Attention to diabetic patients: Long-term use of metformin requires supplementation of this vitamin!

Metformin is no stranger to diabetic patients. It is a very common first-line drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is widely used and has good effects. It is favored by many diabetic patients.

However, it is a three-point drug, and diabetic patients need to take hypoglycemic drugs for a long time, so the side effects of metformin also need to be paid attention to by people with diabetes.

Recently, a patient with diabetes for more than ten years went to the hospital for examination and found that the content of vitamin B12 was only a few dozen.

The normal range of vitamin B12 in normal blood test is generally above 300pg/ml. If it is in the range of 200~300pg/ml, it can be diagnosed as vitamin B12 deficiency. If the test result is less than 200pg/ml, it is vitamin B12 deficiency.

Why is the vitamin B12 content of this diabetic patient only a few dozen?

Long-term use of metformin can cause vitamin B12 deficiency?

Metformin is clinically the first-line drug for patients with type 2 diabetes, and it can reduce body weight, so it is especially suitable for obese diabetic patients. The clinical effect of metformin is very good, and research also claims that it also has anti-tumor and life-extending effects.

But it also has the disadvantage that long-term use will cause the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. The longer it is used, the more serious the deficiency may be.

Therefore, among the contraindications of metformin, both vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency should be contraindicated.

What are the dangers of vitamin B12 deficiency in diabetic patients?

Lack of vitamin B12 in the human body can have certain effects on health. Vitamin B12 has a promoting effect on nerve regulation. If it is lacking, it can easily lead to blockage of blood vessels in the eye, affect vision, and cause other eye problems.

Lack of vitamin B12 is also likely to cause anemia, and long-term vegetarian deficiency is also prone to fatty liver. It is also an important nutrient for the functioning of the human brain, energy production, and fatty acid synthesis. Lack of vitamin B12 can also easily lead to tongue tingling and mouth ulcers.

Deficiency of vitamin B12 in diabetic patients can lead to abnormal synthesis of fatty acids in the nerve sheath, because vitamin B12 promotes neuromodulation. This will cause progressive nerve demyelination in diabetic patients, resulting in diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Damage to the nervous system is irreversible.

If diabetic patients with retinopathy, long-term lack of vitamin B12, will accelerate the speed of retinopathy.

How to supplement vitamin B12 in diabetic patients?

Diabetic patients are prone to neuropathy because of the lack of vitamin B12, such as facial nerve pain, numbness and pain in hands and feet. When these symptoms occur, it is recommended to supplement vitamin B12 in time.

If there are no symptoms of neuropathy, but you are taking metformin for a long time, you can consider eating more foods rich in vitamin B12.

Pay attention to proper intake of protein. Vitamin B12 mainly exists in meat and milk. Long-term vegetarian diet is not conducive to the nutritional balance of diabetic patients, and it is easy to cause vitamin B12 deficiency. More attention should be paid to monitoring the problem of vitamin B12 deficiency. Therefore, if the kidney function of diabetic patients is normal, they can consume meat foods appropriately.

Vitamin B12 is very important for normal people and diabetic patients, especially for diabetic patients.

Vitamin B12 can protect the nervous system of diabetics and accelerate the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats.

Therefore, sugar friends who take metformin for a long time should remember to supplement vitamin B12.