Is your weight too much? Do you wish to reduce your blood sugar levels? Then the doctors might have suggested you do the keto diet. Some might have suggested you take metformin. 

Now, do you want to know all about the metformin dosage for ketosis?

Metformin helps achieve ketosis by reducing insulin and blood sugar. The starting dosage should be 500 mg per day. It should be divided into 2 or 3 doses a day during and after your meals. After 10-15 days, the dose level should be adjusted based on your glucose level.

It is merely a brief overview of a lengthy procedure. You might be amazed by the sheer number of fascinating facts there exist. Such as If it’s safe or not, the alternatives of metformin, and many more. 

However, you must read all the way through in order for that to happen.

Keep reading!

Dosage of Metformin For Ketosis

As we already mentioned, metformin helps to control blood sugar levels. But in order for it to happen, we must take the dosage in a certain quantity. We all know too little might not be enough and too much can have some consequences.

The starting dose prescribed by doctors usually is 500 mg of metformin per day. It should be taken twice or three times a day, before and after meals. You should keep the similar dosage amount up to 10 to 15 days. 

After that period, you should try to adjust the dosage amount based on your blood sugar. Slowly increasing the dosage would improve the tolerability of gastrointestinal.

The highest amount one can take is 3 grams per day and divided into 3 doses. Anything over that would result in chronic health issues.

How Long Does It Take To Enter Ketosis?

Before knowing anything, you first have to know what ketosis is for. It is a state of diet that helps control blood sugar and leads to weight loss. It is achieved by restricting carbs intake and lowering protein consumption. 

Reducing carb intake to around 50 grams/day will force the body to use your fats. Those will be then used as your alternative energy source. Because by then, all of your energy stored as glucose would have been used.

But the time needed for it to happen varies from person to person. On average, it is between 2-4 days if one takes 20-50 grams of carbs/day. But for some people, it can even take up to more than a week. 

How Does Metformin Help Ketosis?

It’s a specific kind of medication that lowers blood sugar and insulin levels. It does it in three ways. 

Firstly, our liver keeps on producing sugar even if it’s not needed. Our blood sugar levels are raised as a result. The liver’s ability to produce sugar is slowed by metformin.

Secondly, insulin helps the sugar to move to muscle cells from the blood. It is then, used to produce the energy for those muscles. Metformin helps the sugar to reach its destination as it improves insulin sensitivity in the muscle.

Lastly, metformin help decrease the absorption of glucose in the intestinal.

Ketosis is also a state, where the process leads to lowering the blood sugar level. Therefore, we can see that both of their final outcomes are similar. Therefore, we can also achieve the result of ketosis by taking metformin at a certain dose.

How Much Does Metformin Lower Blood Sugar?

In modern times, people are more focused on the best products out there. However, one needs to be aware of its efficacy in order to make that decision. Which can be measured by how much blood sugar it lowers after consumption. 

According to research, metformin is one of the most efficient medicines to lower blood sugar levels. An experiment was conducted on 20 people, who were given 500 mg of metformin per day. 

It was important to measure the data preciously. For this reason, they utilized the top glucose meter available on the market. You can also proof-check it by yourself with either ReliOn Prime or Premier. 

The experiment showed a clear and quick indication for both blood sugar reduction. 

The initial fasting blood glucose was 189.88 +/- 21.11 mg/dl. After 1 week, it lowered to 131.11 +/- 16.02 mg/dl. And after 5 weeks, it was even lowered to 130.11 +/- 13.29 mg/dl.

On the other hand, the initial diurnal blood glucose was 235.33 +/- 24.11 mg/dl. After 1 week it was lowered to 174.66 +/- 23.45 mg/dl. And after 5 weeks, it was 177.65 +/- 21.71 mg/dl.

Therefore, we can clearly see the impact of the medicine and its effectiveness. 

Is It Safe To Take Metformin?

But we shouldn’t blindly take it after seeing its effectiveness. We should always consider the fact if it’s safe to take or not. Because if it isn’t, then it would create more problems than solving. 

It causes a few typical adverse effects, including-

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Stomach ache
• Vomiting
• Losing appetite

But the major risk of taking metformin is called lactic acidosis. It is better to know all about lactic acidosis before we can do anything about it. 

The symptoms of this condition include- 

• It decreases oxygen absorption in your cells and this condition is known as hypoxia.
• Your blood’s pH becomes more acidic.
• You become more fatigue.
• It causes electrical problems in the heart. You may have heart arrhythmias.
• It causes abdominal pain.
• It can also lead to death.

But it is possible to reverse this condition by thiamine, which is vitamin B1. But you have to take it within the first 24 hours after having any symptoms. 

But we also have to keep in mind that metformin inhibits the transformation of B1. This means that the more you take metformin the less effective B1 becomes in stopping it. Because it prevents the B1 from carrying out its intended function. 

People with kidney, liver or cardiovascular damage should avoid taking metformin. As it increases the chance of having lactic acidosis. Therefore, it is best to seek medical advice and strictly abide by their recommendations. 

What Are the Alternatives Of Metformin?

As we already stated that there is a serious risk of taking metformin. Finding alternatives that can accomplish the same thing without having negative side effects is preferable. It is better if we can do it naturally. 

Some natural ways to lower your blood sugar include-

• Exercising regularly
• Controlling your carb intake
• Eating more fiber
• Drinking more water to stay hydrated
• Implementing portion control
• Choosing foods that have a low glycemic index
• Managing your stress level
• Monitoring the blood sugar level
• Getting enough sleep
• Eating foods with high magnesium and chromium
• Adding specific foods such as cinnamon, berberine, apple cider vinegar, etc to your diet.
• Maintaining your weight at a moderate level
• Eating more healthy snacks frequently
• Eating foods with high probiotics

By following these, one will be able to control their blood sugar level. As they are natural, they don’t have any side effects to worry about. 

There are also a few highly recommended medicines that can also do the work. Levemir is one of them. But sometimes, Levemir might not lower your blood sugar.

There are also some medicines suggested by doctors for being safe as well as effective. They are-

FAQs

How Long Can One Stay One Metformin?

Doctors generally prescribe metformin as a long-term medication for diabetes. It can be taken a couple of decades without complications. You should only stop if your health starts showing symptoms of severe diseases. 

How Can Your Blood Sugar Levels Be Dropped Quickly?

Hyperglycemia is a condition when your blood sugar is higher than it was supposed to be. In this condition, you have to quickly take fast-acting insulin to reduce the glucose level. You can also do exercise, it is a more natural way.

Can You Cheat A Day During Keto Diet?

It is better not to cheat meals for a day during the keto diet. Because if you consume too many carbs, it can cause you to ruin your ketosis process. Starting the entire process from scratch could take up to a week.

Conclusion

I hope now you know about the metformin dosage for ketosis.

You should cautiously follow the dosage to ensure its effectiveness. No more than 3 grams should be consumed each day. Although it aids in ketosis, the adverse effects are too great. 

Utilizing alternatives will help you live a healthier life.

Take care!