What Is Diaformin Viatris Used For?

Diaformin Viatris contains metformin hydrochloride and belongs to a group of medicines called biguanides. It helps control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes by helping your body make better use of the insulin your pancreas produces.

Primary Uses

Diaformin Viatris is used to control blood glucose (sugar levels) in people with diabetes mellitus. It can be used for type 2 diabetes in adults and children over 10 years of age. It’s especially helpful for overweight patients when diet and exercise alone aren’t enough to control high blood sugar levels. For adults, it can be used alone or combined with other diabetes medicines or insulin.

How It Works

Diaformin Viatris lowers high blood glucose by helping your body make better use of the insulin produced by your pancreas. People with type 2 diabetes either can’t make enough insulin or their body doesn’t respond properly to the insulin it makes, causing glucose to build up in the blood.

How to Take Diaformin Viatris

Take Diaformin Viatris exactly as prescribed by your doctor. The dose varies from person to person based on your blood glucose levels.

Dosage Instructions

Adults: The usual starting dose is 500 mg one to two times a day. Your doctor may increase or decrease the dose depending on your blood glucose levels. The maximum recommended dose is 1000 mg three times a day. Elderly and people with kidney problems may need smaller doses. Children & Adolescents (10+ years): Usually start with one 500 mg or 850 mg tablet once daily. Maximum recommended dose is 2 g taken as two or three divided doses. Take during or immediately after food to reduce stomach upset. Take at the same time each day. Swallow tablets with water. The 1000 mg tablets can be divided in half if advised by your doctor.

What If You Miss a Dose?

If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the missed dose and take your next dose as scheduled. Otherwise, take the missed dose as soon as you remember (with food), then return to your normal schedule. Never take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.

Side Effects

Like all medications, this medicine can cause side effects. Most are mild and temporary, but some require medical attention.

Common Side Effects

These side effects occur relatively frequently and usually don’t require emergency care:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Taste disturbance
• Loss of appetite
• Skin reactions

Important Warnings

There are several important conditions and situations where Diaformin Viatris should not be used or requires special caution.

Who Should Not Take Diaformin Viatris

Do not use if you: are allergic to metformin or any biguanide; have type 1 diabetes well controlled by insulin alone; have type 2 diabetes already well controlled by diet alone; have metabolic acidosis, lactic acidosis, or diabetic ketoacidosis; have severe liver disease; have excessive alcohol intake, binge drinking, or alcohol dependence; have kidney failure or severe kidney disease; are dehydrated, have severe blood loss, or shock; have severe infection; have certain heart or blood vessel problems, recent heart attack, or severe heart failure; have severe breathing difficulties; have blood clots in the lungs; have gangrene; have inflammation of the pancreas; need major surgery or X-ray/scan with iodinated contrast dye.

Medical Conditions to Discuss

Tell your doctor if you have: allergies to medicines, foods, dyes or preservatives; heart failure; kidney problems; if you take other medicines; if you drink alcohol. Your doctor may need to take special care or adjust your treatment.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Do not take Diaformin Viatris if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. The safety in pregnant women has not been established. Insulin is more suitable for controlling blood glucose during pregnancy. Do not take while breastfeeding. Your doctor will discuss alternative options available to you.

Drug Interactions

Several medicines may interact with Diaformin Viatris and affect how it works. Always tell your doctor about all medicines you’re taking.

• Other diabetes medicines
• Medicines containing alcohol (cough and cold syrups)
• Tetracosactrin (for multiple sclerosis, seizures in children)
• Danazol (for endometriosis)
• Blood pressure and heart medicines (beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors)
• Blood clot prevention medicines (warfarin)
• Diuretics (fluid tablets)
• Chlorpromazine (for schizophrenia)
• NSAIDs (aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen, meloxicam, naproxen, piroxicam)
• Cimetidine (for reflux and ulcers)
• Corticosteroids (prednisone, cortisone)
• Asthma medicines (salbutamol, terbutaline)
• OCT transporter medicines (verapamil, dolutegravir, crizotinib, olaparib, daclatasvir, vandetanib)
• Rifampicin
• Topiramate and other carbonic anhydrase inhibitors

Alcohol & Driving

Both alcohol and low blood sugar can affect your ability to drive safely or operate machinery.

Alcohol

Alcohol can affect the control of your diabetes. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol while taking Diaformin Viatris may lead to serious side effects. Your doctor may suggest you stop drinking or reduce the amount of alcohol you drink.

Driving and Operating Machinery

Low blood glucose levels may slow your reaction time and affect your ability to drive or operate machinery. Drinking alcohol can make this worse. However, Diaformin Viatris by itself is unlikely to affect how you drive or operate machinery. Be especially careful not to let your blood glucose levels fall too low when you need to be alert.

Storage

Keep tablets in the original pack until it’s time to take them. Store in a cool, dry place below 25°C. Do not store in the bathroom, near a sink, in the car, or on a window sill as heat and dampness can destroy the medicine. Keep out of reach of children – a locked cupboard at least 1.5 meters above ground is recommended.

Overdose Information

If you think you’ve taken too much Diaformin Viatris, seek urgent medical attention immediately. Call the Poisons Information Centre (Australia 13 11 26), contact your doctor, or go to the nearest hospital Emergency Department, even if you feel fine. Overdose symptoms may include feeling sleepy, very tired, sick, vomiting, trouble breathing, unusual muscle pain, stomach pain, or diarrhea. These may be early signs of lactic acidosis. You may also experience low blood sugar symptoms, especially if taken with other diabetes medicines or alcohol.

Frequently Asked Questions