The popular drug Glucofage was developed for diabetics, but it is also used by healthy people as a means for losing weight. Tens of millions of people worldwide are obese. Blood sugar and impaired insulin resistance lead to diabetes. "Nerves", poor nutrition, sleep patterns - all this affects a person not in the best way. Diabetes and being overweight are always interconnected.
What is diabetes and why does it occur?
The normal functioning of the human body is impossible without three nutrients - proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which we get daily with food. A regular shortage or excess of any of them negatively affects health. Diabetes is a serious disease that occurs due to a violation of carbohydrate metabolism. As a result, the pancreas suffers, because of it the production of the hormone insulin is disrupted, which, in turn, converts sugar into glucose.
Sugar accumulates in large quantities in the blood and then excreted in the urine. In parallel with this process, the water-salt balance of the body is disturbed. All of his systems are becoming unusable due to the domino effect. Kidneys, blood vessels, liver, cardiovascular system suffer, irreversible visual disturbances occur. Today it is impossible to cure diabetes - this is the diagnosis for the rest of your life.
To maintain blood sugar in people with diabetes, special medicines were invented:
- stimulating the production of insulin;
- affecting cell tolerance to sugar;
- reducing the flow of glucose into the blood;
- blocking the absorption of carbohydrates from the gastrointestinal tract;
- contributing to the active secretion of glucose in the urine.
We are interested in a class of drugs that block the absorption of carbohydrates. Glucophage, Siofor, Metformin - all these drugs belong to the class of carbohydrate blockers. There are dozens of names of these drugs, the principle of action is one. The most popular and affordable of them is Glucophage. Reviews about him captivated Runet. Allegedly, these pills will help to find harmony and thinness for any person without much difficulty.
The basic principles of the drug
For the past two decades, the hysteria surrounding painful thinness has crossed all sorts of reasonable boundaries. Women and men are ready to mindlessly drink any capsule, follow any diet, if only to get rid of even the smallest body fat! In the struggle for thinness, people began to take drugs that were originally invented not at all for this:
- fat blockers - drugs that prevent the absorption of any fat from the patient’s food (originally invented for people with a sick liver);
- carbohydrate blockers - interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates from food (a class of these drugs was created to help and make life easier for people with diabetes).
As it has already become clear to the attentive reader, Glucophage belongs to the class of carbohydrate blockers. In medical terms, this oral hypoglycemic drug refers to biguanides. Now it has become fashionable to use Glucofage for weight loss. Reviews are full of enthusiastic phrases about a slim figure and photographs of "before" and "after". Rarely does anyone think about the consequences of taking it.
Varieties of the drug "Glucophage"
Available in the form of white tablets, large in size, with a dosage of 500, 750, 850 and 1000 mg. How many grams can be taken by the body of a particular individual can only be decided by the attending physician (endocrinologist, therapist, nutritionist). In no case should you arbitrarily prescribe a course and choose a dosage!
Young girls most often use the "Glucofage" 500 for weight loss. The reviews, in general, are not very encouraging: many people who received diarrhea opened up, urine darkened, and they felt unwell. And the sworn kilos did not go away.
Also among the "Internet-losing weight" is not very popular "Glucophage", but his brother with the prefix in the name "Long". Translated from English, "long" means "long." It is on sale in a dosage of 500, 750, 1000 mg. For an unprepared and insulin-resistant organism, these are huge dosages!
In addition, this drug has a long-acting effect (therefore, the prefix "long" in the name). All contraindications for taking "Glucophage Long" 750 in the instructions. Reviews of losing weight people about taking this medication are mostly negative: some once and for all they spoiled their metabolism, having thrown off only 5-6 kilograms. With endocrinology, jokes are bad!
Side effects of taking "Glucophage": instructions and reviews
Why is taking this medicine so scary for an unexamined person who has a vague idea of his own health?
The first and greatest danger - with an unreasonable trick, you can once and for all disrupt metabolic processes. The human body is a subtle tool. At the beginning of the article, it was not in vain that we focused the reader's attention on the fact that diabetes is a lifelong diagnosis. Sick people are forced to live with him until the end, every year receiving more and more complications. To take "Glucophage" for such people is a matter of survival.
And many women, after reading the phrase "carbohydrate blocker" and reading reviews about "Glucofage" (the instructions do not interest them, as a rule, at all), run to the pharmacy for a magic pill.
Side effects that occur in a person with a normal carbohydrate metabolism and an acceptable sugar level (up to 5.5 mmol):
- diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating;
- decreased insulin resistance;
- the nervous system is disrupted due to a sharp transition to a low-carb diet (still, tablets do not allow carbohydrates to be absorbed);
- the brain lacks glucose and a person begins, to put it mildly, "slow down";
- urine often darkens, since the urinary system is forced to work in an enhanced mode (in people with chronic kidney disease, infectious processes often begin due to stagnation of fluid in the bladder).
In diabetics, everything happens very differently. First, they are assigned to start with the very minimum dosage of Glucophage or its analogues, in order to track the reaction of the body.
It is imperative that every day on the course do yourself a test measurement of blood sugar using special test strips. It is necessary to pierce the fingertip with a special needle (included) and drip blood onto the test strip. Once a week it is advisable to do a glucose tolerance test. If the indicators do not decrease, you need to cancel one drug and start introducing another. Because sometimes it happens that there is simply no result from treatment.
Contraindications to taking carbohydrate blockers
If the patient suffers from the following diseases, taking "Glucophage" and similar drugs according to the action is strictly prohibited:
- lactic acidosis;
- chronic liver disease;
- cholecystitis, cholestasis, gallstones (reception is possible only after consultation with an endocrinologist);
- chronic alcoholism, drug addiction;
- anorexia and bulimia, psychogenic overeating and other eating disorders;
- ketoacidosis caused by diabetes;
- two days before and two after conducting a study of internal organs by a radioisotope X-ray method;
- asthma, respiratory failure;
- severe postoperative and post-traumatic period, blood transfusion;
- chronic glomerulonephritis and pyelonephritis.
Recommended dosage and consequences of exceeding it
To stabilize the level of glucose in the blood, it is necessary to take daily from 1500 mg to 2000 mg of the active substance, which is equivalent to one and a half to two tablets "Glucofage" 1000 (instructions for use).
The reviews of people with diabetes are mostly positive: at a dosage of 2000 mg, the sugar level stabilizes. The patient begins to feel better. Excess weight (characteristic of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus) is slowly starting to go away. The reason for losing weight in such patients is not the action of metformin, but the gradual establishment of a more or less healthy metabolism.
The maximum possible daily dosage for a healthy man weighing 90 kg is 5000 mg. For a woman weighing 75 kg - 4000 mg. With an increase in this amount of metformin per day, serious side effects are possible, one of them is a fall into a hypoglycemic coma.
Reviews about the use of Glucophage are different: someone was able to achieve normal weight and lose weight, while someone received only side effects and impaired metabolism. If you really want to try pills, then you should carefully familiarize yourself with the consequences of their rash admission.
How do women lose weight on pills for diabetics?
We already realized that metformin-based drugs are serious and dangerous, with many contraindications and nuances of taking. So why are reviews about losing weight at Glucofage so widespread? Why do women besiege pharmacies in an attempt to purchase this medicine without a prescription, does their own health become indifferent against the background of the possibility of becoming a little slimmer?
Firstly, some girls still have a bit of common sense and start taking with minimal doses. Some, in an attempt to get just 100 mg, are cutting the Glucophage tablet. Reviews from such cautious people are mostly positive: they lose weight on tablets very slowly and constantly listen to themselves. With the slightest pain and ailment, the reception immediately stops. Thanks to low dosages, it is possible to achieve minimal absorption of carbohydrates. It turns out to achieve a smooth, gradual, safe weight loss. It is advisable even when using tiny dosages of 100-200 mg to monitor blood sugar (do an analysis at least once a week).
Reviews and instructions for use on the "Glucofage" 750 are not advised to use such a high dosage. Or, cut the tablet into three parts and take, respectively, one part at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
"Glucofage Long" for weight loss: reviews
A kind of drug with a longer period of action. For example, you took a pill - and within five hours ate bread, pasta, cookies (or any other carbohydrates). And for five hours, Glucophage Long acts, nothing of this food will be absorbed by the body. This is the difference in action with conventional Glucophage tablets.
Some pharmacists, seeing that the buyer does not understand the topic of drugs, persistently impose their opinions. They claim that for weight loss the manufacturer advises in the instructions for use "Glucofage". Reviews of ordinary people are not categorical: both drugs affect the weight loss equally. But the side effects of the usual "Glucophage" and "Glucophage Long" are the same.
With minimal dosages, monitoring your condition and regular blood donation for sugar, you can gradually lose weight on medicines for diabetics. With an initial degree of obesity, a person will lose about 1.5-2 kilograms per week. If there is a lot of excess weight, then the number of plumb lines will be more.
Reviews about the "Glucofage" of people with a third degree of obesity are positive. Weight goes away gradually, bioimpedance analyzer shows a decrease in visceral fat. In parallel to the lost kilograms, well-being and vigor come.
The opinion of doctors about such extreme weight loss
Doctors are categorical: diabetic drugs can not be used without permission. Without a preliminary medical examination and recommendations, you can once and for all disrupt the carbohydrate metabolism. You can’t just come to the pharmacy, buy and start taking Glucophage. Reviews of ordinary people are full of descriptions of side effects - constant diarrhea, weakness, migraine. And some managed not only not to lose extra pounds, but also gain a couple.
The most dangerous option is to take several Glucophage 1000 tablets per day at once. Even those who are ready for anything in the fight for low weight do not recommend such huge dosages.
By the way, many people, upon reaching the doctor, were convinced that the reason for their excess weight was increased sugar. So they are potential chronic diabetics. Upon learning this, they, together with their treating endocrinologist, were choosing a drug for weight loss. Such intelligent people are more likely to put their figure in order.
It is indicated for obesity and diabetes mellitus of the second type and Glucofage 750 (that is, 750 mg of metformin is contained in one tablet). Instructions for use and reviews about it are mixed: it is better to prefer lower dosages. So you insure yourself against possible side effects and complications.
Reviews about "Glucofage" 500 for weight loss are the most positive: this is the optimal dosage for beginners. The first weeks of taking it is better to divide the tablet into two parts, and take 250 mg twice a day.
Intake diet
Any sane endocrinologist explains to the patient that a complete rejection of carbohydrates is unacceptable! Therefore, it is important to adhere to certain nutritional rules:
- simple carbohydrates must be present in the diet ("Glucophage" prevents their absorption by only 50-60%, so that some of the nutrients will still be useful for the future);
- fast carbohydrates are best eliminated completely, otherwise you will not lose weight even with the help of pharmacology;
- try to eat as much protein food as possible (low-fat dairy products, chicken, steak from sea fish, boiled chicken and quail eggs);
- for normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, eat bran and fiber (reviews of "Glucofage" confirm that digestion is often upset by taking these pills, if you eat a spoonful of fiber daily, this can be avoided);
- drink as much clean water as possible - this will help remove sugar breakdown products from the body and reduce the toxicity of taking pills.
How are obesity and diabetes related?
These diagnoses are interchangeable. That is, if a patient is suffering from obesity, then it is highly likely that he has diabetes.
In people with a BMI (body mass index) above 35, an increased insulin concentration is usually observed in the blood. This is the so-called insulin resistance - a decreased sensitivity of cells to the effects of the hormone insulin. It is possible to normalize the metabolism in such a situation with the help of proper nutrition (this will take at least a year), or you can resort to the help of Glucofage 1000. Instructions and reviews do not recommend using large doses of the drug without consulting a doctor.
Diabetes mellitus is of the first and second type (depending on insulin resistance). People suffering from a disease of the first type have a tendency to painful thinness, they have an accelerated metabolism. But the second type of diabetes, on the contrary, slows down the metabolism and contributes to the process of fat accumulation.
Sports and Glucophage
Athletes in bodybuilding were among the first to use hypoglycemic drugs for other purposes. During the competitive season, many of them inject themselves with insulin in order to get rid of the fat layer as soon as possible. At the same time, strength indicators not only do not suffer, but also grow. For the same purpose (fast fat burning) bodybuilders take "Siofor", "Glyukofazh". The instructions and reviews about losing weight on these drugs are different, they have only one thing in common - all people had a hormonal failure one way or another.
This approach affects health extremely negatively. No medals and sports results are not worth a metabolic disorder. Rarely does anyone know that after a period of “drying”, athletes restore their hormonal system for months.
Analogs of the drug "Glucofage"
The pharmacological market offers many antidiabetic drugs. They have one principle of action - an obstacle to the absorption of carbohydrates.
The difference in these drugs is only in the amount of active substance (metformin) and the manufacturer. Hence the different price categories: foreign drugs always cost more than similar domestic ones.
- Siofor. The main active ingredient, as in Glucofage, is Metformin hydrochloride. "Siofor" is indicated for use in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by obesity. Healthy people are not allowed to take it, as it can cause changes in carbohydrate metabolism, which will subsequently have to be treated.
- "Metfogamma" - the same principle of action as the means "Glucofage" and "Siofor". The cost is higher than that of analogues. "Metfogamma" is produced and packaged in Germany, so the price is higher (about a thousand rubles for 30 tablets). It can be purchased in various dosages - from 500 to 1000 mg of the active substance in one tablet.
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- "Formmetin" is another domestic drug. It costs about fifty rubles for 30 tablets. Compared to Glucofage, it loses because it contains several times less active substance.