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Thursday, August 18, 2016

Metformin and Tinnitus

  • Metformin is an effective hypoglycaemic agent considered as first line therapy in people with type 2 diabetes.
  • Based on Malaysian Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) database, there are reports of tinnitus following use of metformin.
  • WHO ADR database also revealed 51 reports pertaining tinnitus linked to metformin.
Possible Pharmacological Correlation
  • Higher dose and longer duration of metformin use increases the risk for vitamin B12 deficiency in people with diabetes.
  • Consequences of clinically important decreases in vitamin B12, such as macrocytic anaemia, neuropathy and mental changes, can be profound.
Signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency
  • Neurologic – difficulty walking, loss of vibratory sense, impaired sense of touch, peripheral neuropathy
  • Psychiatric – irritability, personality changes, depression, psychosis, mild memory impairment
  • Cardiovascular – possible increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, palpitation
  • Aneorexia, mild weight loss diarrhoea, atrophic glossitis
  • Urologic – difficulty in urination
  • Dyspnoea
  • VertigoTinnitus
References:
  1. http://npra.moh.gov.my/images/Publications/Newsletter_MADRAC_Bulletin/Bulletin-MADRAC-August2014.pdf
  2. http://www.webstercare.com.au/files/wcconteduoct13.pdf

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