Istamet
Istamet combines sitagliptin and metformin in one 50/1000mg tablet for type 2 diabetes, offered in packs of 30, 60 or 90 tablets.
All strengths and pack prices
| Strength | Pack | Price | Per tablet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50/1000mg | 30 tablets | $183.60 | $6.12 |
| 50/1000mg | 60 tablets | $357.00 | $5.95 |
| 50/1000mg | 90 tablets | $494.10 | $5.49 |
- Category
- Diabetes Management
- Active ingredient
- Sitagliptin · Metformin
- Route
- Oral
- Form
- Tablet
- Strengths
- 50/1000mg
Shipped in a discreet, unmarked envelope.
Details
- Conditions
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Therapeutic Class
- DPP-4 Inhibitor, Biguanide
- Pharmacological Class
- Antidiabetic
- Minor Side Effects
- Stuffy nose, Sore throat
- Moderate Side Effects
- Diarrhoea, Stomach upset
- Dosage Forms
- Tablet
- Administration Route
- Oral
- Manufacturer
- Merck Sharp & Dohme
- Onset Time
- 1–3 hours
- Duration
- 12–24 hours
- Storage Instructions
- Store in a cool, dry place.
- Drug Interactions
- Sulfonylureas, Insulin
FAQ
Which strengths and pack sizes of Istamet can I order?
Istamet tablets come in 50/1000mg strength. You can order packs of 30, 60 or 90 tablets. The product page lists the price per tablet in Hong Kong dollars, and larger packs cost less per tablet.
How is Istamet delivered to Hong Kong?
For Istamet, orders can be cancelled within 24 hours if not yet dispatched. Very large orders over 120 units may be split into several parcels. Standard airmail takes 14 to 21 business days and is untracked.
What other names is sitagliptin and metformin sold under?
Istamet is a branded generic of sitagliptin and metformin, the ingredients in Velmetia. The combination is also sold as Janumet. Here, sitagliptin and metformin can be bought online as Istamet. These are generics, not the original brand.
What does 50/1000mg mean on an Istamet tablet?
Each tablet holds 50mg of sitagliptin and 1000mg of metformin. The first figure is the sitagliptin dose, the second the metformin dose, and combination tablets are labelled this way so the numbers can be matched against the single-ingredient medicines they replace.
Can I take Istamet with food?
Yes, and food is the better way to take it. Metformin brings fewer stomach problems when a meal comes with it, while sitagliptin works the same with or without food. Most people tie the two daily doses to breakfast and dinner so the routine is hard to forget.
Is Istamet the same as Janumet?
They are the same two medicines — sitagliptin and metformin — in one tablet. What differs is the brand name and the strengths each is sold under; Istamet here is the 50/1000mg tablet.
Can I drink alcohol with Istamet?
Alcohol is a poor match for the metformin in Istamet. Heavy drinking or a binge raises the risk of lactic acidosis and can also drop blood sugar, and the risk grows with the amount drunk. An occasional drink with a meal is a different matter from a heavy night.
How long does Istamet take to work?
Sitagliptin begins affecting the insulin response at the first meal after a dose, while metformin's work on the liver builds over days and weeks. A single reading tells you little; it is the pattern across weeks that shows whether the combination is holding your blood sugar steady.
About Istamet
One tablet, two blood-sugar medicines
Istamet combines sitagliptin and metformin in a single 50/1000mg tablet for type 2 diabetes — the kind where the body still makes insulin but no longer uses it well. The two ingredients lower blood sugar by different routes, which is why they are often paired once diet, exercise and one medicine alone are not holding readings steady. Packs of 30, 60 and 90 tablets are listed.
How sitagliptin and metformin work
Sitagliptin belongs to the DPP-4 inhibitor class, which acts on the hormones released after eating. Those hormones nudge the pancreas to put out insulin; sitagliptin slows their breakdown, so the nudge lasts longer and the liver releases less glucose between meals. Metformin is a biguanide, a class that works mainly on the liver: it cuts the amount of glucose the liver makes and the amount taken in from food, and helps the body respond better to its own insulin. Neither ingredient is insulin, and neither cures diabetes — they keep blood sugar steadier through the day and after meals.
Taking Istamet
Take one with breakfast and one with the evening meal. Metformin is the reason for the meals: on an empty stomach it tends to bring nausea and diarrhoea, and with food it mostly does not. Sitagliptin is indifferent either way. These are tablets for the long haul, because blood sugar climbs back up once you stop.
Side effects to know about
Each ingredient has its own usual complaints. Sitagliptin is behind the headache, blocked or runny nose and sore throat. Metformin accounts for most of the stomach trouble, meaning wind, loose stools, nausea and a metallic taste, which tends to be worst in the first weeks and fades.
The rare problems matter more. Lactic acidosis, a build-up of acid in the blood, is a metformin risk, and deep rapid breathing, muscle aches, extreme tiredness or feeling cold need urgent treatment. Pancreatitis, an inflamed pancreas, shows up as pain in the upper or middle stomach that can reach through to the back, often with vomiting and loss of appetite.
Alcohol and scans
Heavy or binge drinking is the pattern that matters most with metformin: it raises the risk of lactic acidosis and can also push blood sugar down. Metformin is normally paused for a day or two around x-rays and scans that use injected dye. Some diuretics, blood pressure medicines and other diabetes tablets change blood sugar control too.
Sources
- Sitagliptin: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / U.S. National Library of Medicine
- Metformin: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / National Library of Medicine