Diabetes Treatment: Medications For Type 2 Diabetes
The medicines for diabetes type 2 are potentially and long confusing. Such drugs how they are consuming, what they perform and what side effect they might lead will aid you treatment choices with your healthcare provider:
Reducing blood sugar
Various classes of diabetes type 2 medications exist. One class of medication performs in various ways to reduce blood sugar. A drug might work by:
- Enhancing the sensitivity of cells to insulin
- Regulating the pancreas to form and release insulin more
- Reducing how fast food moves by the stomach
- Stopping the release and production of glucose from your liver
- Inhibiting the absorption of glucose in your kidneys
- Blocking the stomach action of enzymes that convert them into carbohydrates
Therefore, one class of medication has each or more drugs. Few of such drugs are taken normally, while others must be injecting. Here is some comparison of most occurring diabetes medications. However, more medicines are present relying on your situation and requirement. Ask your healthcare provider about the choices and the cons and pros of each.
Oral medications
- Sulfonylureas
Medications
- Glimepiride (Amaryl)
- Glipizide (glucotrol)
- Glyburide (glynase, DiaBeta)
Action
Regulates the secretion of insulin
Side Effects
- Skin rash
- Hypoglycemia
- Weight gain
Advantages
- Efficient in reducing blood sugar
- Low price
- Dipeptidyl-peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors
- Saxagliptin (Onglyza)
- Alogliptin (Nesina)
- Sitagliptin (Januvia)
- Linagliptin (Tradjenta)
Action
- Stops the secretion of glucose from their liver
- Regulates the secretion of insulin when the blood sugar is increasing
Side Effects
Headache
Sore throat
Upper respiratory tract infection
Advantages
- Does not lead to weight gain
- It does not lead to hypoglycemia (until the combination with sulfonylurea or insulin)
- Meglitinides
Medications
- Repaglinide
- Nateglinide
Action
Regulates the secretion of insulin
Disadvantages
- Weight gain
- Vomiting or nausea, when interacting with alcohol
- Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
Advantages
- Work quickly
- Biguanides
Medications
Metformin (Riomet, Glumetza, Fortamet)
Action
- Enhance the insulin sensitivity
- Stop the secretion of glucose from your liver
Disadvantages
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- So quite rarely, the harmful formation of lactic acid (lactic acidosis) when utilizing in individuals with liver or kidney failure
Advantages
- Low cost
- Quite effective
- Might enhance modest loss of weight
- Thiazolidinediones
Medications
- Pioglitazone (Actos)
- Rosiglitazone (Avandia)
Action
- Stops the secretion of glucose from your liver
- Enhancing sensitivity to insulin
Disadvantages
- Heart attack
- Weight gain
- Fractures
- Heart failure
- Possible increasing chance of bladder cancer with pioglitazone
These medications must not be utilizing in individuals with heart problems or kidney diseases
Advantages
Might raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increase, the good cholesterol
- Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
Medications
- Miglitol (Glyset)
- Acarbose
Action
Lowers the breakdown of some sugars and starches
Advantages
Don’t lead to weight gain
It does not cause hypoglycemia (until combined with insulin or a sulfonylurea)
Disadvantages
- Gas
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhea