Digestive problems, such as feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting), diarrhoea, bellyache (abdominal pain) and loss of appetite. These side effects most often happen at the beginning of the treatment with Glucophage. It helps if you spread the doses over the day and if you take Glucophage with or straight after a meal. If symptoms continue, stop taking Glucophage and talk to your doctor. Common side effects (in less than 1 in 10 people) Changes in taste. Storage Information Store below 25 C Drug Interactions Medicines which increase urine production (diuretics ). Medicines used to treat pain and inflammation (nsaid and cox-2-inhibitors, such as ibuprofen and celecoxib). Certain medicines for the treatment of high blood pressure (ace inhibitors and angiotensin ii receptor antagonists). Beta-2 agonists such as salbutamol or terbutaline (used to treat asthma). Corticosteroids (used to treat a variety of conditions, such as severe inflammation of the skin or in asthma). Ingredients The active substance is metformin hydrochloride The other ingredients are povidone K 30, magnesium stearate, Hypromellose. Specifications Glucophage 500 mg film-coated tablets are white, circular [e.g.12 mm] in diameter and [e.g. 5 mm] high, convex [engraved GL 500].