Diabetes Medications List
A diabetes medications list is helpful for understanding the various ways that diabetes can be treated as well as knowing the many different diabetes medication available. There are several different kinds of medications available to a person who has diabetes, but the medications and treatments depend on the Type of Diabetes as well as each individual’s needs and response to medications. Type 1 Diabetes Medicines Type 1 diabetes (juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes-IDDM) is when the body does not make insulin it needs and is usually diagnosed in children or young adults. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces little to no insulin, so every person with type 1 diabetes will eventually require insulin. There may be other types of medications that a person with type 1 diabetes will need to take help the body utilize insulin. Type 2 Diabetes Medicines Type 2 diabetes (adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes) is when the body isn’t using insulin as it needs to (insulin resistance) and it is the most common kind of diabetes. This is where a healthy diet and exercise are so important and can prevent or control diabetes type 2. However, if the body can’t keep up with the insulin needs, you may need to use various diabetes medications oral or insulin injections. Your doctor will work with you to find the best treatment for you –you may only need one medication or you may need a combination of medications. Many people start with Metformin –an oral diabetes medication. Gestational Diabetes Medicines If diabetes develops for the first time during pregnancy, then this is called Gestational diabetes. The stress and hormones of pregnancy can cause a shortage of insulin and gestational diabetes. Most pregnant women are able to control gestational d Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes
Print Diagnosis To diagnose type 2 diabetes, you'll be given a: Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test. This blood test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. It measures the percentage of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with sugar attached. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates you have diabetes. A result between 5.7 and 6.4 percent is considered prediabetes, which indicates a high risk of developing diabetes. Normal levels are below 5.7 percent. If the A1C test isn't available, or if you have certain conditions — such as if you're pregnant or have an uncommon form of hemoglobin (known as a hemoglobin variant) — that can make the A1C test inaccurate, your doctor may use the following tests to diagnose diabetes: Random blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken at a random time. Blood sugar values are expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Regardless of when you last ate, a random blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher suggests diabetes, especially when coupled with any of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination and extreme thirst. Fasting blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken after an overnight fast. A fasting blood sugar level less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is normal. A fasting blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. If it's 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests, you have diabetes. Oral glucose tolerance test. For this test, you fast overnight, and the fasting blood sugar level is measured. Then you drink a sugary liquid, and blood s Continue reading >>
For Those With Diabetes, Older Drugs Are Often Best
WHEN it comes to prescription drugs, newer is not necessarily better. And that’s especially true when treating diabetes. One in 10 Americans has Type 2 diabetes. If the trend continues, one in three will suffer from the disease by the year 2050, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most Type 2 diabetes patients take one or more drugs to control blood sugar. They spent an estimated $12.5 billion on medication in 2007, twice the amount spent in 2001, according to a study by the University of Chicago. (That figure does not including drugs that diabetics are often prescribed for related health conditions, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.) Why the increase? More diagnosed patients, more drugs per patient and an onslaught of expensive new drugs, according to Dr. G. Caleb Alexander, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and lead author of the study. Since 1995, several new classes of diabetes medications have come on the market. Diabetes drugs are important to the pharmaceutical industry, more lucrative than drugs for many other chronic diseases, Dr. Alexander noted in an interview. Simply put, many of these drugs help the body produce less glucose or more insulin, the hormone that shuttles glucose into cells for use as energy, or they increase the body’s sensitivity to its own insulin. Patients and health care professionals have long hoped that as pharmaceutical companies found ways to help the body lower blood sugar, they would produce safer and more efficient alternatives to older medications. But a true breakthrough doesn’t seem to have happened yet. A report released in March by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins University reviewed Continue reading >>
Diabetes Medications
The main aim of treatment for diabetes is to reduce your risk of developing complications by keeping your blood glucose (sugar) levels at reasonable levels. If your doctor gives you tablets for diabetes, make sure you understand the right time to take them and any special instructions about timing around meals. For these medications to work correctly, it is important to take them as prescribed. Ask your doctor, nurse or pharmacist if you are unsure. Medicines for type 2 diabetes There are various medicines that are used to treat type 2 diabetes, such as: Metformin Sulphonylureas (example, gliclazide, glipizide, glibenclamide) Acarbose Pioglitazone Insulin Metformin Metformin works by improving your body's response to the insulin you naturally make. It also reduces the amount of sugar that your liver makes and that your stomach/intestines absorb. Metformin is prescribed in people with type 2 diabetes whose blood glucose levels cannot be lowered with diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes. Sulphonylureas Sulphonylureas work by making your pancreas produce more insulin. They are prescribed in people with type 2 diabetes whose blood glucose levels cannot be lowered with metformin. There are several tablets in this group. They include: Gliclazide also known as Glizon or Apo-Gliclazide Glipizide also known as Minidiab Glibenclamide also known as Gliben or Apo-Glibenclamide Pioglitazone This is an insulin sensitiser which helps reduce insulin resistance in your body. Pioglitazone is prescribed in people with type 2 diabetes whose blood glucose levels cannot be lowered with metformin and sulphonylureas. Acarbose Acarbose reduces the rise in blood glucose levels after a meal by delaying the breakdown and absorption of carbohydrates in the stomach. Acarbose is prescribed in p Continue reading >>
Medications For Diabetes
In type 1 diabetes, insulin is usually started right away, since the pancreas is no longer producing insulin. In type 2 diabetes, if making the appropriate lifestyle changes doesn't bring the sugar levels close to target within a reasonable timeframe, medication will be prescribed to further lower blood sugar levels. The insulin that people with diabetes use today is a man-made protein that is structurally identical or close to identical to the insulin normally made by the pancreas. Insulins are classified by their duration of action - some work immediately and others lower blood sugar over longer periods of time. All insulins must be injected into subcutaneous tissue (the fat just under the skin surface) where they are absorbed into the blood stream. They are administered using a syringe, a pen device, or an insulin pump. In some situations, insulin can also be given intravenously, but this is typically only for patients admitted to a hospital. Medications for type 2 diabetes There are many types of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes. Here is a list of medications that are available and commonly used in Canada: acarbose (Glucobay®) alogliptin (Nesina®) canagliflozin (Invokana®) dapagliflozin (Forxiga®) exenatide (Byetta®) gliclazide (Diamicron®, Diamicron® MR, generics) glimepiride (Amaryl®, generics) glyburide (Diabeta®, generics) insulin (various) linagliptin (Trajenta®) liraglutide (Victoza®) metformin (Glucophage®, Glumetza®, generics) metformin - rosiglitazone (Avandamet®) nateglinide (Starlix®) pioglitazone (Actos®, generics) repaglinide (Gluconorm®) rosiglitazone (Avandia®) saxagliptin (Onglyza®) sitagliptin (Januvia®) sitagliptin - metformin (Janumet®) tolbutamide (generics) You may have to try different types of medication before fi Continue reading >>
Medication For Type 2 Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes are often given medications including insulin to help control their blood glucose levels. Most of these medications are in the form of tablets, but some are given by injection. Tablets or injections are intended to be used in conjunction with healthy eating and regular physical activity, not as a substitute. Diabetes tablets are not an oral form of insulin.Speak with your doctor or pharmacist if you experience any problems. An alternative medication is usually available. All people with diabetes need to check their glucose levels on a regular basis. When taking medication, you may need to check your glucose levels more often to keep you safe and to ensure the medication is having the desired effect. In Australia there are seven classes of medicines used to treat type 2 diabetes: Biguanides Sulphonylureas Thiazolidinediones (Glitazones) Alpha-glucosidase Inhibitors. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitors Incretin mimetics Sodium-glucose transporter (SGLT2) inhibitors Your doctor will talk to you about which tablets are right for you, when to take your tablets and how much to take. Your doctor can also tell you about any possible side effects. You should speak to your doctor or pharmacist if you experience any problems. Chemical name: METFORMIN , METFORMIN ER Points to remember about biguanides This group of insulin tablets helps to lower blood glucose levels by reducing the amount of stored glucose released by the liver, slowing the absorption of glucose from the intestine, and helping the body to become more sensitive to insulin so that your own insulin works better They need to be started at a low dose and increased slowly Metformin is often prescribed as the first diabetes tablet for people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight. It gene Continue reading >>
Oral Diabetes Medications List
Insulin is a hormone which is produced by cells in the pancreas called beta cells. The role of Insulin is to help the body use blood glucose, that is a type of sugar,to produce energy. Unfortunately, people with type 2 diabetes do not produce enough insulin and/or their bodies do not respond properly to it, causing to elevated blood sugar levels. Oral diabetes medications list carrying blood sugar levels into the normal range through some various ways. The use of Diabetes Medications List Generally, oral diabetes medications are only used to treat type 2 or non-insulin-dependent diabetes. While ppatientswho have a type 1 diabetes are dependent on insulin for their treatment. These rule of medications have to be given more attention in order to there is no mistake in giving treatments. Medications that raise insulin production The former oral diabetes drugs were the sulfonylureas. The function is to stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin. The precious of these drugs still supplied on the market is chlorpropamide /diabinese, that has been consumed during the latest fifty years. The 2nd generation after that sulfonylureas are taken once or twice per day. those contain glipizide (Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL), gliburide (Micronase, DiaBeta, Glynase), and also glimepiride (Amaryl). Meglitinides can also stimulate the production of more insulin from beta cells. Repaglinide (Prandine) and nateglinide (Starlix) are consumed first before each of three meals. Medications that reduce glucose production and raise insulin sensitivity A drug makes up the level of oral diabetes medications recognized as the biguanides, and that is metformin (Glucophage). The way it works is by reducing production of glucose by the liver and by making muscle more sensitive to insulin. The thiazolidi Continue reading >>
Diabetes Medication - Guides And Information
Tweet Diabetes medications are a common form of treatment for people with diabetes. There are many different types of diabetes medicines, or anti-diabetic drugs, and this includes insulin, which has its own area within the site. Whilst each drug is unique in the way it works to help patients with diabetes keep their condition under control, some act similarly to one other and are grouped in the same class of drugs. The way in which they are administered can also differ, with some medicines taken orally and others injected directly into the blood. Are diabetes drugs suitable for all diabetics? Most diabetes drugs are designed for people with type 2 diabetes who are unable to control their blood sugar levels through strict diet and exercise alone. But some, such as metformin, are sometimes taken alongside insulin treatment for people with type 1 diabetes. Medication guides Explore the 18 most common medications for diabetes: Assists insulin in controlling post-meal glucose levels. Can more than one drug be taken at the same time? Depending on individual circumstances, a GP may prescribe more than one anti-diabetic drug to help treat a patient’s diabetes. Watch the video below for more information on the types of diabetes medication available. What are the side effects of anti-diabetic medicines? As with any type of medication, blood glucose-lowering drugs can have a number of side effects. These potentially harmful effects are listed in the patient information leaflet that accompanies the medication, so make sure you check this before starting your drug treatment. You may not experience any of the adverse effects listed, but if you do, consult your doctor and/or diabetes care team as they may be able to suggest another suitable medication for your condition. They will a Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetic Medication List And Guide
While there are way too many type 2 diabetes medications to list in a single article, I will briefly describe some of the most common ones as well as their generic names and brand names in parenthesis. What you’ll find is that the generic terms within the same category of medications often have similar roots, which makes it easier to remember some of them. Sometimes insurance companies won’t cover the particular medication you’d like, but will cover another medication in that same class that may work very similarly. Sulfonylureas What are they called? The most commonly used sulfonylureas used today are: Glipizide (Glucotrol), Glyburide (Micronase, Glynase, Diabeta), and Glimepiride (Amaryl). How do they work? Sulfonylureas are some of the oldest diabetic medications. They work by stimulating the beta-cells in the pancreas to produce more insulin. They are taken 1-2 times daily with meals and work to lower blood sugar independently of food intake. For example, they will lower blood glucose regardless of the meal eaten or if a meal is skipped, which makes them more likely to cause hypoglycemia. Both fasting and post-meal blood glucose are targeted in these meds and the average A1c reduction with the addition of sulfonylureas is 1.5-2%. Advantages The main advantage of sulfonylureas is that they are very inexpensive, taken orally, covered by nearly all (if not all) insurance companies. Disadvantages Sulfonylureas can cause weight gain and hypoglycemia. Additionally, they may be linked with ischemic preconditioning, which may lead to heart disease or cardiac events over time. And they generally stop working effectively over time. Biguanides What are they called? There is only one medication in this class and that is glucophage (Metformin). How do they work? Glucophage Continue reading >>
Glp-1 Agonist Medications Chart
This chart outlines the latest medications approved by the FDA for diabetes treatment and the differences and similarities between them. Print out this chart and post in your office as a handy reference for your staff and patients alike…. To download this in PDF format, just use this link: GLP-1 Agonist Medications Chart Byetta (exenatide) AZ – Bydureon Pen and Kit (exenatide extended release) AZ – Tanzeum (albiglutide) GSK – Trulicity (dulaglutide) LILLY – Victoza (liraglutide) NOVO – Note: We will periodically update this chart but if you notice any errors, please contact us at [email protected] Thank you. See more GLP-1 Agonist Resources Continue reading >>
Diabetes Drugs
Tweet There are a number of different types of diabetes drugs - with some having similar ways of acting. Drugs which act similarly to each other are put into the same class of drugs. Below is a list of the most common diabetes drug classes, an A-Z of all diabetes drugs, how they work, who they are for and which medications fall into these drug classes. Jump to the treatment you’re interested in: Biguanides / Metformin Sulphonylureas Meglitinides / Prandial glucose regulator / Glinides Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors Thiazolidinedione / Glitazones DPP-4 inhibitors / Gliptins Incretin mimetics / GLP-1 analogues Amylin analogues A to Z of diabetes drugs Insulin Insulin is a hormone which helps to regulate blood sugar. A number of different types of insulin are available as medication, with some insulins acting for as long as a day and others acting for only a few hours. However, insulin is prescribed for people with type 1 diabetes and for people with type 2 diabetes who have not responded so well on oral medication (tablets). Read more on insulin Biguanides / Metformin The only available diabetes medication in the biguanides class of drugs is metformin. Biguanides prevent the liver from producing glucose and helps to improve the body’s sensitivity towards insulin. Metformin is commonly used as a first line treatment for type 2 diabetes and may occasionally be prescribed, in combination with insulin, for people with type 1 diabetes. Tweet Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder that results in hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) due to the body: Being ineffective at using the insulin it has produced; also known as insulin resistance and/or Being unable to produce enough insulin Type 2 diabetes is characterised by the body being unable to metabolise glucose Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes - Understanding Medication - Nhs.uk
Most people need medicine to control their type 2 diabetes. Medicine helps keep your blood sugar level as normal as possible to prevent health problems. You'll have to take it for the rest of your life. Diabetes usually gets worse over time, so your medicine or dose may need to change. Adjusting your diet and being active is also necessary to keep your blood sugar level down. Diabetes medicines help lower the amount of sugar in your blood. There are many types of medicine for type 2 diabetes. It can take time to find a medicine and dose that's right for you. You'll usually be offered a medicine called metformin first. If your blood sugar levels aren't lower within 3 months, you may need another medicine. Over time, you may need a combination of medicines. Your GP or diabetes nurse will recommend the medicines most suitable for you. Insulin isn't often used for type 2 diabetes in the early years. It's only needed when other medicines no longer work. Diabetes UK has more information about taking medicines for type 2 diabetes . Your GP or diabetes nurse will explain how to take your medicine and how to store it. If you need to inject insulin or medicine called gliptins, they'll show you how. Your diabetes medicine may cause side effects. These can include: If you feel unwell after taking medicine or notice any side effects, speak to your GP or diabetes nurse. Don't stop taking medication without getting advice. How to get free prescriptions for diabetes medication You're entitled to free prescriptions for your diabetes medication. To claim your free prescriptions, you'll need to apply for an exemption certificate. To do this: you should get the certificate in the post about a week later it will last for 5 years take it to your pharmacy with your prescriptions Save your re Continue reading >>
Diabetes Drugs
Tweet There are a number of different types of diabetes drugs - with some having similar ways of acting. Drugs which act similarly to each other are put into the same class of drugs. Below is a list of the most common diabetes drug classes, an A-Z of all diabetes drugs, how they work, who they are for and which medications fall into these drug classes. Jump to the treatment you’re interested in: Biguanides / Metformin Sulphonylureas Meglitinides / Prandial glucose regulator / Glinides Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors Thiazolidinedione / Glitazones DPP-4 inhibitors / Gliptins Incretin mimetics / GLP-1 analogues Amylin analogues A to Z of diabetes drugs Insulin Insulin is a hormone which helps to regulate blood sugar. A number of different types of insulin are available as medication, with some insulins acting for as long as a day and others acting for only a few hours. However, insulin is prescribed for people with type 1 diabetes and for people with type 2 diabetes who have not responded so well on oral medication (tablets). Read more on insulin Biguanides / Metformin The only available diabetes medication in the biguanides class of drugs is metformin. Biguanides prevent the liver from producing glucose and helps to improve the body’s sensitivity towards insulin. Metformin is commonly used as a first line treatment for type 2 diabetes and may occasionally be prescribed, in combination with insulin, for people with type 1 diabetes. Read more on metformin Sulphonylureas Sulphonylureas are the class of antidiabetic drug for type 2 diabetes that tends to include those drugs which end in ‘ide’. The following drugs are all in the sulphonylureas class (branded names in brackets): Glibenclamide –also known as Glyburide (Daonil) Glipizide (Glucotrol) Gliquidone (Glurenorm) Continue reading >>
Anti-diabetic Medication
Drugs used in diabetes treat diabetes mellitus by lowering glucose levels in the blood. With the exceptions of Insulin, exenatide, liraglutide and pramlintide, all are administered orally and are thus also called oral hypoglycemic agents or oral antihyperglycemic agents. There are different classes of anti-diabetic drugs, and their selection depends on the nature of the diabetes, age and situation of the person, as well as other factors. Diabetes mellitus type 1 is a disease caused by the lack of insulin. Insulin must be used in Type I, which must be injected. Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a disease of insulin resistance by cells. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is the most common type of diabetes. Treatments include (1) agents that increase the amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas, (2) agents that increase the sensitivity of target organs to insulin, and (3) agents that decrease the rate at which glucose is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. Several groups of drugs, mostly given by mouth, are effective in Type II, often in combination. The therapeutic combination in Type II may include insulin, not necessarily because oral agents have failed completely, but in search of a desired combination of effects. The great advantage of injected insulin in Type II is that a well-educated patient can adjust the dose, or even take additional doses, when blood glucose levels measured by the patient, usually with a simple meter, as needed by the measured amount of sugar in the blood. Insulin[edit] Main article: insulin (medication) Insulin is usually given subcutaneously, either by injections or by an insulin pump. Research of other routes of administration is underway. In acute-care settings, insulin may also be given intravenously. In general, there are three types of insulin, Continue reading >>
9 Types Of Medication That Help Control Type 2 Diabetes
Sometimes people with type 2 diabetes are able to bring their blood glucose levels under control through a combination of weight loss, diet, and exercise, but many people with diabetes take medication to manage their condition. For some, a single diabetes medication is effective, while in other cases a combination of drugs works better. “If diabetes control is suboptimal on the maximum dose of one medication, it’s prudent to add on a second agent,” says Deepashree Gupta, MD, assistant professor of endocrinology at Saint Louis University in Missouri. There are many drugs available to treat type 2 diabetes. Your diabetes care team can help you understand the differences among the types of medication on this long list, and will explain how you take them, what they do, and what side effects they may cause. Your doctor will discuss your specific situation and your options for adding one or more types of medication to your treatment. Types of Medication for Type 2 Diabetes In type 2 diabetes, even though insulin resistance is what leads to the condition, injections of insulin are not the first resort. Instead, other drugs are used to help boost insulin production and the body’s regulation of it. Insulin resistance occurs when the body’s cells don’t respond properly to insulin, which is a hormone made in the pancreas that’s responsible for ferrying glucose to cells for energy. When cells are resistant to insulin, they don’t use the insulin effectively to bring the glucose from the bloodstream into the cell. The pancreas needs to produce more insulin to overcome this resistance in an effort to normalize blood sugar levels. When the pancreas can’t keep up with the insulin demands in a person with insulin resistance, that person develops diabetes. Below is an ov Continue reading >>
