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What is lactic acidosis? How is this condition manifested? What is the treatment like? Is the disease life-threatening? The question is answered by the drug. Anna Mitschke.
What is the treatment for lactic acidosis?
Hello and welcome. My wife is 65 years old and has diabetes. It is regularly monitored by a doctor and takes metformin as recommended by a diabetologist. Recently, she developed disturbing symptoms such as drowsiness, weakness, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. I’m afraid it may show up at my wife’s lactic acidosis. I read a bit on the internet about it, but I don’t really understand what this disease is all about.
And I would like to ask what exactly is and how is lactic acidosis treated? Is it a life-threatening disease and when will you know when an attack is occurring? I wonder how I should react if my wife suddenly felt worse and whether I should go to the hospital with her immediately, or maybe I could make an appointment with her doctor or wait for such a visit. By the way, I also wanted to ask if drinking alcohol in small amounts can contribute to development of lactic acidosis? Or does the one have nothing to do with the other? Thank you for your response.
Your doctor explains how to treat lactic acidosis
Metformin is considered the drug of first choice in patients with type 2 diabetes. This drug is often used because it has many advantages. It does not cause weight gain. It reduces the insulin resistance that underlies this condition. It does not cause hypoglycaemia which may be life-threatening. Unfortunately, its use also has its drawbacks. Most often in 1-2 weeks it can cause gastrointestinal disorders manifested by diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, a metallic taste in the mouth. These are conditions that are usually temporary.
Very serious complication of metformin use is lactic acidosis. Fortunately, it is rare. It can occur in diabetics who have other serious conditions. There are two types of lactic acidosis. Type A occurs in patients with tissue hypoxia, e.g. shock, heart failure, respiratory failure. Type B is caused by causes other than hypoxia.
In this case, acidosis may occur in patients with liver and kidney failure, in cancer patients, taking metformin incorrectlyand also after taking too much alcohol. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include nausea, vomiting, weakness, and a positive history of non-compliance. The patient is usually severely dehydrated, has urination disorders, has low blood pressure and impaired consciousness. In case of suspected lactic acidosis you should call an ambulance.
It is a life-threatening condition with very high mortality. The choice of treatment depends on the patient’s condition and the underlying cause of the acidosis. It is important to follow the contraindications for lactic acidosis in preventing lactic acidosis. The physician who introduces metformin to the patient’s treatment must carefully study the patient’s history.
Metformin is contraindicated in respiratory failure, heart failure, stroke, lower limb ischemia, kidney and liver damage. You cannot abuse alcohol while using it.
If your wife’s symptoms persist, go to the GP who will examine the patient and possibly order a diagnosis.
— Lek. Anna Mitchke
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