Most type 2 diabetics who take meds take metformin

>I am officially on Metformin, starting this morning. I have very little idea what this is going to do to me. Can someone tell me what Lactic acidosis is and how common is it with the use of Metformin? I am a tad nervous about starting this to say the least. What do I need to look out for?<

Most type 2 diabetics who take meds take metformin. Normally the docs start people out with a small amount every day and only gradually increase the dose, since metformin often causes diarrhea and nausea at first (symptoms usually go away in a week or two-- if not, make sure to tell the doc), but if you take it with food, it's usually not bad. Make sure you were given a prescription for the extended release form of the drug-- it's much easier on the insides. Metformin is not considered a hypoglycemic drug, since it doesn't stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin. Instead, it works primarily in two ways-- it helps the body's cells be more sensitive to what insulin there is available, and it works on the liver to keep it from dumping stored glucose into the bloodstream so readily. The overall effect should be a lowering of your blood glucose levels across the board. Lactic acidosis can be a rare but serious side effect of the drug. Go to www.google.com and enter lactic acidosis into their search engine; you'll be shown a few million websites where you can get all the info you want and need. It's important to have liver function tests done a couple times a year, just to check on things. LA caused by metformin is rare-- be aware of it, but you don't need to live in fear of it.