What Is Metformin?

Potential Medication Interactions

Metformin interacts with many other medications, and patients on this drug should ensure their doctor is aware of all the medicines and supplements they take. If metformin is taken with cimetidine (a medicine used to treat stomach ulcers), this could increase the amount of metformin in the body by as much as forty percent and cause patients to experience more side effects from metformin. Taking steroids, oral contraceptives, thiazide diuretics, or steroids with metformin may reduce the effectiveness of metformin and cause increased glucose. When patients stop using these medicines, they will need to be closely monitored for low blood glucose. To reduce the risk of drug interactions with metformin, patients should tell their doctor and pharmacist if they use angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, morphine, or niacin. Individuals who take these medicines may need to have their metformin dose adjusted.