Can You Take Metformin and Ozempic Together?

Metformin and Ozempic are widespread prescription medicines which are used to assist folks handle their diabetes.

Many individuals could also be prescribed metformin or Ozempic alone, however generally a health care provider might prescribe each medicine without delay as a form of mixture remedy.

As a result of these medicine work in numerous methods and their use collectively is comparatively new, you’ll have questions on how they work together, what the negative effects could also be, and the way properly they work collectively.

This text will discover what you’ll want to find out about taking metformin and Ozempic collectively.

Key Factors:

• Metformin and Ozempic might be prescribed collectively as a part of a mixture remedy to handle diabetes. As a result of every drug works in a different way, utilizing them in tandem can enhance blood sugar management.
• Each medicine, whereas having distinct mechanisms, can contribute to weight reduction and improved cardiovascular well being.
• Medical trials point out that taking metformin and Ozempic collectively is usually protected. Nevertheless, potential negative effects, particularly gastrointestinal points, could also be extra pronounced when these medicine are utilized in mixture.

How do metformin and Ozempic differ?

To assist perceive why you is likely to be prescribed one drug, the opposite, or each without delay, it’s necessary to know somewhat bit about every medicine and the way they differ.

Ozempic and metformin are completely different in a number of methods. To start out with, metformin is a day by day (or twice-daily) oral medicine that often is available in capsule kind, whereas Ozempic is a once-weekly injectable drug.

The 2 medicine have completely different energetic elements and act on the physique in numerous methods, too.

Metformin

Metformin is among the many most prescribed medicines on the planet. Metformin’s commonest use is as a first-line therapy for kind 2 diabetes. 

Metformin reduces the quantity of glucose launched by the liver, decreases the quantity of glucose absorbed within the intestines, and will increase insulin sensitivity, permitting particular person cells within the physique to devour extra sugar and use that sugar extra effectively.

It has additionally been demonstrated to have a variety of different well being advantages. More and more, metformin is being prescribed for folks with:

Metformin has additionally been proven to assist folks drop some pounds in some circumstances. 

Ozempic 

Ozempic is the model identify for the commonest drug that makes use of the energetic ingredient semaglutide, which is predominately used to assist handle diabetes. Ozempic is made by the pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk.

Different drug firms additionally make medicines with the identical energetic ingredient as Ozempic (these embrace the model names Rybelsus and Wegovy).

Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, agonist. It mimics hormones within the physique that assist to control blood sugar ranges.

Ozempic will increase the physique’s pure insulin manufacturing, decreases the liver’s manufacturing of glucose, slows the emptying of meals out of the abdomen into the small intestines, and reduces urge for food, which tends to result in weight reduction. 

Whereas Ozempic is a comparatively new drug, having been FDA-approved in 2017, metformin has been in the marketplace in america since 1994. Each medicine have seen important will increase of their use since their introduction.

Why would I be prescribed metformin and Ozempic?

The first cause these medicine are prescribed is to assist handle blood sugar ranges.

Metformin and Ozempic assist most individuals decrease their common blood sugar ranges as measured by an HbA1c (A1C) blood take a look at (a measure of glucose management over the earlier 2 to three months). The results are fairly important. 

Medical trials have established that, at its most dose, metformin may help lower A1C ranges by 1.5%, whereas a median dose of Ozempic can lower A1C by 1.4%.

For those who’re presently on metformin and it’s not offering its full advantages anymore, your healthcare supplier may think about prescribing Ozempic. This could possibly be to evaluate how properly it really works as a sole therapy as a substitute of metformin, or to make use of alongside your current metformin routine as a supplementary remedy.

There are different causes it’s possible you’ll be prescribed metformin or Ozempic. Nevertheless, these makes use of are typically off-label (not authorized by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration [FDA]).

Each metformin and Ozempic have been proven to assist with weight reduction along with their main operate of decreasing common blood sugar ranges. Whereas neither drug is FDA-approved for weight reduction, it may be a useful impact, particularly for individuals who have kind 2 diabetes and issue sustaining a wholesome weight.

Each medicine are additionally established to lower the chance of main cardiovascular occasions, corresponding to coronary heart assaults.

Whereas many of those off-label results could also be useful, metformin and Ozempic are typically not prescribed solely for these causes.

Are you able to safely take metformin and Ozempic collectively?

Most often, the reply is sure. Medical trials have established that it’s typically protected to take metformin and Ozempic collectively. 

Not solely is it typically protected, however it’s really turning into frequent to prescribe these medicine collectively as a mixture remedy, since they complement each other in serving to handle blood sugar ranges.

The medicines additionally may help with cardiovascular well being and weight reduction in ways in which might reinforce each other.

Taking metformin and Ozempic collectively might be an efficient approach to handle blood sugar ranges, particularly for folks with kind 2 diabetes.

What negative effects are there to taking each metformin and Ozempic?

Whereas each of those medicines might be efficient at controlling blood glucose ranges, they will even have negative effects, and taking them collectively might improve the chance of sure hostile and negative effects.

Each metformin and Ozempic may cause gastrointestinal signs corresponding to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Taking these two medicine collectively can improve the chance and severity of the negative effects it’s possible you’ll expertise.

In case you are taking metformin and Ozempic collectively — or in case you are prescribed them along with insulin — it’s particularly necessary to concentrate on the indicators of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

Low blood sugar ranges may cause the next signs:

• Starvation
• Dizziness
• Nervousness or irritability
• Perspiring (sweating)
• Tremors
• Tingling sensation within the lips
• Fast heartbeat
• Fatigue or weak spot
• Imaginative and prescient alterations, like blurriness
• Confusion

For those who expertise any of those signs, it’s necessary to test your blood sugar ranges — and in case you’re low, to rapidly deliver your blood sugar again as much as a traditional vary by consuming or ingesting one thing with carbohydrates.

Metformin and Ozempic every have their very own potential negative effects which are very uncommon, however necessary to find out about. 

For metformin, these embrace vitamin B12 deficiency and lactic acidosis, a doubtlessly deadly situation wherein lactic acid builds up within the physique. 

For Ozempic, this contains thyroid tumors.

Medical trials have proven that taking each at medicines as soon as doesn’t improve your total danger of experiencing severe negative effects.

It’s necessary to learn any paperwork that include your prescription and to speak about every prescription drug and its potential negative effects together with your physician.

You may learn extra in regards to the negative effects of every drug right here:

Does Ozempic work higher than metformin?

As a result of metformin and Ozempic work in numerous methods, neither essentially works higher than the opposite. 

Relying on the dose, both metformin or Ozempic might decrease blood sugar ranges greater than the opposite drug.

Ozempic has typically been proven to assist folks lose extra weight than metformin, however everybody’s expertise is completely different, and weight reduction isn’t assured by both drug — neither is both drug FDA-approved for that objective.

Can you’re taking metformin mixture medicine with Ozempic?

Mixture medicine for folks with kind 2 diabetes typically embrace metformin paired with one other drug that works in a different way. This method enhances the general effectiveness of the therapy, as every drug targets completely different points of diabetes administration, thereby bettering total blood sugar management.

Including an Ozempic prescription on prime of a metformin mixture drug ought to solely be completed in session with a health care provider, as every of the three (or extra) energetic elements can have its personal set of negative effects, interactions, and contraindications (conditions wherein the drugs shouldn’t be used as a result of it’d trigger hurt).

Is metformin safer than Ozempic?

Metformin is usually thought-about to be among the many most secure and most studied medicine for serving to folks handle their blood sugar. 

Whereas metformin has been in frequent use longer than Ozempic, every drug has undergone intensive, rigorous testing.

Nevertheless, every particular person’s danger components and their very own expertise of negative effects will differ. So it’s necessary to work together with your physician to grasp how every drug’s security profile, dangers, and negative effects stack up in opposition to its advantages, all throughout the context of your private well being historical past and targets.

What meals must be prevented when taking metformin and Ozempic collectively?

Meals that may trigger an upset abdomen are finest to keep away from when taking metformin and Ozempic collectively. These embrace greasy, fatty meals and meals excessive in saturated fats (corresponding to butter, fatty cuts of meat, and cheese). 

It’s typically finest to avoid refined and extremely processed meals as properly (corresponding to white bread and packaged items), and you may additionally be suggested to keep away from ingesting alcohol when taking metformin and Ozempic. 

Comply with all pointers and directions on any prescription medicines you’re taking. It’s all the time a good suggestion to speak together with your physician in regards to the food regimen you need to eat and any meals, drinks, or behaviors you need to keep away from when beginning a brand new prescription. 

You may learn extra about which meals to keep away from right here:

How a lot weight are you able to lose on metformin and Ozempic collectively?

It’s necessary to do not forget that utilizing metformin and Ozempic collectively for weight reduction is an off-label objective that isn’t FDA-approved, so it’s particularly necessary to work together with your physician to grasp the advantages and dangers. 

For those who’re prescribed metformin and Ozempic to your kind 2 diabetes however want to drop some pounds, there are FDA-approved weight-loss medicine which are protected for folks with diabetes that your physician can also prescribe.

Medical trials have proven that metformin alone results in a median weight lack of about 5% of physique weight for roughly a 3rd of people that take the drug, together with lack of about 12 to fifteen kilos in folks with out diabetes.

For people who find themselves chubby or overweight, Ozempic has been demonstrated to end in a median weight lack of 14.9% of physique weight.

Ultimate ideas

Taking metformin and Ozempic collectively marks an evolving method in diabetes administration, highlighting the advantages of mixture remedy. This pairing, beneath medical supervision, gives a promising possibility for people who find themselves not in a position to handle their blood sugar ranges with single-drug therapies. 

The potential added benefits in weight administration and cardiovascular well being are important, notably given the associated nature of those well being points with diabetes.

Nevertheless, it’s necessary to do not forget that every particular person’s response to medicine can fluctuate. The choice to make use of these medicine together must be made in shut session with healthcare suppliers, making an allowance for private well being historical past and particular medical wants.