People with diabetes now have more ways than ever to manage their diabetes and improve their overall health. Patients and physicians can develop plans to control their blood sugar to achieve a healthy weight and meet other goals.
To maintain normal blood sugar levels or produce enough insulin (the hormone that helps control blood sugar), you may need to take different types of medications. Or start with a single medication and add other kinds of medications later.
Oral glucose-lowering drugs
Most people with type 2 diabetes start with metformin, a drug that helps the liver reduce blood sugar production.
Metformin also improves the body’s ability to process glucose by allowing the muscles to better absorb insulin.
It may be necessary to take the drug 2 times a day. Take the drug and food together to reduce the risk of diarrhea. Diarrhea is a common side effect of metformin.
Your doctor may increase the dose of metformin or add another diabetes medicine if you are not achieving your target blood sugar with monotherapy. The medications your doctor recommends may include the following.
- alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, which lower blood sugar by preventing the body from breaking down ingested starchy foods, such as potatoes and bread. These include acarbose and miglitol.
- Bile acid sequestrants, which lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) in the body, also seem to lower blood sugar. This medication is also safe to take if you have liver disease and cannot take other diabetes medications. Drugs in this class include colesevelam and others.
- Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, your doctor may recommend taking alogliptin, ligliptin, saxagliptin, or sitagliptin. Such drugs help control diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels.
- Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, including dulaglutide, exenatide, exenatide long-acting extended-release form, liraglutide, lisinopeptide, semaglutide, tell the body that it needs to produce more insulin and slow down digestion to make the patient feel full.
- Glinide drugs, which include nateglinide, repaglinide. These drugs help the body produce more insulin. They should be taken before a meal.
- Sodium-glucose co-transport protein 2 (SGLT 2) inhibitors, which may be prescribed by your doctor, include cabergoline, daglitazone, and engramlizine. Such drugs help the kidneys remove excess glucose from the blood and excrete it in the urine.
- Sulfonylureas, which may require the following drugs: chlorosulfonylurea, glimepiride, glipizide, and glibenclamide. Such drugs help the pancreas produce more insulin.
- Thiazolidinediones, including: pioglitazone, rosiglitazone. These drugs help insulin work better in muscle or fat tissue and also allow the liver to produce less sugar.
- Other drugs, such as pramlintide.
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Insulin
Insulin helps move blood sugar into the body’s cells so that the body gets energy and stays healthy.
For people with diabetes who need insulin injections, don’t feel unmanaged about your diabetes. Everyone’s body is different. For people who have had type 2 diabetes for a long time, have high blood sugar, or have other co-morbidities that make it hard to control blood sugar, they may need insulin and medication.
Insulin is a hormone. Most patients have insulin injected into the fat of the skin. Your doctor will tell you how much you need to inject each day to keep you healthy.
Some types of insulin work quickly, and others work long enough to keep blood sugar levels stable. You can inject yourself with a syringe or prefilled injection pen, or you can use an insulin pump or infusion set to give insulin. Your doctor will place such devices under the skin so that insulin can be injected when needed.
Different types of insulin include:
- Menthol insulin
- Degludec insulin
- Diet insulin
- Lysine insulin
- Glucagon insulin
- Glutathione insulin
- Low-argin zinc insulin
Apply the medication in the right way
Medication and food should be taken together as prescribed by your doctor to help with side effects.
Also follow your pharmacist’s instructions on how to store your medication to keep it active and effective.
You should not drink alcohol while taking medications like metformin. people with type 2 diabetes may be more susceptible to alcoholic beverages than other patients. So please use caution when drinking alcohol.