Miglitol+metformin
About
Miglitol+metformin belongs to the class of medications called ‘antidiabetic drugs’ used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic or life-long condition in which blood sugar or glucose levels rise more than normal. It occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin (utilizes glucose to produce energy) or if produced, it cannot function properly in the body.
Miglitol+metformin contains Miglitol and Metformin. Metformin acts by decreasing liver glucose production and intestinal glucose uptake. Miglitol works by inhibiting intestinal enzymes that break complex sugars into simple sugars like glucose. Together, Miglitol+metformin can effectively prevent the rise in glucose levels in the body.
You should take this medicine exactly as prescribed by the doctor. The common side-effects of Miglitol+metformin are flatulence (gas), diarrhoea, abdominal pain, feeling sick (nausea), being sick (vomiting) and loss of appetite. These side effects can be reduced if this medicine is taken with food or after a meal. However, if any of these side effects persist or get worse, inform your doctor immediately.
It is not recommended to take Miglitol+metformin if you are allergic to any contents of it. Miglitol+metformin is not recommended if you are having any intestinal problems such as inflammation, ulcers, blockage, hernia, liver problems, severe kidney impairment, uncontrolled diabetes, severe dehydration, severe infections, and a recent history of heart attack or heart failure. Miglitol+metformin is not recommended for children and adolescents below 18 years, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers. It should be used with caution in elderly people as they may require dose adjustments. Miglitol+metformin may interact with alcohol and worsen the condition. Miglitol+metformin may cause hypoglycemia (low glucose levels), so avoid driving if you develop weakness, dizziness, fast heartbeat, or decrease in alertness.
Uses of Miglitol+metformin
Medicinal Benefits
Miglitol+metformin is a combination of two drugs: Miglitol and Metformin. This combination therapy is preferred in patients with poorly controlled diabetes. It reduces blood glucose levels, especially post-prandial glucose levels (glucose levels after meals) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. An increase in post-prandial glucose levels can be a risk factor for diabetes complications such as tissue and organ damage. So, a decrease in glucose levels helps control diabetes, reduce this risk and improve healthy life.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Miglitol+metformin
- Flatulence (gas)
- Diarrhoea
- Abdominal pain
- Feeling sick (nausea)
- Being sick (vomiting)
- Loss of appetite
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
Miglitol+metformin may cause a rare and serious side effect ‘lactic acidosis’ (buildup of lactic acid in the blood), characterized by abdominal pain, muscle cramps, vomiting, severe fatigue, and difficulty breathing. It is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. Inform your doctor if you have any severe liver or kidney problems as their normal functioning is required to eliminate excess lactic acid from the body. Consumption of alcohol, prolonged fasting, dehydration, uncontrolled diabetes, serious infections, and liver problems increases the risk of lactic acidosis. If you have dehydration (severe loss of body fluids) due to severe vomiting, diarrhoea, exposure to heat, or fever, stop taking Miglitol+metformin and immediately seek medical attention. Miglitol+metformin may cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and its symptoms include sweating, dizziness, palpitations (pounding heartbeat), and shivering, etc. Whenever you experience any of these symptoms, immediately consume candies or glucose biscuits rather than ordinary sugar. If your condition doesn’t improve, consult your doctor immediately.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Miglitol+metformin may interact with other antidiabetic drugs, diuretics or water pills, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen and celecoxib), antacids (cimetidine and omeprazole), antiasthma drugs (salbutamol and terbutaline), corticosteroids, anti-HIV drug (dolutegravir), iodinated X-ray contrast agents, medications used to treat high blood pressure (verapamil, ramipril, losartan, and telmisartan, etc.), antibacterial (rifampicin and trimethoprim), a medication to treat chest pain (ranolazine), anticancer drugs (vandetanib and olaparib), an antifungal drug (isavuconazole), medicines that help in digestion (pancreatin and amylase), and medicines used to treat constipation (bisacodyl, senna, and sodium picosulfate, etc.). Miglitol+metformin may also modify the effect of long-acting medicines such as slow-release, extended-release, modified-release, or sustained-release.
Drug-Food Interactions: Avoid intake of alcoholic beverages with Miglitol+metformin as it increases the risk of lactic acidosis.
Drug-Disease Interactions: Miglitol+metformin should be avoided in patients with liver or severe kidney diseases, heart diseases (like congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction), severe dehydration, uncontrolled diabetes, and gastrointestinal disorders (inflammation, ulcers, blockage, or hernia).
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeConsumption of alcohol may increase the risk of side effects and worsen the condition.
Pregnancy
cautionMiglitol+metformin is a category B medicine and may not cause harmful effects to the unborn baby. However, it should be used in pregnant women only if clinically needed.
Breast Feeding
unsafeMiglitol+metformin should not be given to breastfeeding mothers as it may pass in breast milk and cause adverse effects in the nursing baby.
Driving
cautionMiglitol+metformin may impair alertness or decrease concentration, so avoid driving or operating heavy machinery in such cases.
Liver
cautionMiglitol+metformin should be used with caution in patients with liver diseases. The dose may have to be adjusted by your doctor.
Kidney
cautionMiglitol+metformin is not recommended for use in patients with severe kidney impairment. In patients with mild to moderate kidney diseases, your doctor may have to adjust the dose.
Children
unsafeMiglitol+metformin is not recommended for children and adolescents below 18 years of age.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Fill your half plate with starchy veggies, a quarter with proteins, and a quarter with whole grains.
- Eat at regular intervals. Do not take the long gap between a meal or snack.
- Monitor your blood sugar level regularly, especially when there are a lot of fluctuations.
- Invest in at least 150 min of moderate-intensity physical activity and 15 minutes of high-intensity exercise every week.
- Lose weight gradually to achieve a healthy body mass index (18.5 to 24.9).
- Replace refined carbohydrates containing whole-grain foods and increase intake of fruits and veggies and other fiber-enriched foods.
- Reduce intake of saturated fat (or hidden fats) in food like chips, crisps, pastries, biscuits, and samosas. Choose omega-3 fatty acid-containing oils for daily cooking. You may use palm oil, mustard oil, groundnut oil, rice bran oil, and safflower oil for frying.
- Do not take stress as it may elevate your blood sugar level. You may adopt stress management techniques like mindfulness, yoga, or meditation to control stress-related blood sugar changes.
- Opt for low-fat dairy products (low-fat yogurt, fat-free milk, cheese, etc.).
- Keep your blood pressure as normal (120/80) as possible as it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases in diabetes patients.
Special Advise
- Beware of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level) symptoms include sweating, dizziness, palpitations, shivering, confusion, irritability, etc. Whenever you experience these symptoms, try to eat candies or glucose biscuits and get in touch with your doctor. Make sure you carry these with you at all times, especially for long travels.
- Before undergoing examinations such as an X-ray or CT scan or undergoing surgery, inform your doctor that you are taking Miglitol+metformin. This medicine needs to be stopped before undergoing surgery or examination.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: It is a chronic or lifelong disease that keeps the body away from properly utilizing insulin. Hence, people affected with type 2 diabetes either do not produce enough insulin or are resistant to insulin. Middle-aged or older are most likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, which is also known as adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination at night, slow wound healing, increased hunger, fatigue and blurred vision. In some cases, there may be weight gain while in rare cases weight loss may be observed. The complication of type 2 diabetes also include neuropathy (nerve problems), nephropathy (kidney problems) and retinopathy (damaged retina of eyes or blindness), loss of limbs, sexual dysfunction and increase chance of heart attack or stroke.
FAQs
Miglitol+metformin is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. It contains Miglitol and Metformin. Metformin acts by decreasing liver glucose production and intestinal glucose uptake. Miglitol works by inhibiting intestinal enzymes that break complex sugars into simple sugars like glucose. Together, Miglitol+metformin can effectively prevent the rise in glucose levels in the body.
Miglitol+metformin can be taken on an empty stomach. However, it is advised to take with food or after meals to reduce the bowel side-effects and increase its efficiency.
Inform your doctor before having an X-ray or CT scan that you are taking Miglitol+metformin. Some imaging scans may involve the use of the injection of contrast materials that contain iodine. Concomitant use of this injection with Miglitol+metformin may affect your kidney function. So, the doctor may advise you to stop Miglitol+metformin before the examination and will decide when to restart it.
Miglitol+metformin may cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level) characterized by sweating, dizziness, palpitations, shivering, confusion, irritability, etc. If you experience these symptoms, try to eat candies or glucose biscuits. If your condition doesn't improve, consult your doctor immediately.
Miglitol+metformin is recommended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and not used for treating type 1 diabetes, a condition which occurs mainly due to deficiency of insulin.
