Galvus Met 50/500 MG Tablet Uses, Side Effects, Dosage & Interactions

Last updated on January 31st, 2022

Galvus Met 50/500 MG Tablet is an anti-diabetic medicine that helps in lowering high blood sugar levels in patients suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. Being a combination medicine, it helps in preventing serious complications such as hepatic impairment, kidney problems, and blindness.

Consumption of this medicine on the advice of the doctor also helps in preventing the chances of having a heart attack and stroke. Your medical practitioner can prescribe this drug alone or in combination with other diabetic medicines. It is advised to consume a healthy diet and perform regular exercise to ensure the medicine works best.

Doses of Galvus Met will depend on your condition, blood sugar levels, and other medications you are consuming. It is strongly advised to take this drug with meals and it prevents the chance of an upset stomach.

Overview of Galvus Met 50/500 MG Tablet

Galvus Met 50/500 MG Tablet must be consumed on a regular basis and at the same time to get most of the benefit and should not stop its consumption unless your doctor asks you to. One thing you must keep in mind is to have a balanced diet to prevent serious complications in the future. Remember, your lifestyle plays a major role in controlling diabetes.

Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach upset, sore throat, headache, dizziness are some of the common side effects that a person can suffer from while consuming Galvus Met. If you are consuming other diabetic medications like insulin, sulphonylurea, then you might suffer from low blood sugar.

Diabetes medicine Galvus Met is not suitable for everyone. Make sure your doctor knows your medical histories such as kidney problems, liver problems, heart disease, or pancreatic problems. If you are an alcoholic, then make sure your doctor knows about it.

Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should take advice from a health practitioner before consuming this drug. If you are taking Galvus Met 50 MG/500 MG Tablet with other medications then make sure your doctor knows as it may cause severe side effects. Also, avoid consuming liquor while you are kept on this drug. Your doctor will also check your kidney and liver function before and during your diabetes treatment.

Also Read: Normal Blood Sugar Range

Benefits of Galvus Met 50 MG/500 MG Tablet

Being a combination of two drugs, Galvus Met helps in lowering blood glucose levels. Balancing blood sugar levels is important while managing diabetes. Once the blood sugar levels are controlled, serious complications such as kidney damage, eye damage, and nerve problems are also lowered. Controlled diabetes also reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Consuming Galvus Met with a proper diet helps you live a normal and healthy life. All you need is to make sure this drug is only consumed once your doctor advises.

Also Read: Janumet 50 mg/500 mg Tablet to Control High Blood Sugar Levels

Side Effects of Galvus Met

Most of the side effects do not require any medical help and may disappear in sometime. It is advised to consult the doctor if the situation persists for long. Some of the side effects include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Stomach ache
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Trembling
• Dizziness
• Loss of Appetite
• Metallic taste
• Hypoglycemia

Uses of Galvus Met 50/500 MG Tablet

It is advised to consume this medication in the dose and duration suggested by your doctor. You must swallow it as a whole, do not chew, crush or break it.

Take Galvus Met with the meals.

Also Read: Metformin 500 MG: Know All About Generic Medicine For Diabetes Patients

Works

Being an anti-diabetic drug, galvus met 50/500 mg works by lowering glucose production in the liver and increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin.  It also helps in releasing insulin from the pancreas and decreases the hormones that raise blood sugar levels.

Consuming this medicine helps in reducing fasting and post-meal sugar levels and provides better control of blood sugar levels.

Missed Dose of Galvus Met

You are advised to consume the missed dose as soon as you remember. You must skip your missed dose only if it is the time to take your next dose. The patient is not supposed to take an additional dose to compensate for a missed dose as it may cause complications.

Overdose of Galvus Met 50 MG/500 MG Tablet

Overdose of this drug can lead to serious side effects like irregular heartbeat, dizziness, rapid breathing, vomiting, and trouble breathing.

Contraindications If Person

• is hypertensive to Vildagliptin or Metformin.
•  has uncontrolled diabetes in combination with nausea, vomiting, loose motion, hasty weight loss, or fast or rapid breathing).
• is in the state of diabetic coma because of an instant spike or fall in blood glucose level.
• is an alcoholic or takes too much alcohol daily.
• has infection or dehydration.
• undergoing surgery or stressed.
• breastfeeding.

Interactions

Drug-Drug Interaction: Galvus Met tablet is found to interact with pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and celecoxib; thyroid hormones such as thyroxine; antihypertensive medicines such as nifedipine, captopril, enalapril, lisinopril; antacids including cimetidine; or certain medications having an effect on the nervous system.

Drug-Food Interaction: Consumption of too many alcoholic drinks might enhance the possibility of a life-threatening condition called Lactic Acidosis. Thus, it is recommended not to take alcoholic beverages with Galvus Met tablet.

Drug-Disease Interaction: Individuals having cardiovascular problems such as congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction; lack of vitamin B12, as well as alcoholism, must not take Galvus Met 50 mg/500 mg tablet.

Warnings: 

Drive

While on this drug, do not drive as it may lead to dizziness. Consult your doctor once before driving.

Pregnancy

Women who are pregnant are suggested to consume Galvus only if their doctor recommends it. You should never start this medicine on your own, as it can cause serious complications.

You are advised to talk to your doctor first about the benefits and side effects of taking Galvus Met before starting the course. After analyzing your condition, your doctor may suggest a different medication.

Nursing Mothers

Breastfeeding mothers should not take this drug on their own. As per some research, it can pass into breast milk and cause health problems in babies. Self-medication of these drugs is completely forbidden for nursing mothers.

Kidney

Patients suffering from Kidney problems should not consume this medication on their own. Please take the help of a medical practitioner before consuming this drug.

Liver

Galvus met 50/500 mg Should only be consumed with patients suffering from Hepatic problems if their doctor allows it. Regular monitoring of LFTs is advised by your doctor if you have been on this drug. It is suggested strictly to not consume this drug if you have any kind of liver problem.

Alcohol

Do not consume alcohol while being on this drug. It may lead to side effects like dizziness, headache, etc. Please consult your doctor before consuming alcohol.

More Galvus Met precautions In-depth

• Galvus Met tablet must not be used by people having type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. A few diabetic patients, while using this medicine may develop a rare but serious condition named lactic acidosis. In lactic acidosis, an excess of lactic acid gets built up in the bloodstream resulting in liver or kidney damage, and both these organs are needed for the elimination of too much lactic acid from the blood.
• Before a person begins taking Galvus Met tablet, it is important to inform the doctor about pre-existing conditions like pancreatitis (swelling in the pancreas), renal disorder, or a low level of vitamin B12.
• Galvus Met tablet when used in combination with insulin, might intensely reduce the level of blood glucose resulting in hypoglycemia, which might be fatal. In such cases, a healthcare provider might adjust the dose by decreasing the dose of insulin or Galvus Met tablets.
• When Galvus is taken for a prolonged duration, it might reduce the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in the body; thus, an annual check-up of TSH is suggested.
• In rare cases, a person might also develop a serious skin reaction called bullous pemphigoid that demands instant medical help.
• The use of Galvus Met must be avoided prior to any X-ray procedure.

Storage

The medication must be stored at a cool and dry place, protected from direct sunlight, heat, and moisture. Keep Galvus Met away from children and pets. Do not use expired tablets. Discard unused medication in a proper manner. Do not flush the medicine into a toilet or avoid throwing the medicine into the drain.

Tips For Using Galvus Met 50 MG/500 MG Tablet

• Regular consumption of this drug helps in controlling blood sugar levels.
• It is advised to exercise regularly and follow a healthy diet chart to control blood sugar levels.
• Take Galvus Met with meals to ignore an upset stomach.
• There is less chance of weight gain and low blood sugar as compared to other diabetic patients.
• If you have undergone any kind of surgery or anesthetic treatment, then it is advised to inform your doctor.
• In case of nausea, rapid breathing, stomach pain, please consult your doctor.
• Your health practitioner will keep a check on your kidney and liver problems before starting your treatments. In case you feel symptoms such as abdominal pain, loss of appetite, darkened urine, please discuss this with your doctor on an immediate basis.

Also Read: HbA1c Normal Values

FAQs:

References:

1. https://www.drugs.com/uk/galvus.html
2. https://pharmeasy.in/online-medicine-order/galvus-met-50-500mg-strip-of-15-tablets-212336#directionsForUse
3. https://www.1mg.com/drugs/galvus-met-50mg-1000mg-tablet-161866
4. https://www.practo.com/medicine-info/galvus-met-50-mg-1000-mg-tablet-45173

Last Updated on January 31, 2022 by Dr. Damanjit Duggal