The time to take metformin is different for regular tablets, enteric-coated tablets, and sustained-release tablets.

Metformin is a "magic drug" for diabetes treatment. For patients with type 2 diabetes, as long as there are no contraindications to taking metformin, it is recommended to take it throughout the entire diabetes treatment. However, many diabetic patients asked Huazi, metformin has regular tablets, enteric-coated tablets and sustained-release tablets. What is the difference when taking them, and how should they be chosen?

1. Metformin is the basic medication for type 2 diabetes. During the consultation, Huazi found that quite a number of patients with type 2 diabetes did not take metformin. Instead, they asked Huazi why metformin could be used as a full-course medication for type 2 diabetes?

Huazi would tell them that metformin is used as a medication throughout the entire course of the disease because it has multiple hypoglycemic effects. First, it acts on the intestines to inhibit the absorption of grapes; second, it acts on the liver to inhibit glycogen production and reduce the output of glycogen; third, it acts on the muscles to promote anaerobic glycolysis of glucose and increase the utilization of glucose by peripheral tissues.

Metformin has a significant blood sugar lowering effect when used alone, and does not cause hypoglycemia. It can also increase the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin, and when used in combination with insulin or insulin secretion-promoting drugs, it can reduce the dosage of other drugs.

2. The time to take the three dosage forms of metformin. Currently, there are three dosage forms of metformin, one is ordinary metformin tablets, one is enteric-coated metformin enteric-coated tablets, and the other is metformin sustained-release tablets. Many diabetic patients are a little confused when they see that there are three dosage forms of metformin, and they don’t know what the difference is.

It should be noted that enteric-coated tablets and sustained-release tablets cannot be broken or chewed for oral administration. However, the efficacy of these three dosage forms of metformin is not much different. The biggest difference between them is the different time of administration.

It is recommended that ordinary metformin tablets be taken with food during meals. The drug disintegrates and releases in the stomach, and after mixing with food, it can reduce direct irritation to the gastric mucosa and reduce side effects.

It is recommended to take Metformin Enteric-coated Tablets on an empty stomach half an hour before meals. The surface of the enteric-coated tablets has an acid-resistant coating. Taking them on an empty stomach allows the tablets to quickly pass through the stomach and reach the intestines, where they disintegrate and release, thus avoiding irritation to the gastric mucosa.

Metformin extended-release tablets are taken at dinner or within 15 minutes after dinner. Extended-release tablets slowly release the drug in the gastrointestinal tract, and taking them at night can control blood sugar at night and at dawn. Extended-release tablets are usually taken once a day. If blood sugar control is unstable, they can be taken in two doses, one after breakfast and one after dinner.

3. Differences in efficacy between different dosage forms There is a difference in the time of taking the ordinary tablets and enteric-coated tablets of metformin. In terms of side effects, the side effects of enteric-coated tablets are lower than those of ordinary tablets. However, there is no significant difference in efficacy between the two. Both will reach the peak blood drug concentration within two to three hours after taking them, and have a slightly greater effect on postprandial blood sugar control.

The characteristic of sustained-release tablets is "slow release", with no obvious peak concentration, and stable blood drug concentration throughout the day, which better controls the overall blood sugar level of the day. Compared with the side effects of the three, sustained-release tablets have the least side effects, enteric-coated tablets are in the middle, and ordinary tablets have the greatest side effects.

Metformin can reduce the weight of diabetic patients, and its effect is obvious for obese diabetic patients, but its effect on normal people is very weak, so any type of metformin cannot be used as a weight-loss drug.

In summary, as long as there are no related contraindications, patients with type 2 diabetes are advised to use metformin throughout the course of the disease under the guidance of a doctor. However, when taking it, it should be noted that different dosage forms of metformin have different "time codes". Taking the medicine correctly will make the treatment of the disease more effective. I am pharmacist Huazi, welcome to follow me and let me be the pharmacist by your side.