Before considering the side effects of metformin – the treatment of choice for type 2 diabetes – just how much of a global problem is type 2 diabetes today?
The global number of sufferers of type 2 diabetes symptoms is set to rise from 463 million worldwide in 2019 to a staggering 700 million by 2045. This condition alone was responsible for a global healthcare expenditure of $720 billion in JUST ONE YEAR (2019).
It is clear that any natural ways to treat (or better prevent) diabetes would be invaluable – this topic is covered in our natural ways to treat diabetes article.
So, once again pharmaceutical products are deemed the treatment of choice for type 2 diabetes, the most widely used of these being metformin (in the form of proprietary brands such as Fortamet, Glumetza et al).
This product is intended to chemically alter liver metabolism to reduce hepatic production of glucose and to chemically enhance the body’s response to insulin.
Why is this approach not the answer?
The problem here is three-fold:
● Altering the body’s metabolism to influence the outcome of this condition does not address how and why the body became hyperglycaemic in the first place
● This not a guaranteed means of controlling blood sugar to acceptable levels
● Metformin potentially carries a number of unpleasant side effects
So, what are the potential side effects of metformin, be they common or serious?
Common side effects of metformin
● Nausea
● Vomiting
● Diarrhoea
● Stomach ache
● Bloating
● Flatulence
● Loss of appetite
● Constipation
● Metallic taste in mouth
● Fatigue & weakness
● Hoarseness or a cough
● Muscle pain or cramping
● Sleepiness
● Headache
(Source: NHS)
Less common and serious side effects
● Lactic acidosis – although uncommon, this side effect is particularly serious and results from build up of metformin in the body which causes a life-threatening pH imbalance – this is a medical emergency requiring hospitalisation
This is such a serious complication that we’ll list the symptoms of lactic acidosis – these include:
• Severe tiredness
• Weakness
• Decreased appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Difficulty breathing
• Lightheadedness and dizziness
• Feeling cold
• Muscular pain
• Flushing or sudden reddening and warmth of the skin
• A stomach pain associated with any of the above
● Hypoglycaemia – hypoglycaemia can be consequence of taking metformin, particularly if combined with the following:
• An unhealthy diet – given that this is the predominant cause of type 2 diabetes, you would have thought that this would be addressed as a matter of urgent priority in any case
• Strenuous exercise
• Excessive intake of alcohol
● Vitamin B12 deficiency leading to anaemia – Metformin may decrease the body’s levels of vitamin B12, which can lead to anaemia. This outcome is more likely if your diet is generally low in vitamin B12 and calcium.
The most likely symptoms of anaemia include the following:
• Tiredness and lethargy
• Lightheadness
• Dizziness
Given the above catalogue of unpleasant side effects of metformin – ranging from discomfort to fatal outcomes – you may well ask what the motivation of Big Pharma is to perpetuate the development of drugs such as these.
Could it possibly be the fact that pharmaceutical companies have disclosed sales figures for diabetes drugs of $48.75 billion in 2018, while reveling in the projected annual figure of $78.26 billion by the end of 2026.
This is a commercial, and ever-improving – success story, leading one to (perhaps) cynically suggest that this is delighting in the misfortunes of the many!
Surely the answer is to find and implement natural ways to (ideally) prevent or treat type 2 diabetes. This is the topic of our blog article Natural ways to prevent diabetes – what are they?
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“BE TRULY FREE – BE PHARMA FREE”