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Does Metformin Cause Difficulty In Breathing And Ventricular Tachycardia?
Question: I am sorry to bother you but I am very worried about what happened on Saturday night.
I started taking my Diabetes medication called Metformin 500 mg one tablet per day.
I started to have severe difficulty breathing which is one of the rare side effects of this tablet. We telephoned the Pharmacist who referred me to the Out of Hours doctors. Eventually an ambulance arrived and told me that the ECG showed definite Ventricular Tachycardia.
I was then rushed into Hospital (they did not even allow me to get dressed and they rushed me into a cubicle after removing another patient).
I was monitored for a couple of hours and had another ECG which was normal.
I was sent home and told that the A&E Doctors would write to my GP.
In the ambulance I was told that I had 2 bouts of VT in quick succession.
I had no blood tests, x rays or medication to prevent another attack. I am worried that I may have another attack at any time.
Please can you reassure me that everything is alright or should I go back to Hospital and bang on doors.
I started taking my Diabetes medication called Metformin 500 mg one tablet per day.
I started to have severe difficulty breathing which is one of the rare side effects of this tablet. We telephoned the Pharmacist who referred me to the Out of Hours doctors. Eventually an ambulance arrived and told me that the ECG showed definite Ventricular Tachycardia.
I was then rushed into Hospital (they did not even allow me to get dressed and they rushed me into a cubicle after removing another patient).
I was monitored for a couple of hours and had another ECG which was normal.
I was sent home and told that the A&E Doctors would write to my GP.
In the ambulance I was told that I had 2 bouts of VT in quick succession.
I had no blood tests, x rays or medication to prevent another attack. I am worried that I may have another attack at any time.
Please can you reassure me that everything is alright or should I go back to Hospital and bang on doors.
Brief Answer:
Following advice...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.
First of all you should keep in mind that usually the A&E doctors diagnosis is more accurate that the diagnosis made on ambulance settings even if there's a doctor on ambulance (usually there are paramedics on ambulance).
Secondly as long as the ECG and heart monitoring didn't see any thing wrong with your heart you should stay relaxed and don't worry about your heart. What may had happen (shortness of breath) may be related to a combination of factors (sleep apnea, anxiety and a side effects of metformine) and it's not related to cardiac problems.
Thirdly you should discuss with your doctor about scheduling the following examinations:
- Cardiac echo
- Holter monitoring
- Stress test
At the end you should go again in the ER only if you will feel bad again. For the moment you should stop taking Metformine.
Hope this will be of help!
Wish you health!
Dr. Shehu
Following advice...
Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you for asking!
I read your query and understood your concerns.
First of all you should keep in mind that usually the A&E doctors diagnosis is more accurate that the diagnosis made on ambulance settings even if there's a doctor on ambulance (usually there are paramedics on ambulance).
Secondly as long as the ECG and heart monitoring didn't see any thing wrong with your heart you should stay relaxed and don't worry about your heart. What may had happen (shortness of breath) may be related to a combination of factors (sleep apnea, anxiety and a side effects of metformine) and it's not related to cardiac problems.
Thirdly you should discuss with your doctor about scheduling the following examinations:
- Cardiac echo
- Holter monitoring
- Stress test
At the end you should go again in the ER only if you will feel bad again. For the moment you should stop taking Metformine.
Hope this will be of help!
Wish you health!
Dr. Shehu
Note: For further queries related to coronary artery disease and prevention, click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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