Best medicine for diabetes
Best medicine for diabetes
What are the common Diabetes medicines?
- (Glucophage, Glumetza, others). Generally, metformin is the first medication prescribed for type 2 diabetes. It works by lowering glucose production in the liver and improving your body's sensitivity to insulin so that your body uses insulin more effectively.
- Sulfonylureas. These medications help your body secrete more insulin. Examples include glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase), glipizide (Glucotrol) and glimepiride (Amaryl). Possible side effects include low blood sugar and weight gain.
- Meglitinides. These medications — such as repaglinide (Prandin) and nateglinide (Starlix) — work like sulfonylureas by stimulating the pancreas to secrete more insulin, but they're faster acting, and the duration of their effect in the body is shorter.
- Thiazolidinediones. Like metformin, these medications — including rosiglitazone (Avandia) and pioglitazone (Actos) — make the body's tissues more sensitive to insulin.
- DPP-4 inhibitors. These medications — sitagliptin (Januvia), saxagliptin (Onglyza) and linagliptin (Tradjenta) — help reduce blood sugar levels, but tend to have a very modest effect.
- GLP-1 receptor agonists. These injectable medications slow digestion and help lower blood sugar levels.
- SGLT2 inhibitors. These drugs prevent the kidneys from reabsorbing sugar into the blood. Instead, the sugar is excreted in the urine.
Medications in this drug class may reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with a high risk of those conditions. Side effects may include vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infections, low blood pressure, and a higher risk of diabetic ketoacidosis. Canagliflozin, but not the other drugs in the class, has been associated with increased risk of lower limb amputation.
- Insulin. Some people who have type 2 diabetes need insulin therapy. In the past, insulin therapy was used as a last resort, but today it's often prescribed sooner because of its benefit.
Normal digestion interferes with insulin taken by mouth, so insulin must be injected. Depending on your needs, your doctor may prescribe a mixture of insulin types to use throughout the day and night. There are many types of insulin, and they each work in a different way.
Often, people with type 2 diabetes start using insulin with one long-acting shot at night, such as insulin glargine (Lantus) or insulin detemir (Levemir). Discuss the pros and cons of different drugs with your doctor. Together you can decide which medication is best for you after considering many factors, including costs and other aspects of your health.
10 common questions about best medicine for diabetes
1Is Metformin a good drug for diabetes?
Metformin is a widely prescribed drug for treating type 2 diabetes. Metformin is often the first medication that will be prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes. Metformin helps to lower blood glucose levels by reducing the amount of glucose produced and released by the liver, and by increasing insulin sensitivity.
2Which diabetes medicine is safest?
But, "while adults with diabetes often need more than one medication to control blood sugar, the newer medications do not appear to be safer than the older drugs," added Bolen. Metformin is still the safest and most effective type 2 diabetes medication, said Bolen
3What is the best time to take diabetes medicine?
Thyroid meds should be taken on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning, without any other pills. The best time to take your diabetic medication will vary depending on the medicine you're taking.
4Is insulin better than pills for type 2 diabetes?
Insulin Usually Better Than Oral Drugs For Type 2 Diabetes. According to a study published in , the combination of insulin and metformin may not benefit individuals with type 2 diabetes. ... The researchers examined 2,217 individuals aged 18+ with type 2 diabetes.
5Can drinking a lot of water lower your blood sugar?
If your blood sugar is on the higher side, near 10 or over, your kidneys will try to take sugar out of your blood. Drinking water can help the body along with this. ... So, in summary, if you're not on flexible insulin, your best bet for lowering blood sugar is to take a walk and keep hydrated.
6Can metformin cause cancer?
Insulin therapy was associated with an increased risk for colorectal (HR=1.69) or pancreatic cancer (HR=4.63) but not breast or prostate cancer when compared with metformin. Results suggested a protective effect of metformin — metformin alone was associated with the lowest risk for cancer
7Which is better insulin or metformin?
A difference is metformin is used to treat only type 2 diabetes, while insulin may be used to treat both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Metformin is also used to treat polycystic ovaries and weight gain due to medications used for treating psychoses. ... Side effects of metformin and insulin that are similar include nausea
8What is wrong with metformin?
The most serious side effect metformin can cause is lactic acidosis. In fact, metformin has a boxed warning about this risk. A boxed warning is the most severe warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Lactic acidosis is a rare but serious problem that can occur due to a buildup of metformin in your body
9Can I stop diabetic medicines?
If the person also works hard to control diabetes with diet and exercise, he or she can lower the need for medicine and might be able to stop taking it altogether. As long as the person is able to keep blood sugar levels normal with diet and exercise, there isn't a need for medicine
10Can diabetes medication stop working?
Diabetes drugs can and often do stop working. About 5 to 10 percent of people with type 2 diabetes stop responding to their medicine each year. If your oral diabetes drug is no longer working, you'll need to figure out what's preventing it from controlling your blood sugar
[kkstarratings]