What side effect may occur with the use of biguanides?

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Multiple Choice

What side effect may occur with the use of biguanides?

Gastrointestinal intolerance is the most common side effect with biguanides, with nausea being the typical symptom. Metformin, the prototype, often causes nausea, abdominal discomfort, and sometimes diarrhea, especially when starting or upping the dose, due to its effects on the GI tract and how the drug is processed in the gut. Because biguanides reduce hepatic glucose production and improve insulin sensitivity without increasing insulin secretion, they do not usually cause hypoglycemia when used alone, so hypoglycemia is not a typical adverse effect. Edema and muscle pain are not characteristic effects of this drug class. A rare but important risk to watch for is lactic acidosis, particularly in patients with renal impairment, liver disease, alcoholism, or hypoxic states.

Gastrointestinal intolerance is the most common side effect with biguanides, with nausea being the typical symptom. Metformin, the prototype, often causes nausea, abdominal discomfort, and sometimes diarrhea, especially when starting or upping the dose, due to its effects on the GI tract and how the drug is processed in the gut.

Because biguanides reduce hepatic glucose production and improve insulin sensitivity without increasing insulin secretion, they do not usually cause hypoglycemia when used alone, so hypoglycemia is not a typical adverse effect. Edema and muscle pain are not characteristic effects of this drug class. A rare but important risk to watch for is lactic acidosis, particularly in patients with renal impairment, liver disease, alcoholism, or hypoxic states.

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