Siofor: how to take, what to replace, contraindications
People suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus are often prescribed the drug Siofor, It allows you to fight insulin resistance of cells, it is used for obesity of the patient, as well as at the stage of prediabetes. Siofor should be taken according to medical recommendations, combining treatment with diet and healthy lifestyle. This will achieve significant results in the control of diabetes. Its level will be at around 3.9-5, mol / liter. Moreover, these figures can be stabilized.
Siofor can only be prescribed by a doctor; independent use of the drug is unacceptable. If, after visiting the doctor, the patient still has any questions about the rules for taking the drug, its compatibility with other drugs, with alcohol and a diet, as well as about contraindications and other features of treatment, then just read our article. It will allow you to understand all the intricacies of therapy.
Content:
- Siofor: instructions for use
- The use of Siofor in gynecological practice
- What to choose Siofor or Glucophage?
- Is Siofor prescribed if there is no diabetes?
- Reception Siofor affects the liver. Is it true?
- Metformin and Siofor - what's the difference?
- Siofor: all the features of treatment
- What drug can replace Siofor?
- The influence of Siofor on internal organs and on hormonal levels
- Reviews
Siofor: instructions for use
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Healing effect |
Siofor helps to lower blood sugar levels and control the progression of type 2 diabetes. Due to the intake of the drug, glucose is more slowly absorbed into the blood from the liver. Siofor prevents carbohydrates from food from being released into the blood in large quantities. The cells of the body become more sensitive to insulin, which makes it easier for the hormone to penetrate them. At the heart of the drug Siofor is the active active ingredient Metformin. After entering the body, it does not accumulate in it, but is excreted along with the kidneys and liver. |
| When to take |
Siofor is prescribed for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus in patients for whom proper nutrition and physical activity are no longer enough to control the disease. The drug can be combined with other drugs. It can be prescribed while undergoing insulin therapy. Sometimes the drug is used to fight obesity, even if diabetes in such patients has not yet been diagnosed. Siofor is used in gynecological practice, when a woman is diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. There is evidence that Siofor prevents early cell aging, thereby prolonging the life of patients. However, there is not enough scientific evidence for this assumption. |
| When you can't take |
Contraindications to the use of the drug:
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| What you need to pay special attention to |
If the patient needs to undergo surgery or an X-ray examination, then the drug should be abandoned 2 days before the procedures. If there are contraindications to taking Siofor, which were not taken into account before starting treatment, the patient may experience a serious failure in metabolic processes - lactic acidosis. In this case, you should stop taking the drug and seek medical help. During treatment, it is necessary not only to adhere to proper nutrition, but also to lead an active lifestyle. |
| Dose selection | At knocks, the dosage of the drug should not exceed 2550 mg. Moreover, each tablet contains 850 mg, which means that you should not take more than three tablets a day. Sometimes the daily dose can be increased to 3000 mg. In this case, the patient is prescribed a drug, the dosage of which is 1000 mg for one tablet. The first dose of the drug should be reduced to the minimum dosage. Therefore, patients are prescribed 1 tablet of 500 or 850 mg per day. The dose is increased gradually over several weeks. If the patient tolerates the therapy well, then every 11-14 days the dose is increased, bringing it to the required parameters. Take the medicine with meals. |
| Side effect |
If the patient develops an allergic reaction, then the drug should be abandoned. Other side effects include:
As a rule, after a few days from the start of treatment, all unpleasant sensations will be stopped. As for hypoglycemia (a condition in which the blood sugar level in the body drops sharply), Siofor cannot provoke it. However, if it is prescribed in combination with other drugs, it is impossible to exclude the development of this side effect. If during treatment with Siofor the patient receives insulin injections, then the dose should be reduced by 25%. If the treatment is prolonged, then the absorption of vitamin B12 in the body will decrease. This fact must be taken into account when prescribing the drug to patients with megaloblastic anemia. |
| Carrying a baby, breastfeeding | Siofor is not prescribed for breastfeeding and during pregnancy. However, during the planning phase of pregnancy, Siofor can be prescribed to women when they are diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome. If during this period conception occurs, which the woman did not know about and continued to take the drug, then this does not threaten negative consequences for the health of the mother and child and one should not worry about this. During lactation, treatment with Siofor is refused, since its main active ingredient has the ability to penetrate into breast milk. |
| Interaction with other drugs | Siofor is not recommended to be combined with oral contraceptives, thyroid hormones, phenothiazine derivatives, nicotinic acid, Epinephrine and some other drugs. This is dangerous because when they interact, they can reduce the effectiveness of Siofor treatment. Certain difficulties may also arise when prescribing Siofor with drugs to lower blood pressure and with drugs for heart failure. All this once again confirms the fact that a detailed medical consultation is needed before starting treatment. |
| If a high dose has been taken | An overdose of a drug threatens the development of lactic acidosis, but patients do not develop hypoglycemia. However, the accumulation of lactic acid in the blood is a life-threatening condition. In this case, the patient is urgently hospitalized. In order to remove the drug from the body as soon as possible, hemodialysis is required. In parallel, treatment is carried out aimed at eliminating the unwanted symptoms of the disease. |
| Composition, release form and storage features | The drug is available exclusively in tablet form. The tablets are oblong or round and white. They are in blisters, which are packaged in cardboard boxes. The drug is based on metformin hydrochloride, which is the basic active ingredient. Dosages vary and can be 500, 850 or 1000 mg. Substances such as hypromellose, macragol, titanium dioxide, magnesium stearate, povidone, etc. are used as auxiliary components. The drug is stored out of the reach of children at a temperature that should not exceed 25 ° C. The shelf life from the date of manufacture is three years. |
Siofor is produced by the German company Berlin-Chemie AG / Menarini Group. The main active ingredient is metformin. The price of Siofor is not overstated, therefore, the drug is available for purchase even to poor citizens of Russia. Nevertheless, there are analogues of Siofor on sale, which differ in even lower cost.
Analogs of the drug Siofor, which are produced in Russia:
- Akrikhin company produces a drug called Glyformin.
- Metformin-Richter produces a drug called Gedeon Richter-RUS.
- Pharmstandard-Leksredstva is launching a drug called Fermetin.
- Canonpharm production company produces a drug called Metformin Canon.
Siofor has been used to treat patients with diabetes for many years. This makes it possible to really judge the high efficiency of the drug. Besides the fact that it is prescribed for diabetics, Siofor is taken by obese people.
In addition to inexpensive analogues of domestic production, drugs from foreign companies can be found on the pharmacological market.
These include:
- The French company Merk produces a drug called Glucophage.
- The German company Worwag Pharma produces a drug called Metfogamma.
- The Bulgarian company Sopharma offers the drug Sofamet to diabetics.
- The Israeli company Teva produces the drug Metformin-Teva.
- The Slovak company Zentiva produces the drug Metformin Zentiva.
The use of Siofor in gynecological practice
If a woman is diagnosed with polycystic ovary disease, then the doctor may prescribe Siofor for her. This allows you to stabilize metabolic processes in the body, normalize the menstrual cycle and even get rid of infertility. In addition to taking the drug, gynecologists recommend that their patients adhere to a diet low in carbohydrates, which will prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
Siofor is an inexpensive and effective drug for the treatment of polycystic ovary disease. Therefore, it remains the drug of choice for patients with this diagnosis. If there is no effect of the treatment, then other methods are used for conception, for example, hormonal drugs are prescribed, IVF is performed, etc. In some cases, gynecologists recommend taking Siofor to their patients who are overweight. In this case, the woman also needs to follow a diet and exercise.
Siofor can be replaced with Glucophage or Glucophage Long. It is he who is the original metformin-based drug.
What to choose Siofor or Glucophage?
Glucophage is an original drug for the treatment of type II diabetes. Siofor acts as its counterpart. Some experts claim that Glucophage is less likely to cause side effects, but it is better at lowering blood sugar. However, much depends on the individual characteristics of the patient. In general, the difference between drugs is not significant. Therefore, if a person prefers to use original medicines for treatment, then he should opt for Glucophage. If this fact is not essential for the patient, then Siofor can be used.
Is Siofor prescribed if there is no diabetes?
The drug Siofor has established itself as an effective means for weight loss. Therefore, many people who are overweight take this medicine for weight loss. As a rule, this happens without a medical recommendation. You can buy Siofor without a prescription.
Metformin is a substance that allows you to lose weight without harming your health. There is a practice of using it for the treatment of childhood obesity (for patients over 10 years old).
To date, research is already underway regarding the fact that Siofor allows you to prolong life. Moreover, this is true both for overweight and thin people. However, to date, these studies have not yet been completed.
Reception Siofor affects the liver. Is it true?
In fact, Siofor is not prescribed for patients with cirrhosis of the liver and with other serious diseases of the hepatobiliary system. In general, diabetes mellitus, which is complicated by liver pathologies, is very difficult to treat.
At the same time Siofor can be used to treat patients with fatty liver hepatosis. In parallel, the patient will need to adhere to a diet low in carbohydrates.
As for the question regarding the influence of Siofor on the liver, fried and smoked foods and alcoholic beverages do much more harm to the body. If you switch to proper nutrition, which is devoid of harmful food additives, then the liver will definitely respond with health.
Metformin and Siofor - what's the difference?
Metformin is the name of a substance that is part of the Siofor drug. Therefore, the question of what is the difference between them is inappropriate.
It should be noted that Siofor has many domestic and foreign analogues, which are also based on metformin. The original drug based on metformin is Glucophage.
Siofor: all the features of treatment
Reception Siofor depending on food
The drug is taken either with food or immediately after a meal. Taking the pill beforehand increases the risk of side effects from the digestive system. For example, a person may experience diarrhea, flatulence, etc.
If the patient suffers from a decrease in glucose levels precisely in the morning hours, then doctors recommend taking Siofor in the evening before going to bed. Moreover, preference should be given to a drug based on metformin with prolonged action, for example, Glucophage Long.
How long should the treatment last?
If a woman suffers from polycystic ovary disease, then she will need to take the drug until she can get rid of the problem. After the onset of pregnancy, treatment is stopped.
If Siofor is prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, then it should be prolonged. Often, therapy is lifelong. If treatment is abandoned, the person will begin to gain weight, and the disease will progress.
Do not be afraid of prolonged use of the drug. This will not harm health, but, on the contrary, will preserve it. Moreover, for patients with diabetes mellitus, treatment is a vital necessity.
To avoid B12-deficiency anemia, which can develop due to prolonged treatment with Siofor, doctors recommend drinking vitamin B12 once or twice a year. At the same time, it is impossible to refuse the main treatment.
Can I take the drug at intervals of one day?
If you take Siofor every other day, then you will not be able to achieve a persistent decrease in blood sugar. Also, you will not be able to lose those extra pounds. Therefore, you need to strictly follow medical recommendations and drink the drug according to the instructions, that is, every day.
The initial dose of the drug should be between 50 and 850 mg per day. It will take time to bring it up to the maximum allowable.
Siofor and alcohol
When treating with Siofor, you can drink alcohol, but in small quantities. However, we are talking specifically about small doses of alcohol. If you neglect this recommendation, then the likelihood of developing severe side effects, in particular, lactic acidosis, increases. This condition is life threatening. Therefore, it is strictly forbidden to abuse alcoholic beverages.
At the same time, treatment with Siofor does not force a person to give up alcohol forever. If there are no other contraindications to its reception, then it is allowed to occasionally drink a small portion of alcoholic beverages. At the same time, there is no dependence on the time of taking the drug in relation to alcohol intake, that is, it is permissible to drink alcohol almost immediately after taking the next dose.
The maximum daily dose of Siofor
As mentioned above, starting treatment with high daily doses is prohibited. When the body adapts, the patient will need to take one tablet three times a day, with the main meals. A single dose is 850 mg.
If a person takes a long-acting drug, then the maximum daily dose of metformin is reduced to 2000 mg. The drug should be taken before bedtime, once a day. This will prevent the morning spike in blood sugar.
Often people take Siofor on their own to slow down the aging of the body. In this case, there is no need to drink the maximum daily dose of the drug. It is enough to limit yourself to 500-1700 mg per knock. Up-to-date information about Siofor's anti-aging reception is currently absent.
Hypothyroidism and Siofor: reception features
Hypothyroidism is not a contraindication for taking Siofor. The drug allows you to lose weight, but it is not able to solve the problem of hormone deficiency in the body.
An endocrinologist is involved in the treatment of hypothyroidism. It is he who must select hormone therapy, which is based on the diagnostic data of a particular patient.
Also, people with hypothyroidism are required to follow a diet, removing food from their menu that can provoke a deterioration in well-being. Treatment can be supplemented by taking vitamin-mineral complexes.
Preventive reception Siafor
Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus involves adherence to a diet low in carbohydrates. Not a single drug, including the most expensive one, is able to prevent the development of this disease if a person eats junk food.
Compliance with the principles of healthy eating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the most effective prevention of not only diabetes, but also high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and other pathologies.
What drug can replace Siofor?
Finding a replacement for Siofor is quite problematic, because its main active ingredient (metformin) can be called unique. Sometimes taking Siofor does not reduce blood sugar levels to the desired levels. Most likely, this indicates that the patient has an advanced diabetes course, or type 2 diabetes has passed into type 1 diabetes. In this case, the patient will no longer be helped by any hypoglycemic drugs. Insulin injections will be required. The pancreas has completely used up all its reserves and is no longer able to produce insulin. The person begins to lose weight dramatically, he develops complications of diabetes. If insulin therapy is not started on time, the patient will die.
Sometimes patients want to replace Siofor not because it does not help, but because the drug causes negative reactions from the body, such as diarrhea. In this case, you can try switching to Glucophage Long. A gradual increase in the dose will help get rid of digestive problems. In general, observations show that severe diarrhea develops in patients who did not follow this rule, immediately starting to take the maximum daily dose of the drug.
The influence of Siofor on internal organs and on hormonal levels
If the patient has fatty liver hepatosis, then taking Siofor will get rid of this disorder. This is only possible if the person follows a low-carb diet. If the patient has hepatitis, then it is imperative to consult with a specialist regarding the possibility of taking the drug.
Siofor helps to normalize blood sugar levels and prevents the development of renal failure. However, if a person already has kidney disease, then taking metformin is contraindicated for him. Therefore, before starting treatment, you need to pass the appropriate tests.
Siofor is a drug that allows you to lose weight. If a person is healthy, then this drug is not able to cause any disorders of the kidneys and liver.
When women take Siofor for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome, their hormonal balance improves.
Reviews
About the drug Siofor, you can find both positive and negative reviews.
People indicate that taking this drug can help you overcome the urge to overeat and lose 2 to 15 kg of excess weight, although the average plummet is 3 to 6 kg.
There are reviews that Siofor causes diarrhea and other digestive disorders. However, if you read such reviews more carefully, it turns out that they are written by people who started treatment immediately with high doses. This means that they either did not consult a doctor or did not read the instructions for use carefully. If the dose is increased gradually, problems with the digestive tract can be avoided. The same is true for other side effects.
It is not known if the weight comes back after the end of the drug intake. Experts believe that some of the lost kilograms will still be recruited. Some patients, after discontinuation of the drug, continue to adhere to the diet, and their weight is kept at the desired level. However, for this you need to change your thinking and lifestyle in general.
For patients with type 2 diabetes, Siofor is a real salvation. This drug allows you not only to lose weight, but also to keep your disease under control.
Thus, negative reviews are most often left by those patients who inattentively read the instructions for taking the drug and violated it, provoking the development of serious side effects.
It should be remembered that the treatment of diabetes mellitus is reduced not only to taking medications, but also to diet. Without this, therapy will be ineffective. It is not enough to limit yourself in fats and calories, it is necessary to cut back on the consumption of carbohydrate foods. If this is not done, then diabetes mellitus will continue to progress, despite the ongoing therapy. Moreover, even provided that the patient will take the most expensive drugs, which Siofor does not belong to.
Author of the article: Alekseeva Maria Yurievna | Therapist
Education: From 2010 to 2016 Practitioner of the therapeutic hospital of the central medical-sanitary unit No. 21, city of elektrostal. Since 2016 she has been working in the diagnostic center No. 3.
