What Is Metformin?

Metformin is a prescription medication used to treat type 2 diabetes. The medicine is available as an oral solution and tablet. Some patients may be able to take it as an extended-release tablet. Individuals who take the immediate-release oral tablet are typically started on an initial dose of 850 to one thousand milligrams per day. Doctors generally increase the patient's dose by five hundred milligrams each week until the maintenance dose (long-term daily dose) is reached. For most patients, the recommended maintenance dose is two thousand milligrams, and it is safe to take a maximum of 2,550 milligrams per day. If the extended-release tablet is prescribed, the initial dose is between five hundred to one thousand milligrams each day, and the maximum daily dose is two thousand milligrams. This medication is not recommended for individuals with impaired liver function, and elderly patients may be prescribed less than the maximum recommended dose.