Metformin is a drug that is usually women with PCOS suffer from insulin resistance in diabetes, prescribed. Also treat women with PCOS, prescribed to pregnant women.
Metformin will work in three directions. First, it reduces carbohydrate absorption in the intestine.
Second, it reduces the production of glucose in the liver. The liver uses raw materials in food products to create a pool of blood sugar. If your body is under stress, glucose is the liver of the reserve to deal with your brain and muscles with an immediate source of fuel energy with stress. Glucophage suppressing the production of this fuel reserve.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, metformin increases the sensitivity of muscle cells to insulin. Insulin is the hormone that provides glucose to the cells to be stored or burned as fuel. Women with PCOS often have insulin resistance, a condition in which large amounts of insulin to move sugar levels in the blood are entering into cells, where it belongs. Glucophage helps your body to glucose transport with relatively less insulin, reducing insulin levels. Chronic high glucose or insulin in the blood contributes to heart disease, obesity, infertility and some cancers, and the development of diabetes.
The side effects of metformin are:
GI disturbance. About a third of women in the metformin frequently experience gastrointestinal upset, nausea, vomiting and loose stools from time to time, or diarrhea. This problem often occurs after meals high in fat or sugar. Symptoms diminish over time, so if you can tolerate the gastrointestinal discomfort for a few weeks, you can go. Some women have found help to increase gradually with a very low dose and begin again.
Discomfort. 10% - 25% of women take Glucophage just do not feel right. They experience a general malaise, fatigue, occasional short-term pain. Malaise is a kind of signal for the physician to control the systems affected by metformin of the body including the liver, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. A blood count should be taken from time to time, because metformin can cause vitamin B deficiency may lead to a form of anemia.
Vitamin B12 Malabsortption. Among the patient's taking the drug, 10% -30% show evidence of reduced vitamin B12 absorption. A substance in the stomach called intrinsic factor formed is combined with vitamin B12 so that it can be transferred into the blood. Metformin affects the ability of cells to absorb his complex intrinsic factor-vitamin B12.
Vitamin A deficiency in long-term vitamin B12 is a significant risk to health. B12 is for the growth and function of every cell in your body is essential. It is necessary for DNA synthesis and for many important biochemical functions. There is also a link between B12 deficiency and cardiovascular disease.
At least one study carries the risk that even if metformin is taken in the vitamin B12 malabsorption may continue in some people. The obvious was caused of the problems include the availability of intrinsic factor, it is necessary to B12.
Homocysteine. People often take the Glucophage have elevated levels of homocysteine. Women with PCOS also tend to homocysteine.
Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood. A normal amount is OK. But there is a high level, your metabolism is not functioning properly. Homocysteine with coronary artery disease, heart attacks, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, cognitive impairment associated, and also cervical cancer.
Vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 and folic acid (vitamin B, others), is responsible for the metabolism of homocysteine in less harmful substances. Therefore, if the absorption of vitamin B12 metformin reduced, loses one of the nutrients needed to reduce homocysteine and thus the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Homocysteine levels and pregnancy complications. Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy characterized by hypertension and edema. If left untreated, pre-eclampsia ecampsia possible for a serious illness that you and your child are at risk. In a study by the Center for Perinatal Studies at Swedish Medical Center Seattle out, elevated homocysteine second quarter was associated with an increased risk by 3.2 times the pre-eclampsia.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nijmegen, Netherlands examines a number of studies on the relationship between homocysteine levels and early pregnancy loss. They concluded that high homocysteine levels are a risk factor for early recurrent miscarriages.
Ovarian follicular fluid contains detectable amounts of homocysteine with vitamins B12, B6 and folic acid. The follicular fluid provides nourishment to the egg by facilitating transport of nutrients from the blood plasma. High levels of homocysteine, and the lack of B vitamins can be harmful to the process of fertilization and early development of the fetus.
Note: It is recommended that elevated homocysteine levels not metformin, may contribute to complications in pregnancy in some women. However, metformin is contributing to increased homocysteine.
Warning pregnancy. Many women use metformin in their pursuit of a successful pregnancy. Nevertheless, Glucophage is a category B drug, namely, safety for use during pregnancy has not been established. It is found in breast milk, breastfeeding is not recommended while taking Glucophage.
Anemia. By preventing optimal absorption of vitamin B12 and folic acid, metformin could induce or help with megaloblastic anemia. Anemia occurs when the bone marrow megaloblastic is not enough vitamin B, to produce red blood cells. Your bone marrow then releases immature red blood cells and dysfunctional blood circulation.
Although anemia is common in people with metformin, it remains a risk to people whose vitamin B12 and folic acid were already low when metformin is started.
Liver or kidneys. Do you have liver problems or kidney of any kind, metformin could pose a problem because it affects the liver and excreted by the kidneys. A healthy liver and kidney's to improve their performance with metformin. The renal and hepatic function should be reviewed again before the start of metformin and evaluated at least once a year, the same. A screen of blood and blood counts your doctor how your system is done with this drug.
Several drugs. You can be the risk of health problems or symptoms when other drugs, in addition to taking metformin. The drugs to take, and the higher the dose, the greater the likelihood of some type of drug interaction or unexpected effects of drugs together. The combined effect of drugs, also depends on the state of their health, genetic uniqueness, diet and lifestyle. Always ask your doctor if you change any medication, or add or if you develop symptoms.
Lactic acidosis. About 3 of every 100,000 people metformin is the development of a medical emergency such as lactic acidosis. Lactic acid is a byproduct, metabolism can be toxic when it accumulates faster than it is neutralized. Lactic acidosis is more likely to occur in people with diabetes, kidney or liver disease, multiple medications, dehydration or chronic stress.
Lactic acidosis can gradually increase. The symptoms are observed for a need to breathe deeply and rapidly, a slow, irregular pulse, weakness, muscle pains, drowsiness and feeling very ill. Treatment requires intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate. Contact your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room if these symptoms occur.
Hair loss. Metformin may contribute to loss of hair at the temples and the top of the head. While there is nothing in the medical literature to support this relationship, some women have reported that hair loss was made worse by metformin.
Congenital bile. The bile produced in the liver, stored and absorbed into the gallbladder into the intestine secreted into blood fat. One possible cause of gastrointestinal problems is that metformin reduces normal reabsorption of bile in the back of the intestine into the bloodstream, so that high concentrations of bile acids in the colon. Most studies suggest that colonic bile salts induce free radical damage to DNA and contribute to cancer.
In addition, bile acids stimulates cells in the colon of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) to produce a highly flammable substance. LTB4 is a contribution to inflammatory bowel disease. By-products of bacterial action on bile salts can damage the cells and the intestinal absorption of "foreign" molecules such as food, the bacteria in the bloodstream and cause allergies and other immune reactions.
In addition, many women with PCOS at a high protein diet off. If this protein is composed of beef and other meats, bile acid concentration is higher in the intestine. A diet rich in meat is also linked to an increased risk of colon cancer.
These symptoms may be complicated, to avoid skipping medications and adherence to a healthy diet and exercise that gives you all the benefits of a drug, but without the unpleasant side effects.
