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Usage: Glucophage is an oral diabetes medicine that helps control blood sugar levels. Glucophage is for people with type 2 diabetes who do not use daily insulin injections. This medication is not for treating type 1 diabetes.
Directions: Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results from this medication. Take Glucophage with a meal, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Some forms of Glucophage are taken only once daily with the evening meal. Follow your doctor's instructions. Glucophage is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and weight control. It is important to use this medicine regularly to get the most benefit. Get your prescription refilled before you run out of medicine completely. Do not crush, chew, or break an extended-release tablet (Glucophage XR). Swallow the pill whole. It is specially made to release medicine slowly in the body. Breaking the pill would cause too much of the drug to be released at one time. To be sure this medication is helping your condition, your blood will need to be tested on a regular basis. Your kidney function may also need to be tested. It is important that you not miss any scheduled visits to your doctor. Your medication needs may change if you become sick or injured, if you have a serious infection, or if you have any type of surgery. Your doctor may want you to stop taking Glucophage for a short time if any of these situations affect you. Take care not to let your blood sugar get too low, causing hypoglycemia. You may have hypoglycemia if you skip a meal, exercise too long, drink alcohol, or are under stress. Know the signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and how to recognize them: hunger, headache, confusion, irritability; drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, tremors; sweating, fast heartbeat; seizure (convulsions); or fainting, coma (severe hypoglycemia can be fatal). Always keep a source of sugar available in case you have symptoms of low blood sugar. Sugar sources include orange juice, glucose gel, candy, or milk. If you have severe hypoglycemia and cannot eat or drink, use an injection of glucagon. Your doctor can give you a prescription for a glucagon emergency injection kit and tell you how to give the injection. Your doctor may have you take extra vitamin B12 while you are taking Glucophage. Take only the amount of vitamin B12 that your doctor has prescribed. If you need to have any type of x-ray or CT scan using a dye that is injected into a vein, you may need to temporarily stop taking Glucophage. Be sure the doctor knows ahead of time that you are using this medication.
Side Effects: Get emergency medical help if you have any of these symptoms of lactic acidosis: weakness, increasing sleepiness, slow heart rate, cold feeling, muscle pain, shortness of breath, stomach pain, feeling light-headed, and fainting. Stop using Glucophage and get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects: feeling short of breath, even with mild exertion; swelling or rapid weight gain; or fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms. Other less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as: headache or muscle pain; weakness; or mild nausesa, vomiting, diarrhea, gas, stomach pain. Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
Precautions: Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Glucophage. Alcohol lowers blood sugar and may increase the risk of lactic acidosis while you are taking this medicine.
Drug Interactions: You may be more likely to have hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) if you are taking Glucophage with other drugs that raise blood sugar. Drugs that can raise blood sugar include: isoniazid; diuretics (water pills); steroids (prednisone and others); phenothiazines (Compazine and others); thyroid medicine (Synthroid and others); birth control pills and other hormones; seizure medicines (Dilantin and others); and diet pills, or medicines to treat asthma, colds or allergies. You may be more likely to have hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) if you are taking Glucophage with other drugs that lower blood sugar. Drugs that can lower blood sugar include: some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); aspirin or other salicylates (including Pepto-Bismol); sulfa drugs (Bactrim and others); a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI); beta-blockers (Tenormin and others); or probenecid (Benemid). Some medications may interact with Glucophage. Tell your doctor if you are using any of the following drugs: furosemide (Lasix); nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia); cimetidine (Tagamet) or ranitidine (Zantac); amiloride (Midamor) or triamterene (Dyrenium); digoxin (Lanoxin); morphine (MS Contin, Kadian, Oramorph); procainamide (Procan, Pronestyl, Procanbid); quinidine (Cardioquin, Quinidex, Quinaglute); trimethoprim (Proloprim, Primsol, Bactrim, Cotrim, Septra); or vancomycin (Vancocin, Lyphocin). If you are using any of these drugs, you may not be able to take Glucophage, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring. There may be other drugs not listed that can affect Glucophage. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.
If You Take Too Much: Seek emergency medical attention if you think you have used too much of this medicine. You may have signs of low blood sugar, such as hunger, headache, confusion, irritability, drowsiness, weakness, dizziness, tremors, sweating, fast heartbeat, seizure (convulsions), fainting, or coma. An overdose of Glucophage may cause a life-threatening condition called lactic acidosis. Get emergency medical help if you have any of these symptoms of lactic acidosis: weakness, increasing sleepiness, slow heart rate, cold feeling, muscle pain, shortness of breath, stomach pain, feeling light-headed, and fainting.
Missed Dose: Take the missed dose as soon as you remember (be sure to take the medicine with food). If it is almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
Storage: Store Glucophage at room temperature away from moisture, heat, and light.
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