Glucophage Xr
Glucophage Xr is a 1000mg slow-release metformin tablet for type 2 diabetes, taken once a day with the evening meal and sold in packs sized for long-term use.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000mg | 30 tablets | $76.50 | $2.55 |
| 1000mg | 60 tablets | $102.00 | $1.70 |
| 1000mg | 90 tablets | $144.90 | $1.61 |
| 1000mg | 120 tablets | $178.80 | $1.49 |
| 1000mg | 180 tablets | $244.80 | $1.36 |
- Category
- Diabetes Management
- Active ingredient
- Metformin
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 1000mg
You will receive a quality generic equivalent, depending on stock.
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Therapeutic Class
- Biguanide
- Pharmacological Class
- Antidiabetic
- Minor Side Effects
- Gastrointestinal upset, Metallic taste, Flatulence
- Moderate Side Effects
- Nausea, Stomach pain, Fatigue
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Originator
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Onset Time
- Several days for full effect
- Duration
- 24 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature in a dry place.
- Drug Interactions
- Contrast dye, Cimetidine
- Age Restrictions
- Not recommended for children
What you will receive
Glucophage Xr is the originator brand name, made by Bristol-Myers Squibb. We use it to identify the medicine; the pack you receive is a generic equivalent, not the original Glucophage Xr.
- The same active ingredient (Metformin) at the same strength.
- The exact brand supplied depends on what is in stock when your order ships.
FAQ
Which Glucophage Xr strengths and pack sizes can I order?
Glucophage Xr comes as 1000mg tablets in packs of 30, 60, 90, 120 or 180. This is generic metformin, not the original Glucophage Xr. Larger packs cost less per tablet.
How is Glucophage Xr delivered to Hong Kong?
For longer courses, tracked courier takes 5 to 9 business days with online tracking. Standard airmail takes 14 to 21 business days, up to 30, and is untracked. Every parcel arrives in plain, unbranded packaging.
What is another name for metformin?
Glucophage XR is a brand name of metformin, which is also sold as Fortamet, Glumetza, Glyciphage and Metabet. Here, metformin can be bought online as generic Glucophage XR, and also as Glycomet and metformin tablets. These are generics, not the original brand.
Does Glucophage Xr cause weight gain?
No. Metformin is weight-neutral and does not usually add the kilos that insulin and sulfonylureas can. Some people lose a little weight in the first months, often because of the stomach side effects rather than the medicine itself. It is a diabetes treatment, not a weight-loss product.
What is the difference between Glucophage Xr and Glucophage SR?
Both let metformin out gradually instead of all at once. The strengths differ: Glucophage Xr tablets hold 1000mg, while Glucophage SR comes as 500mg. Plain Glucophage is the standard tablet in 500mg, 850mg and 1000mg, usually taken with meals more than once a day.
What should I do if I miss a dose of Glucophage Xr?
Take a forgotten tablet with your next meal if that is still the same evening. Leave it out if you only remember the following day — a double dose at the next meal will not help and is more likely to upset your stomach.
Can I take Glucophage Xr with other diabetes medicines?
Yes. It is often the tablet that stays in place when another diabetes medicine is added. Common partners are other diabetes tablets such as gliclazide or sitagliptin, and insulin. Insulin and gliclazide-type medicines lower blood sugar on their own, so those are the combinations where a dip is more likely.
About Glucophage Xr
Metformin 1000mg, released slowly
Each Glucophage Xr tablet carries 1000mg of metformin in a slow-release form, so it is taken once a day rather than two or three times. Metformin is the medicine most often started first for type 2 diabetes, the kind in which the body makes insulin, the hormone that moves sugar out of the blood, but no longer responds to it well. It can also be added to other diabetes treatments, including insulin. Type 1 diabetes, where the body makes little or no insulin, is not treated with metformin.
How it lowers blood sugar
Three things happen together. Your gut absorbs less sugar from food. Your liver releases less of the glucose it stores between meals and overnight. And muscle and fat cells become more willing to take sugar up when insulin signals them. Metformin does not force the pancreas to churn out more insulin, so on its own it rarely pushes blood sugar too low. Medicines such as insulin and the sulfonylureas (gliclazide is one) can, so those combinations get closer attention.
Taking Glucophage Xr
One tablet a day, with your evening meal, swallowed whole. Chewing, crushing or splitting it dumps the whole 1000mg at once and defeats the slow release. Pick an evening routine you will not forget. Keep the tablets in their original pack, out of sunlight and away from damp.
Side effects
Wind, nausea, cramping and loose stools are the ones people notice first; for most they settle down after a fortnight or so. A metallic taste crops up in some. Long courses can also pull vitamin B12 levels down.
The serious problem to know about, though it is rare, is lactic acidosis: acid collects in the blood. Watch for muscles that ache for no reason, deep or rapid breathing, a slow or racing pulse, cold hands and feet, dizziness, sudden stomach pain with nausea, and tiredness that is out of proportion to what you have done. That cluster needs urgent treatment.
Heavy drinking raises the odds of both lactic acidosis and low blood sugar. Badly impaired kidneys rule metformin out, and a scan that uses contrast dye means stopping the tablets for at least 48 hours around it.
Glucophage Xr and the other metformin listings
Every metformin listing here shares one ingredient. Glucophage is the standard tablet, in 500mg, 850mg and 1000mg, and is usually taken two or three times a day with meals. Glucophage SR is a 500mg slow-release tablet, and Glycomet is a 500mg standard tablet. Glucophage Xr is the 1000mg slow-release option: a single tablet with the evening meal. The metformin ingredient page walks through the whole range.
Sources
- Metformin: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / National Library of Medicine
- A Guide for People with Type 2 Diabetes — American Diabetes Association