When people hear the diagnoses of diabetes, they tend to assume that insulin injections are the only course of treatment available to them. With Type 2 diabetes this isn’t the case, & there’re many different diabetes treatment drugs that your doctor may recommend you attempt before you resort to taking insulin. Here are a few of the diabetes treatment drugs available today, along with their possible side effects.
Biguanide -
Biguanide, otherwise known as metformin, is a diabetes treatment drug taken two to three times daily. It prevents the liver from producing new glucose, & also assists insulin in carrying glucose to the body’s cells. There is more. The side effects of this treatment are mild, & include an upset stomach, nausea or diarrhoea. Side effects decrease over time, & can be limited by taking biguanide tablets with food.
Prandial glucose regulators -
Prandial glucose regulators need to be taken three times daily to stimulate insulin production in the pancreas. They act rapidly over a short time period, reducing the risk of a hypo, & so should be taken at the same time as a meal is eaten. The various types of prandial glucose regulators, including repaglinide & nateglinide, can cause an upset stomach, nausea & skin rashes. Weight gain can also be a side effect, but this can often be controlled by prescribing a flexible dose.
Sulphonylureas -
Sulphonylureas such as chlorpropamide, glibenclamide & glimepiride, are one form of diabetes treatment. They are taken in tablet form once or twice or two times a day, to stimulate natural insulin production in the body. They have a number of side effects, including nausea, weight gain, & an upset stomach, & occasionally a lumpy red skin rash. Sulphonylureas work over a long period of time & can make the blood sugar drop too low, causing hypoglycaemia. For this reason they’re rarely prescribed for elderly diabetics.
Thiazolidinediones -
Thiazolidinediones are a relatively new diabetes type 2 treatment drug, that comes in two distinct forms, rosiglitazone & pioglitazone. This drug is designed to overcome insulin resistance in the body, enabling type 2 diabetics to use their naturally produced insulin more effectively. Side effects of this diabetes treatment include weight gain, fluid retention & headaches. It can also lead to upper respiratory track infections in rare cases.
DPP-4 inhibitors -
DPP-4 inhibitors are a type of diabetes treatment that increases levels of the incretin hormone, which occurs naturally in the body. This hormone is produced when we eat & helps us to produce the required amount of insulin, whilst limiting glucose production in the liver. DPP-4 inhibitors can be taken along with other tablets such as thiazolidinediones, but not with insulin. The side effects of these diabetes treatment drugs depend largely on what you’re taking them with, but they have a small risk of causing hypoglycaemia.
Alpha glucose inhibitor -
An alpha glucose inhibitor, such as acarbose, is a diabetes treatment that can be taken three times a day. It slows down the rate at which starchy food is absorbed into the blood stream from the intestine, meaning that blood sugar levels rise more slowly after a meal. Your doctor is likely to prescribe a reduced dose of one tablet a day at first, because this will cut down on the side effects such as bloating, wind & diarrhea.
At some point most type 2 diabetics will find that they do need to switch to insulin to treat their condition. This is often because after many years of diabetes treatment drugs the pancreas is no longer able to produce sufficient insulin. Even though the idea 
of insulin injections can be terrifying to some people, the needles used are actually quite small as the injection occurs just under the skin. Insulin is injected into the stomach, buttocks or thighs, & the injection sites are varied to reduce insulin build up. For all those that can not face injections, the switch form diabetes treatment drugs to insulin can be eased by the use of an inhaler or insulin pump.
Lisa Janse is a professional writer who specializes in health topics. Learn more about living with Diabetes by reading more practical & interesting facts about Diabetes Medicine & Diabetes Diets at http://www.sugardiabetes.net
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