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Glumetza medications belong to the family of drugs known as antihyperglycemics, which work to assist people with type 2 diabetes whose bodies are unable to make a sufficient amount of insulin or don’t respond normally to the insulin that their bodies do produce.
SIDE NOTE: For those curious about whether there is a difference between Glumetza vs Metformin, Metformin hydrochloride is the generic name for Glumetza.
While Metformin is sold under its own brand name, it contains the same active ingredients; although the dosages for Glumetza vs Metformin and their use cases may vary.
If you’d like to learn more about how a Glumetza prescription functions, you can click here for more information.
If you’ve been wondering, “how does Glumetza work?”, there’s actually a few different ways that his medication functions, including:
- It helps the insulin that’s produced by your body to function more effectively
- It decreases the amount of sugars that your liver produces
- It decreases the amount of sugars that your intestines absorb
In these different ways, alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise, dosages of Glumetza help regulate your body’s blood sugars, as a management treatment for people who have type 2 diabetes.
What is Glumetza used to treat?
If you’re curious about what Glumetza is used for, when you’re prescribed Glumetza medications, they are used as a treatment to assist in managing your insulin/blood sugar levels if you’re living with type 2 diabetes.
Specifically, a prescription for Glumetza will be offered, alongside a treatment plan that involves improved diet and exercise, to help regulate blood sugar levels, by improving the way that your body uses insulin and processes sugars.
How long does Glumetza last after you take it?
Most of the common side effects of Glumetza are mild and may lessen or disappear as your body adjusts to the medication. However, the most common side effects of Glumetza include:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Upset stomach
These side effects of Glumetza are normal, but if any of the side effects start to become severe, be sure to let your practitioner know.
As well, there are some less commonly occurring side effects of Glumetza to watch for. Be sure to let your practitioner know right away if you start to experience any of the signs that you could have lactic acidosis. These symptoms include:
- Feeling very weak or tired
- Difficulty breathing
- Feeling cold, particularly in the arms and legs
- Unusual or unexpected muscle pain
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Irregular or slow heartbeat
- Stomach pain with nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea
These symptoms of lactic acidosis should be taken seriously, and your practitioner may want to suggest an alternative to Glumetza without interactions, or adjust your Glumetza dosage to reduce these negative side effects.
There are a number of patients who shouldn’t take Glumetza online in Canada, because it may cause negative interactions or side effects for them. These include:
- People who are allergic to Glumetza or any of its ingredients (including Glumetza’s generic name Metformin hydrochloride)
- People with type 1 diabetes
- People who have acute or chronic metabolic acidosis or diabetic ketoacidosis
- People with a history of lactic acidosis
- People who drink alcohol
- People with kidney issues (including kidney disease)
- People with cardiac insufficiency or cardiac collapse
- People with severe liver dysfunction
- People who are planning to have an x-ray in the near future that involves a dye or contrast material
- People who are prior to surgery or living in the recovery phase
- People with a severe infection
- People with severe dehydration (i.e., due to excessive sweating, vomiting, and/or diarrhea)
- People who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant
In addition to these patients, there are some people who should be extra cautious about using dosages of Glumetza, as interactions could potentially occur, and your practitioner may need to adjust your treatment plan. These patients could include people who:
- Have a history of kidney disease
- Have liver disease
- Are over 80 years old and haven’t had their kidney function recently tested
- Have had a recent heart attack or stroke
- Are breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed
- Have a deficiency in B-12 or folic acid
In the event any of the above are relevant to you, your practitioner may suggest alternatives to Glumetza with less interactions, or potentially adjust your Glumetza dosage to reduce the risks of negative interactions occurring.
What Should I Avoid While Taking Glumetza?
Anyone who is showing signs of lactic acidosis should avoid buying Glumetza online in Canada, as it could cause dangerous side effects. Be sure to let your practitioner know immediately if you:
- Start to experience any symptoms of worsening heart disease, particularly signs heart failure
- Develop a new serious medical condition (i.e., heart attack, stroke, severe infection, etc.)
- Start to experience unexplained discomfort
- Start to experience difficult or fast breathing
- Begin to feel extremely tired or feel consistently fatigued with no explanation
- Start to experience severe stomach pain or indigestion without explanation
- Begin feeling cold without explanation (especially in the arms, legs, hands, and feet)
- Start to have low blood pressure
- Begin experiencing a slow or irregular heartbeat
On top of being mindful about lactic acidosis when taking a Glumetza prescription, there are a number of other medications that may cause negative interactions with Glumetza. These include:
- Other diabetic drugs (i.e., glyburide, insulin, rosiglitazone)
- Medications that could increase blood sugar levels (i.e., birth control pills, diuretics, decongestants, corticosteroids, phenytoin, nicotinic acid, calcium channel blockers, and isoniazid)
- Furosemide
- Nifedepine
- Catatonic drugs that could affect your body’s ability to eliminate Metformin (i.e., cimetidine, amiloride, digoxin, morphine, procainamide, quinidine, quinine, ranitidine, triamterene, trimethoprim, and vancomycin)
- Certain medications known as ‘blood-thinners’ (i.e., coumarin-type anticoagulants)
- Alcohol
Be sure to let your practitioner know if you’re taking or planning to take any of the drugs listed above, as they may need to suggest alternatives to Glutmetza or different dosages to reduce the chances of negative Glutmetza interactions occurring.
Is It Safe to Take Glumetza During Pregnancy?
No, the safety of using Glumetza during pregnancy hasn’t been established in studies at this time, and therefore, it’s not recommended to use Glutmetza while pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Also, due to the fact that it’s currently unknown whether Glumetza medications pass through breast milk to nursing infants, it’s not recommended to use Glumetza as negative interactions may occur.
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