Do you take Metformin if you haven't had a meal?

[stewpot]

Hello

I am prescribed 3 x 500 metformin tablets per day, to be taken one tablet with each meal. Sometimes I skip a meal (just can't face food first thing in the morning or just work through lunchtime without a break).

I have always not taken a tablet if I miss a meal, as it tends to upset my stomach, and also (I have assumed) without food in my stomach there's nothing for the metformin to do.

Is this the right approach or should I take metformin at meal times even if I haven't eaten?

ta
stuart

 

[Andy HB]

Hi Stuart,

My understanding is that metformin is best taken with food. But I think confirmation is needed from those who still use it (I haven't done so since my initial diagnosis).

However, what I'd say to you is that you'd be better served eating regularly. Breakfast is, after all, a very important meal of the day for all sorts of reasons and skipping it is not doing you any favours. If the body doesn't receive its expected energy boost in the morning it can go into 'starvation mode' which has various effects. The body slows down making you less able to do things during the day. Also, when you do eventually eat, it is likely that you'll eat like a maniac!

By the way, I say this because when I was younger, I too missed meals and think this was a major contributor to my eventual onset of type 2 diabetes. I often ended up having humungous meals in the evening (great! 😱).

So, my advice to you is work out why you are missing meals and do something about it. That'll then solve the metformin issue and will also probably help you in other health-improving ways.

Andy 🙂

 

[Copepod]

Welcome to the forum, stewpot.

Good advice from Andy.

Also, remember that every pack of medicine comes with a Patient Information Leaflet, which covers questions like yours.

 

[Vicsetter]

As Metformin gradually builds up to a set level in the body, it is not terribly important if you miss a tablet. If was me I would take one table in the morning and 2 in the evening, having to take 1 tablet 3 times a day is just too much.

The idea is to keep the level of the drug in your body at a constant level and taking it with food is supposed to reduce the side effects.

Note that I do not take my tablets with meals but have 2 in the morning (which does coincide with breakfast) and the other 2 at 5pm (roughly 2 hours before supper) as I find it easier to remember when to take them and my other meds.

 

[Mark T]

Eating metformin on a full stomach is meant to help avoid some of the unwanted effects. So that might suggest that you miss it if you miss a meal (as long as it's not too often).

As Vicsetter says. it builds up over time - so missing a dose shouldn't hurt.

 

[Caroline]

I was advised to take metformin with or after meals, I believe the same holds good for anyone on metformin.

Metformin doesn't agree with everyone and some folks need a stomach protection pill, so it may well be worth a chat with your doctor/care team about that one.