What Oral Medications Are Available for Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes results when the body is unable to produce the amount of insulin it needs to convert food into energy or when it is unable to use insulin appropriately. Sometimes the body is actually producing more insulin than is needed by a person to keep blood glucose in a normal range. Yet blood glucose remains high, because the body's cells are resistant to the effects of insulin. Physicians and scientists believe that type 2 diabetes is caused by many factors, including insufficient insulin and insulin resistance. They increasingly believe that the relative contribution each factor makes toward causing diabetes varies from person to person.
It is important to know the name of your diabetes medicine (or medicines), how it is taken, the reasons for taking it and possible side-effects.
|
Type of Pill |
Important Facts |
|
Metformin Brands:
Glucophage
GlucophageXR
Glumetza (extended release form)
Fortamet (extended release form)
Riomet (liquid form) |
How it works: |
· Decreases amount of glucose released from the liver |
|
How it is taken: |
· Glucophage – usually taken twice a day with breakfast and evening meal
· GlucophageXR, Fortamet and Glumetza – usually once a day with a meal
· Riomet – usually taken twice a day with breakfast and the evening meal |
|
Possible side effects: |
· Bloating, gas, diarrhea
· Does not cause low blood glucose |
|
Actos (pioglitazone)
Avandia (rosiglitazone) |
How it works: |
· Helps muscle cells use insulin better |
|
How it is taken: |
· Actos taken once a day
· Avandia once or twice a day
· Take it at the same time each day |
|
Possible side effects: |
· Weight gain, fluid retention
· Does not cause low blood glucose |
|
Reminder: |
· Have periodic lab tests to check your liver function |
|
Work throughout the day:
Amaryl (glimepiride)
Diabeta (glyburide)
Glucotrol
Glucotrol XL (glipizide), Glynase (micronised glyburide)
Micronase
Coverage for each meal:
Prandin (repaglinide)
Starlix (nateglinide) |
How it works: |
· Helps pancreas release more insulin |
|
How it is taken: |
· Take right before a meal, usually breakfast
· Prandin and Starlix - take with meals AND, if you skip a meal, skip that dose |
|
Possible side effects:
|
· May cause low blood glucose
|
|
Glyset (miglitol)
Precose (acarbose) |
How it works: |
· Slows down the absorption of carbohydrates from the stomach and intestines |
|
How it is taken: |
· Take with first bite of the meal; if not eating, do not take! |
|
Possible side effects: |
· Gas and diarrhea
· Does not cause low blood glucose |
|
Combination Pills:
Actoplus Met (pioglitazone & metformin)
Avandamet (rosiglitazone & metformin)
Avandaryl (rosiglitazone & glimepiride)
Glucovance (glyburide & metformin)
Metaglip (glipizide & metformin)
|
· Two different medicines blended together
· May decrease the number of pills you take
· May not be right for everyone
|
|
Always ask about the availability of generic medicines. |
Other drugs are on the horizon as well, as scientists work to improve the variety of medications to treat type 2 diabetes. Frequently physicians will prescribe one type of oral medication and discover it isn't really helping to control blood glucose that much. In the past, this would have meant that the patient would likely be put on insulin. Now, physicians can try another type of medication to see if it helps correct problems. Physicians often notice that a particular medication works well for a period of time and then begins to work less well for a patient. Now they can mix and match medications that work on different aspects of the diabetes problem to see if that will improve blood glucose control.
Find more information about oral medications in The Joslin Guide to Diabetes available from Joslin’s Online Store.
