
Metformin Drug Interactions
Our free DiscountRx savings card can help you and your family save money on your prescriptions. This card is accepted at all major chain pharmacies, nationwide. Enter your name and email address to receive your free savings card. Our free DiscountRx savings card can help you and your family save money on your prescriptions. This card is accepted at all major chain pharmacies, nationwide. Enter your name and email address to receive your free savings card. Taking metformin with certain decongestants can make metformin less effective, increasing your chance of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). Decongestants are in many cough and cold products, so be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before taking any cough or cold products. Taking metformin with calcium channel blockers can make metformin less effective, increasing your chance of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). You may need to be monitored more closely, and your healthcare provider may need to adjust your metformin dose, especially when starting or stopping a calcium channel blocker. However, taking metformin with nifedipine (a calcium channel blocker) can also increase the level of metformin in your blood. Your healthcare provider may need to adjust your dose of metformin. Taking metformin with cimetidine can increase the level of metformin in your blood, increasing your risk of side effects. Your healthcare provider may need to adjust your dose of these medications or may suggest an alternative to cimetidine. Taking metformin with corticosteroids can make metformin less effective, increasing your chance of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia). You may need to be monitored more closely, and your healthcare provider may need to adjust your metformin dose, especially when starting or stopping a corticosteroid. Taking Continue reading >>

How Prednisone Affects Blood Sugar
It isn’t unusual for people with diabetes to sometimes require corticosteroid treatment. Corticosteroids, or steroids for short, are used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system. They are often a last resort for a wide variety of conditions, in everything from asthma to allergy attacks to arthritis and ulcerative colitis. Steroids are also prescribed to prevent the immune system from seeing donated organs as foreign bodies and rejecting them after an organ transplant. One of the most commonly used steroids is prednisone. “Among all medications available to treat different medical conditions, prednisone and similar steroids have the most profound effect on glucose metabolism. Medications such as prednisone can significantly increase glucose levels in patients with diabetes as well as individuals with impaired glucose tolerance or pre-diabetes,” says William Sullivan, M.D., a senior staff physician at Joslin Clinic in Boston and the Medical Director at the Joslin Clinic at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Needham. Prednisone is amazingly effective at calming inflamed tissue and reducing pain, but that comfort sometimes comes at a high price. Prednisone’s list of side effects is long and scary. The longer you are on the drug and the higher the dose, the more likely it is that you will experience side effects. When you have diabetes, even a short course of prednisone at a low dose is likely to wreak havoc with your blood glucose levels. In fact, another name for corticosteroids is glucocorticoids in honor of the powerful effect they have on glucose metabolism. Prednisone induces elevated glucose levels by stimulating glucose secretion by the liver as well as reducing glucose transport into adipose and muscle cells. The overall effect is a reduction in g Continue reading >>

The Ups And Downs Of Meds And Diabetes (part 1): Steroids
If you take any kind of medication for your diabetes management, whether that be metformin, sulfonylureas, exenatide (brand name Byetta), or insulin, for example, hopefully you’re familiar with how that drug works and what the effect is on your blood glucose control. But, just like people who don’t have diabetes, you’re going to come down with a cold or the flu every now and then. You may need to take steroids for a while. Maybe you take medicine for controlling your blood pressure or your cholesterol. How familiar are you with these drugs, particularly in terms of your blood glucose levels? Most of us are prescribed medicines for various reasons at one time or another. Unfortunately, we aren’t always told by our physician or pharmacist how they work and how they might interact with other medicines. And in the case of diabetes, chances are you’re not always given information on how a drug may affect your blood glucose level or how a it may interact with your diabetes medication—and many of them do. Your pharmacist should be your number one source for any questions you have about any drug that you take. But we can scratch the surface and take a look at this important area of diabetes management. We’ll look at steroids this week. Steroids Steroids (corticosteroids, glucocorticoids) are a potent class of medications (meds for short) that are known to raise blood glucose levels, often quite significantly. Steroids are given to help reduce inflammation that may occur with arthritis or asthma. People with certain immune disorders, such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or sarcoidosis, usually need to take steroids as well. While steroids are very effective at doing what they’re supposed to do, one of the side effects is an increase in blood glucose levels. In fa Continue reading >>

Metformin And Prednisolone Effects
Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community I was diagnosed with T2 about 2 years ago (with a bs of 17mmol) and have followed a low carb diet (after reading Dr. Bernstein) since then, along with increased exercise. This has been fairly successful, and I was regularly getting readings of 7-8 mmol for waking and before bed. My GP put me on Metformin, as she felt my readings were still to high - which made me very ill (I have Ulcerative Colitis). I ended up having to come off the Metformin, and narrowly avoided being hospitalised with my Colitis. My GP then put me on Prednisolone to get me over the Colitis. The Prednisolone has made my bs spike to 14 mmol. I have finished the course of Prednisolone, and weeks later, my bs is finally dropping to 8-9 mmol. Still too high I was wondering if steroids are known for this elevated bs effect? If so, I am surprised the GP put me on them. I need to research alternatives in case I have a flare-up of my Ulcerative Colitis again. Also, are there any other drugs that work the same way as Metformin that don't effect the digestive system as badly? I have read Dr Bernstein's book, and am aware that drugs of different types can have bad consequences. I have requested an appointment with a diabetic specialist (I have lost confidence in my GP), and will discuss this with him also (there's quite a wait), but wondered if any of you have any advice? Seeing a specialist is absolutely the right thing to do. There may be other drugs they can use instead of steroids and the diabetic specialist will liaise with your colitis specialist if you have one. Your GP may not know about some of these drugs or not be allowed to prescribe them. Working in a hospital, I notice that diab Continue reading >>

Metformin And Prednisone Drug Interactions - Drugs.com
Do not stop taking any medications without consulting your healthcare provider. Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Multum is accurate, up-to-date and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. In addition, the drug information contained herein may be time sensitive and should not be utilized as a reference resource beyond the date hereof. This material does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients, or recommend therapy. Multum's information is a reference resource designed as supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare practitioners in patient care. The absence of a warning for a given drug or combination thereof in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Multum Information Services, Inc. does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. Copyright 2000-2018 Multum Information Services, Inc. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist. Some mixtures of medications can lead to serious and even fatal consequences. Continue reading >>

Can Steroids Have A Lasting Effect On Blood Glucose?
Three years ago, when I was 65, I was prescribed prednisone during a very bad cold. I have type 2 diabetes, which I controlled then with diet and exercise (no medications). After I started taking prednisone, my blood sugar shot up to 300 mg/dl, and it took me three weeks on Actos to bring it back down. My blood sugar has never been the same, and now I am on diabetes meds. Could the prednisone have caused a lasting effect? Continue reading >>

Metformin/iodinated Contrast Materials Interactions
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment. Medical warning: Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information. How the interaction occurs: If you are taking metformin when you have your imaging test procedure, your kidneys may not be able to properly remove metformin from your blood. What might happen: The effects of metformin may increase and cause a serious condition called lactic acidosis, especially if you have kidney problems. Symptoms of lactic acidosis are: feeling very weak, tired, or uncomfortable, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, unusual or unexpected stomach discomfort, feeling cold, dizziness or lightheadedness, suddenly developing a slow or irregular heartbeat. What you should do about this interaction: Contact your doctor about taking these two medicines together before you have any tests done that use an iodine dye. Your doctor may want to check to make sure your kidneys are working properly before and after the imaging test. In some cases, your doctor may instruct you to stop taking your metformin before the exam and not to begin using it again until 48 hours after your test.Your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of this drug interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first. Continue reading >>

Herbs To Avoid On Metformin
Metformin is usually prescribed for Type 2 diabetes patients who have trouble maintaining consistent blood sugar levels. As a general rule, it is unsafe to take any herbs, supplements or vitamins while taking metformin unless you have the express approval of your doctor. Many of these over-the-counter substances can lower your blood sugar too much or make the metformin less effective in controlling your blood sugar. Before taking any herbs with this medication, talk to your doctor and pharmacist to ensure safety. Video of the Day Metformin is a type of antidiabetic drug called a biguanide. It is used primarily to lower blood sugar in Type 2 diabetics, but it is also used to treat the side effects of polycystic ovarian syndrome and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Some side effects include headache, muscle pain, weakness, mild nausea, vomiting, gas and diarrhea. Take this medication with a meal to avoid some of these side effects, and you should take vitamin B-12 to avoid the deficiency metformin can sometimes cause. Some supplements and herbs lower your blood sugar and can make it drop too low when you're taking metformin. Herbs and supplements in this category include ipriflavone, chromium, ginseng, magnesium, vanadium, aloe, bitter melon, bilberry, burdock, dandelion, fenugreek, garlic, gymnema, lipoic acid and carmitine. St. John's wort and Dong quai can increase the sun sensitivity caused by metformin. Guar gum can interfere with the medication's absorption, and gingko biloba combined with metformin made glucose tolerance worse in patients -- their blood sugars remained higher with the combination. Metformin interacts with many prescription drugs, as well. Tell you doctor if you take the water pill Lasix, the heart medication digoxin or the antibiotic vancomycin. O Continue reading >>

Clinically And Pharmacologically Relevant Interactions Of Antidiabetic Drugs
Go to: Introduction Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often do not suffer solely from symptoms of increased blood glucose levels. In the majority of cases, several comorbidities are present with the need of additional pharmacological treatment. Concomitant diseases such as hypertension and high blood lipids can lead to both microvascular and macrovascular complications [Cornier et al. 2008]. Moreover, central nervous disorders such as depression are increased in patients with T2DM compared with the general population [Anderson et al. 2001]. Multifactorial pharmacotherapy significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular (CV) mortality [Gaede et al. 2008], but an increasing number of medications taken by the patients leads to a higher risk of adverse drug effects and interactions [Freeman and Gross, 2012; Amin and Suksomboon, 2014; Rehman et al. 2015; Valencia and Florez, 2014; Peron et al. 2015]. Applying a multifactorial pharmacotherapy approach, it is important to consider cytochrome P-450 (CYP) enzyme interactions [De Wildt et al. 1999; Dresser et al. 2000], altered absorption properties [Fleisher et al. 1999] and transporter activities [Lin and Yamazaki, 2003]. Furthermore, nutrition [Fleisher et al. 1999], herbal supplements [Rehman et al. 2015] and other parameters such as patient’s age and gender [Meibohm et al. 2002; Mangoni and Jackson, 2004] are of importance when the drug interaction risk of a pharmacological therapy is assessed. This article provides a short review of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of antidiabetic drugs and their clinically relevant interactions with common medications which are frequently used to treat diabetic comorbidities. Literature searches included PubMed and Scopus databases using the Medical Subject Continue reading >>

Can I Have Grapefruit While Taking Metformin?
Many medications, such as statins and some antihistamines, have a negative interaction with grapefruit. Metformin is used in treatment of type 2 diabetes. Does having grapefruit while taking metformin lead to adverse side effects? There’s limited research, but here’s what you need to know. Metformin is a drug that’s prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes can’t use insulin normally. This means they can’t control the amount of sugar in their blood. Metformin helps people with type 2 diabetes control the level of sugar in their blood in several ways, including: decreasing the amount of sugar your body absorbs from food decreasing the amount of sugar produced by your liver increasing your body’s response to the insulin that it makes naturally Metformin can rarely cause a very serious and life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis. People with liver, kidney, or heart problems should avoid taking metformin. There are more than 85 drugs that are known to interact with grapefruit. Of these drugs, 43 of them can lead to serious adverse effects. All forms of grapefruit — including freshly squeezed juice, frozen concentrate, and the whole fruit — can lead to drug interaction. Some of the chemicals found in grapefruit can bind to and inactivate an enzyme in your body that’s found in your intestines and liver. This enzyme helps break down the medication you take. Normally when you take a drug orally, it’s broken down slightly by enzymes before it reaches your bloodstream. This means that you receive a little less of the drug in your bloodstream than the amount you initially consumed. But when the enzyme is inhibited — as it is when it interacts with the chemicals in grapefruit — there’s a dramatically larger amount of the dr Continue reading >>

Prednisone And Metformin Hydrochloride Drug Interactions - From Fda Reports - Ehealthme
Prednisone and Metformin hydrochloride drug interactions - from FDA reports Drug interactions are reported among people who take Prednisone and Metformin hydrochloride together. This review analyzes the effectiveness and drug interactions between Prednisone and Metformin hydrochloride. It is created by eHealthMe based on reports of 529 people who take the same drugs from FDA , and is updated regularly. On eHealthMe you can find out what patients like me (same gender, age) reported their drugs and conditions on FDA since 1977. Our original studies have been referenced on 400+ peer-reviewed medical publications, including: The Lancet, and Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 529 people who take Prednisone, Metformin hydrochloride are studied. Most common drug interactions over time *: Acute myocardial infarction (acute heart attack) Angina pectoris (chest pain due to ischemia of the heart muscle) Aorta hypoplasia (underdevelopment of the aorta) Arthritis (form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints) Asplenia (absence of normal spleen function and is associated with some serious infection risks) Cholecystitis acute (rapid infection of gallbladder) Flank pain (a distressing sensation experienced around the lower back and the upper abdomen) Thrombocytopenia (decrease of platelets in blood) Contusion (a type of hematoma of tissue in which capillaries) Localised infection (infection at the single location) Myocardial infarction (destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle) Cerebral ischaemia (insufficient blood flow to the brain to meet metabolic demand) Ileus paralytic (obstruction of the intestine due to paralysis of the intestinal muscles) Sepsis (a severe blood infection that can lead to organ failure and Continue reading >>

Prednisone And Diabetes: What Is The Connection?
Prednisone is a steroid that works in a similar way to cortisol, which is the hormone normally made by the body's adrenal glands. Steroids are used to treat a wide range of conditions from autoimmune disorders to problems related to inflammation, such as arthritis. They work by reducing the activity of the body's immune system and reducing inflammation and so are useful in preventing tissue damage. However, steroids may also affect how the body reacts to insulin, a hormone that controls the level of sugar in the blood. Contents of this article: How do steroids affect blood sugar levels? Steroids can cause blood sugar levels to rise by making the liver resistant to the insulin produced by the pancreas. When blood sugar levels are high, insulin is secreted from the pancreas and delivered to the liver. When insulin is delivered to the liver, it signals it to reduce the amount of sugar it normally releases to fuel cells. Instead, sugar is transported straight from the bloodstream to the cells. This process reduces the overall blood sugar concentration. Steroids can make the liver less sensitive to insulin. They can make the liver carry on releasing sugar even if the pancreas is releasing insulin, signalling it to stop. If this continues, it causes insulin resistance, where the cells no longer respond to the insulin produced by the body or injected to control diabetes. This condition is called steroid-induced diabetes. Steroid-induced diabetes Diabetes is a condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high. There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes: in which the pancreas fails to produce any insulin. Type 2 diabetes: in which the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin, or the body's cells fail to react to the insulin produced. Steroid-induce Continue reading >>

Steroid-induced Diabetes: A Clinical And Molecular Approach To Understanding And Treatment
Go to: Glucocorticoids are extensively used in almost every subspecialty of medicine. Indications for short-term acute steroid therapy can be seen in exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute gout, chemotherapy protocols, bacterial meningitis and in pregnant women for fetal lung maturation, to name a few. Disease processes benefiting from chronic glucocorticoid use include the following: pulmonary diseases such as idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and sarcoidosis; autoimmune conditions; neurologic diseases such as myasthenia gravis and multiple sclerosis; and inflammatory bowel diseases. More recently, chronic glucocorticoid therapy plays an important role in modulating the immune system following solid organ transplantation. Although widely prescribed for their anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties, glucocorticoids have various common metabolic side effects including hypertension, osteoporosis and diabetes. Steroid-induced diabetes mellitus (SIDM) has been recognized as a complication of glucocorticoid use for over 50 years [1]. Definition Steroid-induced diabetes mellitus is defined as an abnormal increase in blood glucose associated with the use of glucocorticoids in a patient with or without a prior history of diabetes mellitus. The criteria for diagnosing diabetes by the American Diabetes Association [2] is an 8 h fasting blood glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL), 2 h post 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL), HbA1c ≥ 6.5% or in patients with symptoms of hyperglycemic, a random plasma glucose of ≥ 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL). Prevalence Given the widespread use of glucocorticoids in both the inpatient and ambulatory care setting, it is not surprising that at our 550-bed teac Continue reading >>

Glucophage (metformin) Dosage, Indication, Interactions, Side Effects | Empr - The Clinical Advisor
Adjunct to diet and exercise in type 2 diabetes. Take with meals. Individualize. 17yrs: Monotherapy: initially 500mg twice daily or 850mg once daily; may increase by increments of 500mg at 1-week intervals or 850mg in divided doses at 2-week intervals. Or, may increase from 500mg twice daily to 850mg twice daily after 2 weeks. Max 2.55g/day in 23 divided doses. Adding to insulin: initially 500mg once daily; may increase by 500mg increments at 1-week intervals; max 2.5g/day. Reduce insulin dose by 1025% as needed. Concomitant sulfonylureas: see full labeling. <10yrs: not recommended. Take with meals. Individualize. 10yrs: Monotherapy only: initially 500mg twice daily; may increase by 500mg increments at 1-week intervals. Max 2g/day in divided doses. Severe renal impairment (eGFR <30mL/min/1.73m2). Metabolic acidosis, diabetic ketoacidosis. Increased risk of metformin-associated lactic acidosis in renal or hepatic impairment, concomitant use of certain drugs (eg, cationic drugs), 65yrs of age, undergoing radiological contrast study, surgery and other procedures, hypoxic states, and excessive alcohol intake; discontinue if lactic acidosis occurs. Discontinue at time of, or prior to intravascular iodinated contrast imaging in patients with eGFR 3060mL/min/1.73m2, history of hepatic impairment, alcoholism, heart failure, or will be given intra-arterial contrast; reevaluate eGFR 48hrs after procedure and restart therapy if renally stable. Suspend therapy if dehydration occurs or before surgery. Avoid if clinical or lab evidence of hepatic disease. Assess renal function prior to starting and periodically thereafter; more frequently in elderly or if eGFR <60mL/min/1.73m2. Elderly, debilitated, uncompensated strenuous exercise, malnourished or deficient caloric intake, adrenal Continue reading >>

Compare Metformin Vs Prednisone - Comprehensive Analysis By Treato
Shortness of Breath Blood in My Urine Leg Cramps Cold and Flu (seasonal) Allergies Treato does not review third-party posts for accuracy of any kind, including for medical diagnosis or treatments, or events in general. Treato does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Usage of the website does not substitute professional medical advice. The side effects featured here are based on those most frequently appearing in user posts on the Internet. The manufacturer's product labeling should always be consulted for a list of side effects most frequently appearing in patients during clinical studies. Talk to your doctor about which medications may be most appropriate for you. The information reflected here is dependent upon the correct functioning of our algorithm. From time-to-time, our system might experience bugs or glitches that affect the accuracy or correct application of mathematical algorithms. We will do our best to update the site if we are made aware of any malfunctioning or misapplication of these algorithms. We cannot guarantee results and occasional interruptions in updating may occur. Please continue to check the site for updated information. Continue reading >>