Tell Your Friends About HealthandWellnessCentral.com ™ Sign-Up Free  |Member Login  

HealthandWellnessCentral.com
<

Home | Health Condition | Diabetes

Diabetes Treatment Drugs Can Provide An Alternative To Insulin

By: Lisa Janse

When we think of diabetes treatment drugs, insulin is usually the first word that springs to mind. However, many Type 2 diabetics do not need to take insulin to control their blood sugar levels, at least not in the early stages. There are a wide variety of diabetes treatment drugs available in tablet form that your doctor is likely to prescribe before you reach the stage where insulin is necessary. A few of the type 2 diabetes treatments available are discusses below, along with their potential side effects.

Some diabetes treatment drugs work by promoting insulin production in the body. One example of this type of diabetes treatment is sulphonylureas, which comes in a number of forms including glimepiride, chlorpropamide, and glibenclamide. There are a few side effects associated with sulphonylureas, the most significant being a lumpy red rash on the skin which occurs in rare cases. They can also cause nausea, weight gain and an upset stomach. Sulphonylureas are unlikely to be recommended for older diabetics as they work over a long period of time and cause blood sugar to drop too low causing a hypo.

An alternative diabetes treatment drug, which limits the manufacture of glucose in the liver, is biguanide. This also helps to carry insulin to the body's cells, and comes in a variety of forms including metformin. The side effects associated with this diabetes treatment drug are fairly mild. Biguanide can cause nausea and diarrhoea, but these can be reduced when tablets are taken with food, and rapidly disappear when the treatment is taken regularly over a period of time.

A third type of diabetes treatment drug, designed to limit natural insulin resistance, is thiazolidinediones, often known as pioglitazone or rosiglitazone. Because there is a reduced resistance to insulin, type 2 diabetics taking this treatment are able to use the small amount of insulin they do produce more effectively. Taking thiazolidinediones can occasionally cause respiratory tract infections, or more commonly lead to headaches, fluid retention and increase weight.

Prandial glucose regulators need to be taken three times daily to stimulate insulin production in the pancreas. They act quickly over a short time period, reducing the risk of a hypo, and so should be taken at the same time as a meal is eaten. The various types of prandial glucose regulators, including repaglinide and nateglinide, can cause an upset stomach, nausea and skin rashes. Weight gain can also be a side effect, but this can often be controlled by prescribing a flexible dose.

Some diabetes treatment drugs reduce the rate at with starchy foods are absorbed into the blood, thus ensuring that your blood sugar level does not rise too rapidly. These are known as alpha glucose inhibitors, or acarbose. There are a few side effects associated with acarbose, such as wind, bloating and diarrhoea, but these can be lessened by beginning with a low dose and building up to three tablets a day.

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 and 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 are taking them with, but they have a small risk of causing hypoglycaemia.

Eventually most type 2 diabetics do need to take insulin, when their pancreas is no longer able to manufacture enough to control their blood sugar. Although many people dread having to inject insulin, the needles are actually very small, depositing the drug just under the skin. Insulin can be injected into various areas of the body including thighs, buttocks, and stomach, and injection sites should be varied to avoid insulin build up. Those that can't face injections could consider using an insulin pump, and there are other methods under development including a patch and an inhaler.

Article Source: http://www.healthandwellnesscentral.com

Lisa Janse is a professional writer who specializes in health topics. Learn more about coping with Diabetes by reading more useful and interesting facts on Diabetes Diets at www.sugardiabetes.net


Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated


Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Diabetes Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Health Condition | Diabetes
Sign Up Free | Learn More
Home
Member Login
Submit Articles
Top Authors
Most Popular Articles
Submission Guidelines
Article RSS Feeds
New Annoucements
Link to Us
About Us
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service

Check Out:Blessed Herbs

Highly Recommendation:

eBook Recommendation:

i
eBook Recommendation:

Recommendation:

Recommendation:

Recommendation:

Copyright © and All Rights Reserved.
Use of Our Service is subject to Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Powered by Article Dashboard