Galvus Met 50mg/500mg Tablets

Vildagliptin and metformin is a combination used in adults with type 2 diabetes, alongside diet and exercise, when blood sugar is not controlled well enough on metformin alone or with other diabetes medicines.

• Vildagliptin (a DPP-4 inhibitor) helps the pancreas make more insulin and less glucagon when blood sugar is high.
• Metformin helps the body make better use of insulin and lowers sugar made by the liver.

Combining them in one tablet gives two different actions on blood sugar.

Take it exactly as your doctor or pharmacist tells you, usually morning and evening.

• Take it with or just after food to lower the chance of stomach upset.
• Swallow tablets whole with a glass of water.
• If you forget a dose, take it with your next meal unless the next dose is due then. Never take two at once.
• Keep following your diet advice, and do not stop without talking to your doctor.
• You will have regular blood tests, including liver and kidney checks.

Common side effects include:

• feeling or being sick, diarrhoea, tummy pain, heartburn, wind
• headache, dizziness, shaking, sweating
• joint pain, itchy rash

Stop taking it and get medical help straight away if you have:

• signs of lactic acidosis: vomiting, tummy pain, muscle cramps, severe tiredness, trouble breathing
• swelling of the face, tongue or throat, or trouble swallowing or breathing
• yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or loss of appetite
• severe, lasting tummy pain that may reach the back
• blisters or peeling skin

Do not take it if you:

• have severe kidney problems, liver problems, or recent heart attack or heart failure
• have a severe infection, are badly dehydrated, or drink alcohol heavily
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• had to stop vildagliptin before because of liver problems

Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking it if you:

• have had pancreatitis
• take a sulfonylurea, steroids, water tablets, NSAIDs or blood pressure medicines
• need surgery or an X-ray or scan with iodine dye

Do not store above 30°C. Keep in the original blister to protect from moisture, and out of the reach of children.

Lactic acidosis: rare but serious. Stop for a short time and ask your doctor if you are being sick, have diarrhoea, a fever or cannot drink enough.

Skin and feet: check your skin and feet and report new blisters or sores.

Alcohol: avoid excessive drinking.

Driving: do not drive if you feel dizzy.