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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Memory Loss After Withdrawing From Metformin?

My dad has been taking metformin for years . The doctor took him off of it because his blood sugar leveled out and they kept checking it and it was normal... Not long after he quit taking it , he got real sick, lost 100 pounds and has some memory loss and tells things that are not true.. He is currently in a nursing home.. He was a healthy man , now I don’t know what to think !
Tue, 24 Jul 2018
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Internal Medicine Specialist,  's  Response
Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service.
I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.

I don't see any relation to Metformin. It sounds more like your father is starting to experience the effects of advanced age. Memory loss and cognitive decline are common manifestations of dementia. If these changes occurred abruptly then looking for a cause might be necessary. The cause might be an infection, various electrolyte disorders, worsening of renal function, etc. In most cases this is just dementia.
In patients like him I usually perform a thorough clinical examination and ask for basic tests like a complete blood count, thyroid stimulating hormone, urea, Creatinine, serum electrolytes, liver function tests, glucose, C-reactive protein, urinalysis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Checking for fever at least every morning and evening for 3 consecutive days is necessary. More targeted tests might be needed depending on the results.

Hope I have answered your query.
Let me know if I can assist you further.

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What Causes Memory Loss After Withdrawing From Metformin?

Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. I don t see any relation to Metformin. It sounds more like your father is starting to experience the effects of advanced age. Memory loss and cognitive decline are common manifestations of dementia. If these changes occurred abruptly then looking for a cause might be necessary. The cause might be an infection, various electrolyte disorders, worsening of renal function, etc. In most cases this is just dementia. In patients like him I usually perform a thorough clinical examination and ask for basic tests like a complete blood count, thyroid stimulating hormone, urea, Creatinine, serum electrolytes, liver function tests, glucose, C-reactive protein, urinalysis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Checking for fever at least every morning and evening for 3 consecutive days is necessary. More targeted tests might be needed depending on the results. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.