Metformin helps lower blood sugar in diabetes, mainly by reducing how much glucose the liver releases and by helping your body respond better to insulin.

What it does

  • Lowers glucose production in the liver.
  • Improves insulin sensitivity, so the insulin you already make works better.
  • Can also reduce glucose absorption from the gut and help muscles use more glucose.

Why it’s used

Metformin is commonly used for type 2 diabetes because insulin resistance is a big part of that condition, and metformin helps address that problem. It may also help lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes in some studies.

Common practical points

  • It is usually taken as a tablet.
  • Common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, and bloating.
  • It does not usually cause low blood sugar by itself as often as some other diabetes medicines, but your clinician may still monitor you closely depending on what else you take.

In one sentence

Think of metformin as a medicine that turns down liver sugar output and makes insulin work more effectively , which helps bring blood sugar down.

Safety note

If you have diabetes and are thinking about starting or changing metformin, it’s important to do that with a clinician because the right dose and safety checks depend on kidney function and other medicines.