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Does Metformin Cause Pancreatic Disorders?

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Posted on Sat, 13 Aug 2016
Question: I have been on medformin 4 years .my hba1c has been on an average of 5.8 .after 1year of being diagnoised with a 7.8 hba1c.The first year I lost 37 pounds. I am not suffering form an inflamed pancreas.could i have been given that med in error?I am worried..I have an inflamed pancreas.could it be a result of taking medformin?
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Answered by Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis (35 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
more information is required

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

please provide more information. I'll ask specific questions to help you.
- if I understood OK, you had 7.8% at diagnosis and metformin was given to you and you had 5.8% thereafter. Right?
- what do you mean by "inflammed pancreas"? Was it an acute pancreatitis? A chronic pancreatitis? Please provide more details.

Metformin does not cause pancreatic problems. Metformin was rightly given to you because you had a high enough HbA1c. Patients are always advised to adopt a proper diet and physical activity program. Loosing 37 pounds helped a lot with blood glucose control. In such cases treatment may be reconsidered. If you stop taking metformin your HbA1c may rise between 0.5-1.0%.

I'll be glad to comment more on your case when you provide the necessary details.
Kind Regards!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Panagiotis Zografakis

Internal Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1999

Answered : 3819 Questions

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Does Metformin Cause Pancreatic Disorders?

Brief Answer: more information is required Detailed Answer: Hello, please provide more information. I'll ask specific questions to help you. - if I understood OK, you had 7.8% at diagnosis and metformin was given to you and you had 5.8% thereafter. Right? - what do you mean by "inflammed pancreas"? Was it an acute pancreatitis? A chronic pancreatitis? Please provide more details. Metformin does not cause pancreatic problems. Metformin was rightly given to you because you had a high enough HbA1c. Patients are always advised to adopt a proper diet and physical activity program. Loosing 37 pounds helped a lot with blood glucose control. In such cases treatment may be reconsidered. If you stop taking metformin your HbA1c may rise between 0.5-1.0%. I'll be glad to comment more on your case when you provide the necessary details. Kind Regards!