Metformine pour le diabète

About metformin

L'insuline est une hormone produite naturellement par l'organisme, dans le pancréas. Elle aide à contrôler les niveaux de sucre (glucose) dans le sang. Si votre corps ne produit pas suffisamment d'insuline ou s'il n'utilise pas efficacement l'insuline qu'il produit, il en résulte une maladie appelée diabète (diabète sucré).

People with diabetes need treatment to control the amount of sugar in their blood. This is because good control of blood sugar levels reduces the risk of complications later on. Some people can control the sugar in their blood by making changes to the food they eat but, for other people, medicines like metformin are given alongside the changes in diet.

Metformin has multiple effects on the body which lead to lower blood sugar levels. It increases the action of insulin and the amount of sugar absorbed by the cells in your body. It also reduces the amount of sugar made by your liver and absorbed from your food.

Metformin can be given on its own, or alongside insulin or another antidiabetic medicine. There are a number of tablets available which contain metformin in combination with one of these other antidiabetic medicines (brands include Jentadueto®, Competact®, Komboglyze®, Janumet®, and Eucreas®). Taking a combination tablet like these can help to reduce the total number of tablets needing to be taken each day.

Before taking metformin

Some medicines are not suitable for people with certain conditions, and sometimes a medicine may only be used if extra care is taken. For these reasons, before you start taking metformin it is important that your doctor knows:

• Si vous avez des problèmes avec le fonctionnement de vos reins ou de votre foie.

• If you have recently been severely unwell.

• If in the previous two days you have had an X-ray where a dye was injected.

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding. (Metformin can be taken whilst pregnant or feeding a baby, but it is important that your doctor knows about it.)

• Si vous avez déjà eu une réaction allergique à un médicament.

• Si vous prenez d'autres médicaments. Cela inclut tous les médicaments que vous prenez et qui sont disponibles sans ordonnance, ainsi que les médicaments à base de plantes et les médicaments complémentaires.

How to take metformin

• Before you start the treatment, read the manufacturer's printed information leaflet from inside the pack. It will give you more information about metformin and will provide you with a full list of the side-effects which you may experience from taking it.

• Take metformin exactly as your doctor tells you to. You will be started on a low dose (usually one dose a day) and then your dose will gradually be increased. This allows your doctor to make sure that you have the dose that is right for you, and also helps to reduce the risk of unwanted side-effects.

• Try to take metformin at the same time(s) each day, as this will help you to remember to take it regularly. Take your doses during a meal or just after a snack.

• If you have been given modified-release metformin tablets (these have the letters 'SR' or 'XL' after the brand name), the tablets are designed to release metformin slowly and evenly. You must swallow these tablets whole - do not break or chew the tablets, as your body may absorb the metformin too quickly.

• If you forget to take a dose, make sure that you remember to take your next dose when it is due. Do not take two doses together to make up for a forgotten dose.

Tirer le meilleur parti de votre traitement

• It is important that you keep your regular doctor's and clinic appointments. This is so your progress can be monitored. You will need regular check-ups with an eye clinic and a foot clinic as well as with your doctor and diabetes clinic.

• Votre médecin peut vous recommander de mesurer régulièrement le taux de sucre (glucose) dans votre sang ou vos urines pour vérifier que votre diabète est bien contrôlé. Votre médecin ou votre infirmier(e) spécialisé(e) en diabétologie vous montrera comment procéder.

• Do not drink alcohol, as it can affect the control of your blood sugar and can increase the risk of lactic acidosis (see below).

• Si votre médecin vous a conseillé de modifier votre régime alimentaire, d'arrêter de fumer ou de faire de l'exercice régulièrement, il est important que vous suiviez les conseils qui vous ont été donnés.

• Consultez votre médecin avant d'entreprendre tout nouvel exercice physique, car il aura un effet sur votre glycémie et vous devrez peut-être contrôler vos taux sanguins ou urinaires plus régulièrement.

• Make sure you know what it feels like if your blood sugar is low. This is known as hypoglycaemia, or a 'hypo'. Although metformin is unlikely to cause low blood sugar, other medicines that you are taking for diabetes alongside it may. The first signs of hypoglycaemia are feeling shaky or anxious, sweating, looking pale, feeling hungry, having a feeling that your heart is pounding (palpitations), and feeling dizzy. If you are a driver you should take special care, as your ability to concentrate may be affected if your diabetes is not well controlled. You may be advised to check your blood sugar levels before you travel and have a snack with you on long journeys.

• If you are due to have an operation or any medical treatment, you should tell the person carrying out the treatment that you have diabetes and that you are taking metformin.

• Si vous avez une soif inhabituelle, si vous urinez plus fréquemment et si vous vous sentez très fatigué, vous devez en informer votre médecin. Ces signes indiquent qu'il y a trop de sucre dans votre sang et que votre traitement doit être adapté.

• Treatment for diabetes is usually lifelong. Continue to take metformin unless you are advised otherwise by your doctor.

Can metformin cause problems?

Along with their useful effects, most medicines can cause unwanted side-effects although not everyone experiences them. The table below contains some of the most common ones associated with metformin. You will find a full list in the manufacturer's information leaflet supplied with your medicine. The unwanted effects often improve as your body adjusts to the new medicine, but speak with your doctor or pharmacist if any of the following continue or become troublesome.

If you experience any other symptoms which you think may be due to metformin, speak with your doctor or pharmacist for further advice.

How to store metformin

• Conservez tous les médicaments hors de la portée et de la vue des enfants.

• Conserver dans un endroit frais et sec, à l'abri de la chaleur et de la lumière directes.

Informations importantes sur tous les médicaments