- General description
- Effects
- Instructions for use
- Indications
- Contraindications
Being overweight has long ceased to be an exclusively aesthetic problem. In any country in the world, 10-20% of the population suffers from obesity. This leads to a whole range of medical problems: an increase in cardiovascular and endocrine diseases, higher death rates from heart attacks and strokes, and a high level of disability due to chronic diseases.
The medical approach to addressing the problem of excess weight has been traditional. If obesity is a disease, then it must be treated with medication. One such remedy is Siofor, which is discussed in this article.
General description
Siofor, or metformin by active ingredient, was invented and patented as a hypoglycemic agent (used in endocrinology to treat type 2 diabetes). This is a disease in which the body’s cells “do not perceive” the regulatory effect of insulin and, therefore, lose their ability to absorb glucose from the blood. In the vast majority of cases, type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity.
When administering Siofor therapy, doctors noticed that patients with diabetes began to lose weight in parallel. Their appetite decreased, and their blood cholesterol levels returned to normal. Thus, the drug began to be used for weight loss. The debate over whether it can be prescribed solely as a means for losing weight continues both online and within the professional medical community.
Composition and release form
Siofor is only a trade name. The main substance in the composition is metformin hydrochloride.
The tablets have three dosage options: 500, 850 and 1000 mg. They are produced in a coating with a double-sided risk, which makes it easier to divide it in half.
Analogues. Bagomet, Glucophage, Gliminfor, Lantgerin, Metfogamma, Formetin, and others (25 names in total).
Consumers often ask the question, which is better for losing weight: Siofor or its analogue Glucophage? The answer is simple: if there is an indication for the use of metformin, its effectiveness does not depend on the name of the brand.
The official instructions for use classify the drug as a hypoglycemic agent from the biguanide group. Information on weight loss is supported by clinical studies.
Mechanism of action
To understand how it works, one must understand the basics of carbohydrate metabolism.
Why is glucose needed?
Cells need energy for normal functioning. It is formed during the breakdown of the glucose molecule with the participation of oxygen (aerobic glycolysis in cellular mitochondria). Glucose enters the body from food (sugar, vegetables and fruits, злаковые, starch). In the small intestine, complex carbohydrates are broken down into simple ones, which are absorbed and carried throughout the body by the bloodstream. Glucose can only penetrate the cell membrane thanks to the action of the hormone insulin.
The body has a mechanism for storing glucose. In the liver, some of it is converted into glycogen, which is used up in the event that the cells begin to experience an energy deficit, and carbohydrates do not enter with food. When the glycogen in the liver “ends” and there are still few carbohydrates, the body breaks down its own fats from fat depots.
Conclusion. Weight loss is only possible with a deficiency of carbohydrates in the diet.
How does metformin work?
The drug acts on all aspects of carbohydrate metabolism:
- Reduces the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestines.
- Increases the sensitivity of receptors to the action of insulin, as a result of which glucose freely enters the cell.
- Inhibits the formation of glycogen in the liver (the less glycogen, the faster fat stores begin to be used up).
- Accelerates the process of glucose absorption by tissues (this effect does not appear in the absence of insulin).
- Stimulates the process of lipolysis (fat breakdown).
By influencing carbohydrate metabolism, it can reduce the concentration of triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood, which can be vital for obese patients.
Effects
The use of Siofor in endocrinology for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes has made it possible to formulate the main and additional effects of the drug, which are also important for people who want to normalize their weight. Let’s list the main ones:
- normalizes this indicator with an increased glucose content in the blood;
- reduces body weight;
- suppresses appetite;
- does not have hypoglycemic properties (can be taken without fear of a pathological decrease in blood glucose concentration, as is the case with insulin therapy);
- dissolves microthrombi (due to this, it is able to improve microcirculation in tissues).
Results of use can be seen within a week. According to numerous reviews, weight is reduced by several kilograms at once.
The positive properties of the drug are undeniable, but, unfortunately, every side of the coin has its “reverse side”. Siofor has a number of side effects that should be known to every person who decides to use it as a means of losing weight:
- a whole “bunch” of unpleasant symptoms from the digestive tract: unpleasant taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, pain and bloating;
- increased blood lactate levels (lactate acidosis), which the body tolerates quite hard (the work of all systems, including the cardiovascular system, is disrupted);
- decreased absorption of not only glucose, but also many nutrients (vitamin B12 deficiency);
- allergic reactions;
- rarely megaloblastic anemia.
Such serious reactions require that it only be used under medical supervision. Buying the drug at a pharmacy and starting to use it uncontrollably can be life-threatening.
Instructions for use
Before you start taking it, you need to weigh all the pros and cons, get a medical consultation and, most importantly, determine the baseline glucose and insulin levels in the blood. The dosage and dosing regimen depend on this. We will provide only general recommendations:
- Tablets are taken with meals, without chewing.
- Start with small doses, gradually increasing them to therapeutic levels.
- As a weight loss aid, Siofor only “works” in conjunction with a low-carb diet. Calorie restrictions are not necessary and can even be harmful (this is a common mistake among patients who want to enhance the effect of the medication with additional “starvation”).
- Long-term use should be monitored by laboratory blood and urine tests. It is imperative to monitor kidney function, donate blood for lactate at least twice a year.
- You should not force weight loss (no more than 2 kilograms per week). To do this, you should strictly adhere to the dosages recommended by your doctor.
Important! There have been cases when people, having felt the positive dynamics of weight loss, decided to independently accelerate this process. Such “impatience” can cost the patient their health and cause a lot of unpleasant sensations.
Indications
With all due respect, we cannot indicate weight loss as an indication for taking Siofor. There is diet, proper nutrition, and exercise for this.
But in cases where obesity becomes a disease, when it is complicated by many pathological changes in the body and is life-threatening, it can and should be used to correct weight. How much to take the drug to achieve the effect is primarily decided by the attending physician.
The main indication remains the only one – type 2 diabetes, especially when combined with obesity.
Contraindications
In
