Pills to Treat Diabetes
There may come a time when a balanced healthy diet and exercise cannot have your blood sugar in your target range. When that happens, the doctor’s advice is for you to start on diabetes pills. There are different types of pills and each works differently from the others to reduce your blood glucose levels. There are pills which assist your body to use up glucose more efficiently while others get your pancreas to step up its production of insulin. They can also get your body’s insulin to be more efficient These pills combined with your diet and exercise can assist to get your blood sugar levels back into your target range again.
Types of Diabetes Pills
The various types of diabetes pills do assist type 2 diabetics to reduce their blood sugar. Each type of pill works in their own way to reduce blood sugar. The names for the various types are different.
Every pill discussed in this article has its side effects. Warnings as well as precautions are given. Some of the diabetes pills are linked to greater heart attack risk. Therefore, it is necessary to have a discussion on the dangers and benefits of any drug you intend to use in a therapy.
Biguanides
Known by its generic name of metformin (met-FOR-min), This pill assist to reduce blood sugar by preventing your liver from making too much sugar. Besides this, it also lessens the insulin in the body
Metformin is capable of reducing cholesterol and blood fat levels. It will not lead to low blood sugar if no other diabetes medicine is taken.
The usual metformin is taken with meals 2 – 3 times per day. As to which meals it is taken with, your doctor is the person to inform you. Another version of metformin is the extended release metformin which is taken only once per day.
Side Effects
Some of the side effects experienced by metformin users are diarrhea, nausea, stomach problems, meakness, breathing difficulty, or some kind of metallic taste. Metformin is forbidden to those with kidney disease as well as those who consume as many as three or more alcoholic drinks each week. The doctor would advise you to stop metformin for some time if you are due to have an operation or medical test requiring the use of dyes.
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Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
Known by its generic names of miglitol and acarbose, these pills prevent the enzymes which convert the starches you consume into glucose. This results in slowing the process by which glucose enters the bloodstream especially after a meal and also the whole day.
Both miglitol and acarbose do not cause hypoglycemia if no other diabetes medicine is taken.
These pills are taken with the first spoonful of food for each of the three major meals of the day, such as breakfast, lunch and dinner. Initially, your doctor may tell you to take the pills less often.
Side Effects
The probable side effects are problems with the stomach such as gas, diarrhea, and bloating. Fortunately, these side effects disappear after a certain period of taking them.
Thiazolidinediones
Known to the public by its generic names of rosiglitazone and pioglitazone, they assist you by getting your cells to be more receptive to insulin which then is able to get the cells to absorb the sugar from the blood to be converted to energy.
Both rosiglitazone and pioglitazone can be taken at any time, without attention to meals. Each day, pioglitazone is swallowed once while rosiglitazone can be taken more than once but not more than two times. If taken without any other diabetes pill, there is no risk of hypoglycemia.
Side Effects
The probable side effects are anemia, weight gain, and swelling in the lower limbs. Other than these,
- It is essential that your liver enzyme levels are checked regularly by a doctor. If you experience symptoms of liver disease such as dark-colored urine, tiredness, lack of appetite, stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, whites of the eyes or yellowing of the skin see your doctor immediately.
- Thiazolidinediones can cause your birth control pills to be not so effective and so, can lead to an unwanted pregnancy.
Meglitinides
Known by its generic names of nateglinide and repaglinide, this pill assist by stimulating your pancreas to produce more insulin immediately after each meal and reduce blood sugar.
Repaglinide acts quickly and is also used with the same speed by your body. It takes less than an hour for repaglinide to reduce the blood sugar from your food. Repaglinide then exits from your bloodstream in about three and a half hours. Its speed in lowering blood sugar implies that you can eat any number of meals without any concern for time. No other pill gives you such convenience.
Repaglinide can be taken within a 30 minute period before a meal. If you wish to forgo a meal, do not take the pill.
Side Effects
Probable side effects are weight gain and hypoglycemia.
Sulfonylureas
These pills can assist
- Your pancreas to increase its production of insulin.
- Your body to make use of the insulin produced.
So, for the pills to be effective, your body has to produce insulin.
Glyburide, glimepiride, glipizide and chlorproparride are the generic names of commonly used sulfonylureas.
Some sulfonylureas are taken only once each, just before breakfast while there are others which are taken twice each day, once before breakfast and again before supper. Anyway, your doctor will instruct you on the number of times per day you ought to take your diabetes pill.
Side Effects
You may suffer side effects such as hypoglycemia(low blood glucose), weight gain, skin itching or rash, and upset stomach.
Biguanides
Known by its generic name of metformin (met-FOR-min), This pill assist to reduce blood sugar by preventing your liver from making too much sugar. Besides this, it also lessens the insulin in the body.
Metformin is capable of reducing cholesterol and blood fat levels. It will not lead to low blood sugar if no other diabetes medicine is taken.
The usual metformin is taken with meals 2 – 3 times per day. As to which meals it is taken with, your doctor is the person to inform you. Another version of metformin is the extended release metformin which is taken only once per day.
Side Effects
Some of the side effects experienced by metformin users are diarrhea, nausea, stomach problems, meakness, breathing difficulty, or some kind of metallic taste. Metformin is forbidden to those with kidney disease as well as those who consume as many as three or more alcoholic drinks each week. The doctor would advise you to stop metformin for some time if you are due to have an operation or medical test requiring the use of dyes.
DPP-4 Inhibitors
Sitagliptin (Januvia®) is a pill taken once each day to assist in lowering blood glucose in the following ways:
- It helps to increase the amount of insulin when blood glucose is high, usually after a meal which is the time when blood glucose rises.
- It lessens the sugar released by your liver after you have eaten as your body does not need sugar then.
Sitagliptin may be used by itself, or in combination with other pills like metformin, TZD, or sulfonylureas. It has also been mixed with metformin in a pill, with Janumet®Â as its brand name.
Be aware that when JANUVIA is used together with a sulfonylurea, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can happen. To prevent this risk, a lower dosage of sulfonylurea can be prescribed by your doctor..
Side Effects
Probable side effects are infections of the upper respiratory tract, symptoms of a cold such as a blocked nose and sore throat, as well as head headache.
Metformin and Glyburide Combined
A mixture of metformin and glyburide in a single pill can be swallowed with your meals one or two times each day.
This combination pill may possibly result in hypoglycemia. And if you have kidney disease, your doctor would not prescribe it. If you are going to have a surgery or go through some medical tests requiring the use of dyes, you will be advised to stop taking this diabetes pill for a certain period. It is also not for those who drink alcohol frequently.