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Metformin

Medication biguanide diabetes
Aka: Glucophage, Diabex
Brands seen in Singapore: Glucophage, Diabetmin, Glyformin, Glycomet, Glucomet
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Type 2 diabetes, diabetes in pregnancy and pcos per NHS
When to take
With food · NHS: most people take it 1 to 3 times a day
Take with
Food · HealthHub: with or after food eases stomach upset
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: taken by most adults and children aged 10 and over
  • 42 single-ingredient products registered in SG
  • HealthHub: works alongside diet and exercise changes
Cons
  • Prescription-only in SG — all 65 register rows
  • Nausea, diarrhoea and tummy pain are common (NHS)
  • Rare lactic acidosis; B12 can fall with long use
Sources
  1. NHS — Metformin, 'What metformin is for' (page last reviewed 5 August 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Metformin is used as a treatment for: type 2 diabetes … diabetes that can develop during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) … symptoms of polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), previously called polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)”
  2. NHS — Metformin, 'How to take metformin' (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “How much you need to take depends on why you're taking it and your age. Most people take it 1 to 3 times a day with food. Your doctor may prescribe a lower dose to start with.”
  3. NHS — Metformin, 'Who can and cannot take metformin' (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Metformin can be taken by most adults and children aged 10 years old and over … it may not be suitable if: … you have liver and kidney problems … a severe infection … heart failure … you drink a lot of alcohol”
  4. NHS — Metformin, common side effects (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Common side effects of metformin include: feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting) … diarrhoea … tummy pain … loss of appetite … vitamin B12 deficiency, which can make you feel very tired”
  5. NHS — Metformin, serious side effects (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “too much acid in your blood (lactic acidosis) – causing symptoms such as being sick (vomiting), stomach pain and muscle cramps, and breathing problems, it can also make you feel severely tired”
  6. NHS — Metformin, 'Taking metformin with other medicines, food and drink' (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “These include: medicines to treat fluid build-up in the body (diuretics) … anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and diclofenac … some medicines to treat high blood pressure … Try to limit how much alcohol you drink”
  7. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Metformin medication information leaflet, uses section (article last reviewed 27 July 2026) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Metformin controls diabetes by helping your body to use insulin better … It works together with lifestyle changes, such as having a healthy diet and regular exercise, to reduce blood sugar levels.”
  8. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Metformin leaflet, administration section (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You can take this medication with or after food. This lowers your chances of getting stomach discomfort, nausea or diarrhoea.”
  9. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Metformin leaflet, precautions section (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Inform your healthcare professional if … Have a heart condition, kidney or liver problems … Drink alcohol often … Are going for a scan/ X-ray. You may need to stop taking metformin for a couple of days … Are going for a surgery”
  10. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Metformin leaflet, rare but serious side-effects section (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Lactic acidosis (a condition in which there is a build-up of lactic acid in the body …) is a very rare but serious medical problem. The chances of this happening increase if your kidneys are not working properly.”
  11. HealthHub (MOH Singapore) — Metformin leaflet, food and medication interactions section (same page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Avoid taking alcohol with this medication as it increases the risk of lactic acid building up in your body.”
  12. DailyMed / FDA prescribing information (SPL) — metformin hydrochloride tablets (immediate release), Dosage and Administration; label effective 21 Aug 2024, retrieved via the openFDA drug-label API · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Increase the dose in increments of 500 mg weekly or 850 mg every 2 weeks on the basis of glycemic control and tolerability, up to a maximum dose of 2550 mg per day, given in divided doses.”
  13. DailyMed / FDA prescribing information (SPL) — metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets, Dosage and Administration; label effective 5 May 2026, retrieved via the openFDA drug-label API · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Increase the dose in increments of 500 mg weekly on the basis of glycemic control and tolerability, up to a maximum of 2,000 mg once daily with the evening meal.”
  14. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset d_767279312753558cbf19d48344577084, full 5,511-row dump pulled 27 Aug 26 and filtered locally; 65 metformin-containing rows, 42 of them single-ingredient) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “GLUCOPHAGE TABLET 500 mg · Prescription Only — DIABETMIN TABLET 500 mg · Prescription Only — GLYFORMIN 500 TABLET 500 mg · Prescription Only — GLYCOMET-850 TABLET 850 mg · Prescription Only — Glucomet Tablet 500mg · Prescription Only”
  15. HSA — forensic classification definitions used by the register (Prescription Only Medicine / Pharmacy Only / General Sale List) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Prescription-Only Medicine (POM): … can only be obtained from a doctor or from a pharmacist with a valid prescription”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.