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 >>
Diabetes Digest: Medications That Promote Weight Loss In Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes epidemic has reached unprecedented scale; about 9% of all Americans (30 million people) have diabetes, and the trend continues to rise. At the same time, it is estimated that 85 million individuals have prediabetes. These are staggering statistics with tremendous cost to patients and society. Ninety five percent of all patients have type 2 diabetes, which is due to excessive body weight, especially abdominal adiposity or fat. Unlike individuals with type 1 diabetes who have full insulin deficiency, type 2 diabetes patients produce plenty of insulin. But due to excess adiposity insulin does not work well and so blood sugars rise. Surprisingly, insulin is one of the main therapies for type 2 diabetes. Yet insulin is a powerful ‘building’ hormone that can cause significant weight gain, an undesirable consequence in someone who is already overweight or obese. In addition, insulin can also trigger unwanted hypoglycemia (low blood sugars) manifestation of which could vary from feeling hungry to becoming unconscious or developing seizures. So it is reasonable for patients to use other medications that promote weight loss rather than weight gain in type 2 diabetes. Such two drug classes are ‘GLP-1 agonists’ and ‘SGLT-2 inhibitors’; which both can cause 5-15 lbs weight loss. Individuals with type 2 diabetes could therefore benefit greatly from these therapies compared to insulin. Metformin is a frequently prescribed medication that can also cause weight loss in certain patients, in addition to being inexpensive and having few adverse effects. Presently there are five FDA approved ‘GLP-1 agonists’; Bydureon, Byetta, Tanzeum, Trulicity and Victoza. These medications have several benefits such as appetite suppression, eating smaller food portions, increasin Continue reading >>
Diabetic Medicines That Cause Weight Loss
Diabetes is a metabolism disorder that affects nearly 24 million Americans. In healthy people, after eating, food breaks down, gets converted into blood sugar and is then transported to cells by a hormone called insulin. People with diabetes either do not make any insulin, or make an unreliable amount, resulting in cells not getting the energy needed to function properly. In most cases, medications used for treating this disease will either cause weight gain or promote some weight loss. Video of the Day Metformin is one of the most commonly prescribed medications used for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. It’s used to increase insulin sensitivity, control blood sugar levels and help the body absorb glucose from food and the liver. Recently, researchers have been studying use of metformin for obesity treatment. According to a 2011 article published by "Redbook" magazine, glucophage, the generic drug name, can help reduce appetite. In a 2001 study published in the journal “Heart Disease,” 80 percent of nondiabetic women who took metformin on a low-calorie, modified-carb diet lost 10 percent of their body weight in 12 months. Most were successful in keeping the weight off after four years. Byetta, known generically as exenatide, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2005 for treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Exenatide is administered by injection and helps metabolize blood sugar levels. In studies conducted by the company that produces the brand-name drug, patients who used Byetta for more than 30 weeks along with other diabetes medications lost 4 lbs. Patients taking a 10 mcg dose of Byetta alone lost 6 lbs. over 24 weeks. According to MayoClinic.com, exenatide reduces the amount of food needed, because blood sugar gets processed more efficiently. As of 2011, Continue reading >>
Prescription Drugs Causing Weight Gain?
Is Your Medicine Cabinet Making You Fat? Experts explain how certain prescription drugs can cause unwanted weight gain By Charlene Laino WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Feature You've been watching your diet and following your usual exercise routine. But your pants seem a little tight and, sure enough, the scale shows that you've gained five pounds in the past month. What's going on? This may be hard to swallow, but a medication your doctor prescribed could be to blame. Certain prescription drugs used to treat mood disorders, seizures, migraines, diabetes, and even high blood pressure can cause weight gain - sometimes 10 pounds a month. Some steroids, hormone replacement therapy, and oral contraceptives can also cause unwanted pounds to creep up on you. But even if you suspect a prescription medication is causing weight gain, never stop taking the drug without consulting your doctor, experts stress. "Stopping some of these medications on your own can have very serious consequences," says Louis Aronne, MD, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program in New York City and president of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity. "It has to be done very carefully." Madelyn H. Fernstrom, PhD, director of the Weight Management Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, agrees. Even if a medication causes weight gain, "an extra 10 pounds may be worth the trade-off of what that medication is doing for your overall health," she says. Common Offenders That Can Cause Weight Gain While no one knows exactly how many prescription drugs can cause weight gain, experts estimate the list includes more than 50 common medications. Steroids such as prednisone, older antidepressants such as Elavil and Tofranil, and second-generation antipsychotics like Zyprexa are Continue reading >>
Wide Effect: Drugs That Promote Weight Gain
Share This Article: More than two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yet, paradoxically, many drugs prescribed for high blood pressure, diabetes and depression – conditions common to persons with weight problems – may further tip the scales against good health. “It’s a vicious cycle because patients already at risk for weight-related health conditions often receive medications that can exacerbate their problems,” said Kelly Lee, PharmD, associate professor of clinical pharmacy and associate dean of UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Here are six classes of drugs that can sabotage your waistline but don’t stop taking any prescribed medication without first talking to your physician. And don’t throw in the towel. There are often weight-neutral alternative drugs and lifestyle choices that go a long way in fostering mental and physical well-being. “The take home message is that all weight gain can be prevented or reduced if a person is motivated to eat healthy foods and move their bodies for 30 minutes or more a day, even if it is just walking around the block,” said Candis Morello, PharmD, professor of clinical pharmacy and associate dean for student affairs at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Antidepressants A 2010 study found that people with depression were at 58 percent greater risk of becoming obese. Among the antidepressants most strongly linked to clinically significant weight gain, defined as at least a 7 percent increase in body weight, include older tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline (Elavil) and nortriptyline (Pamelor), as well as newer medications, such as paroxetine (Paxil) and phenelzine (Nardil). Continue reading >>
Have Diabetes? New Drugs Can Help You Pee Out Excess Sugar
An abnormally high level of sugar in your urine has traditionally been a sign of uncontrolled diabetes and something to be corrected. But that notion has been turned on its head by a new class of diabetes drugs that work by increasing how much sugar patients pass in their urine. New path to blood sugar control To date, two of these new drugs have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating type 2 diabetes. The first, canagliflozin (Invokana®), was cleared last March; the second, dapagliflozin (Farxiga®), was approved just this week. Both drugs are so-called SGLT2 inhibitors that act by blocking the kidneys’ reabsorption of sugar, or glucose. The result is that more glucose is released in the urine and the patient’s blood glucose level goes down — a major goal of diabetes treatment. Most other available drugs for diabetes work by targeting the liver, pancreas or gut to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce insulin resistance or stimulate insulin secretion. In contrast, SGLT2 inhibitors work completely independent of insulin. The two new medications, which are taken by mouth in pill form, are approved for use as stand-alone drug therapy, in addition to changes in diet and increased exercise, or in combination with other drugs for diabetes. Their approvals were based on multiple clinical studies — nine for canagliflozin and 16 for dapagliflozin — showing that they effectively lowered hemoglobin A1c, a measure of average blood sugar level over the previous three months. A surprise effect on the waistline An added benefit is that SGLT2 inhibitors are associated with modest weight loss. For instance, patients shed from 2.8 percent to 5.7 percent of body weight in clinical studies of canagliflozin. “The weight loss is an appealing side effec Continue reading >>
Januvia Side Effects Center
Januvia (sitagliptin) is an oral diabetes medicine for people with type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. Januvia is sometimes used in combination with other diabetes medications, but is not for treating type 1 diabetes. Many people using Januvia do not have serious side effects. Side effects that may occur with Januvia include: headache, joint or muscle pain, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea, or constipation. Although Januvia by itself usually does not cause low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), low blood sugar may occur if Januvia is prescribed with other anti-diabetic medications. Symptoms of low blood sugar include sudden sweating, shaking, fast heartbeat, hunger, blurred vision, dizziness, or tingling hands/feet. Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Januvia including pancreatitis (severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, fast heart rate), urinating less than usual or not at all, swelling, weight gain, shortness of breath, or severe skin reaction (fever, sore throat, swelling in your face or tongue, burning in your eyes, skin pain, followed by a red or purple skin rash that spreads [especially in the face or upper body] and causes blistering and peeling). The recommended dose of Januvia is 100 mg once daily. Januvia may interact with digoxin, probenecid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), aspirin or other salicylates, sulfa drugs, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), or beta-blockers. Tell your doctor all prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. During pregnancy Januvia should be used only when prescribed. Pregnancy may cause or worsen diabetes. Your doctor may change your diabetes treatment during pregnancy. It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Cons Continue reading >>
A Lot Of Choice In Diabetes Medications
The number and variety of diabetes medications can be bewildering, but, on the plus side, that means choice. Some people may prefer easy-to-take drugs; others want one that won't cause weight gain; still others may desire something that allows them to adjust dosing on a daily basis. "It's the perfect example of personalized medicine," Kendall says. In addition to the immediate effects of diabetes meds (glucose control and side effects such as nausea and diarrhea), patients and doctors must consider the long-term effects of drugs taken every day for years. A possible plus for metformin: A recent review of 11 studies reported that people taking it have a 31% lower risk of developing or dying of cancer compared with other diabetes treatments. Medications for diabetes generally fall into just three categories based on what they do. They either affect food absorption, increase availability of insulin or increase the body's responsiveness to insulin. Here's the breakdown. Metformin (Fortamet, Glucophage), an insulin-sensitizing drug, is taken by mouth twice a day. Users should test their blood sugar two to five times per week. This is the first-line drug. Pluses and minuses: Metformin has minimal effects on body weight, rarely causes low blood sugar problems and is available in generic form. Long-term studies suggest the drug may reduce the risk of some cancers. It can't be used in people with kidney or liver disease, and some people experience gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea or diarrhea. The sulfonylureas, such as glipizide (Glucotrol), glimepiride (Amaryl) and glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase), increase insulin production, are once- or twice-daily pills and don't require daily sugar testing. Pluses and minuses: Sulfonylureas are quick-working, effective sugar-lower Continue reading >>
Anti-diabetes And Anti-obesity Medications: Effects On Weight In People With Diabetes
Choosing medications for people with diabetes involves consideration of a number of factors, including effects on weight. Improvements in glucose control are often linked to weight gain, but this does not have to be the inevitable result of diabetes treatment. Adding a drug that either promotes weight-loss or is weight neutral to one that promotes weight gain and providing medical nutrition therapy can be considered. The current approach to the treatment of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is to achieve the best possible glucose control. Past clinical trials have shown that glycemia plays a key role in the prevention of both macro- and microvascular complications.1–5 The current American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines suggest a glycemic goal of having a hemoglobin A1c (A1C) < 7%, but also state that an A1C of ≤ 6% should be a goal if it can be achieved without risk of complications.6,7 During the past 20 years, a number of new medications to control blood glucose have been introduced, and new approaches to the use of older medications have been developed. In prescribing any medication, however, one must consider benefits versus risks. In terms of the treatment of hyperglycemia, certainly toxic side effects are of concern, as is hypoglycemia. One major area of concern, however, is the effect of such drugs on weight. Weight and diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, are closely related. Obesity is a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes, and the current increase in obesity in our society has fueled a major increase in the expression of this disease.8 Not only does weight, through the mechanism of insulin resistance, aggravate hyperglycemia, it also increases the risk for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and other conditions that lead to cardiovasc Continue reading >>
Losing Weight With Diabetes: What Prevents It And Causes Weight Gain
I recently was included in a discussion on a Facebook group for athletes with diabetes about how hard it can be to lose weight through exercise. While I would never claim to have all the answers on this topic, here are some ideas about what can make you gain weight or keep you from losing weight with diabetes, based on my decades of professional and personal experience with diabetes and weight management, and what you can do about it. Insulin My former graduate student with type 1 diabetes went on an insulin pump and promptly gained about 10 pounds, even though his blood glucose control improved only marginally. Why did this happen to him (and why does it happen to so many other insulin users)? As a naturally occurring anabolic hormone, insulin promotes the uptake and storage of glucose, amino acids, and fat into insulin-sensitive cells around your body (mainly muscle and fat cells). It doesn’t matter whether it’s released naturally, injected, or pumped—all insulin and insulin analogues have these same effects. Going on intensive insulin therapy is associated with fat weight gain (1), for people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Some of the weight gain comes from that if you’re using insulin to keep your blood glucose in control, you’ll be keeping and storing all of the calories that you’re eating instead of losing some glucose through urine (during hyperglycemia). Unfortunately, this realization has led some people to try skipping or limiting their insulin use to help them lose weight (2), but that is a dangerous practice that can lead to loss of excess muscle mass and life-threatening conditions like DKA. The best way to balance your insulin use and your body weight, in my opinion, is to be physically active to keep your overall insulin levels lower. I Continue reading >>
6 Common Medications That Could Be To Blame For Your Weight Gain
panpilai paipa/Shutterstock There are sneaky things that cause weight gain that aren’t food or exercise. One of them may be prescription medication. Many common prescription drugs can cause some patients to pack on the pounds, though it’s unclear whether the drug causes weight gain or the propensity to gain weight is there already. We spoke to Dave Walker, RPh, on behalf of the MedShadow Foundation, a clearinghouse for information on the side effects of medicine, to learn which drugs are most likely to move the needle on the scale. Oral contraceptives: Depo-Provera, Yazmin Sure, you’re expected to gain weight if you’re expecting, but putting on the pounds for not trying to get pregnant? According to Walker, all birth control meds release the hormone progesterone. And progesterone can you give the munchies. Besides increasing your appetite, oral contraceptives can also cause water retention aka The Dreaded Belly Bloat (and here’s some suggestions on how to get rid of it). The good news is most modern day birth control pills use a lower mix of hormones than older formulations, so weight gain is not as likely as it used to be. The biggest weight offender may be Depo-Provera. This contraceptive is a shot that makes your period disappear, but studies show that for many women it makes the pounds appear instead. Alternative: Talk to your Ob-Gyn or primary physician about the IUD or other hormone-free options suggests. Beta blockers: Metoprolol, Propranolol, Tenormin High blood pressure or hypertension puts you at risk for a range of health woes from kidney failure to heart attack, so a little spare tire doesn’t seem like a big deal by comparison. Still, weight gain can add other health woes such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes, so you do want to minimize it as m Continue reading >>
How To Avoid Insulin-related Weight Gain
Managing diabetes sometimes requires insulin treatment, which may lead to weight gain. Find out why and learn how to manage your weight while using insulin. When diet, exercise, and oral diabetes medications aren't enough to control diabetes, adding insulin can help get your blood sugar under control. Although insulin is an important part of diabetes treatment, some people may have an issue with weight gain after starting on it. If insulin has been prescribed as part of your treatment plan, you may need to pay extra attention to your weight management efforts in addition to blood sugar management. "Insulin weight gain is a well-known problem and concern for people with type 2 diabetes," says Amber L. Taylor, MD, an endocrinologist who directs the Diabetes Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. "This is problematic because weight gain can make managing diabetes more difficult." Why Is Weight Gain an Insulin Side Effect? A study published in the journal Clinical Medicine Insights: Endocrinology and Diabetes focused on 102 people with type 2 diabetes who had recently started taking insulin. After the first year of insulin therapy, both men and women in the study had increased their body weight by about 2.5 percent. The science behind why this happens is clear. When you’re not managing diabetes well, your body can't use the glucose (sugar) from your food for energy. That means the sugar builds up in your blood, which can lead to diabetes complications. You may feel hungry because you’re not getting enough energy, and thirsty because your body is trying to flush all that sugar out of your bloodstream. Here’s what happens when you add insulin: Insulin helps the sugar in your blood to be absorbed by your cells, where it's used and stored for energy. Because you’r 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 >>
Which Diabetic Drugs Cause Weight Gain?
Most of the commonly used drugs are reported to have a fat depositing effect. Major diabetic drugs causing weight gain include: Insulin Sulfonylureas Meglitinides Glitazones How diabetes drugs make you gain weight? When a person lacks insulin, glucose in the body cannot enter the brain and muscle cells are used as fuel. Glucose fails to enter the liver and ends up being excreted through urine. When a diabetic injects insulin into their body or takes diabetic drugs, the body starts using all the blood sugar, storing it as fat instead of excreting it in urine. With better sugar control, fewer calories are lost in urine and most of them are retained in muscle tissues as fat. Moreover, insulin and some diabetes drugs also acts as a growth hormone simulators. Growth hormones help build different tissues including the fat cells. All of these affects culminate in increased weight gain owing to insulin and other diabetic drugs. It is frustrating to know that some of the diabetes drugs you are taking on a regular basis are making you gain unnecessary weight. Increased weight from diabetic drugs can compromise blood sugar levels and can poses other serious threats like heart disease. How to prevent gaining extra weight? It may be possible to reduce some drug-related weight gain by taking some measures: Take small portions and do not skip meals. Reduce calorie intake by choosing the right foods. Eat whole grains and fresh vegetables and fruits. Try to burn extra calories by exercising. Talk to your doctor to devise a comprehensive plan to prevent this problem. Taking diabetic drugs and losing weight are both essential for good diabetes control. Continue reading >>
Which Drugs Cause Weight Gain?
Losing weight, or maintaining a healthy weight, can be a battle for many patients. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that overall, 36.5% percent of U.S. adults (or 78.6 million) are obese and about 17% of children and adolescents (or 12.7 million) are obese. Body mass index (BMI) is a tool used to screen for obesity or overweight. For adults, if your BMI is 30 or higher, it falls within the obese range, and if it's 25.0 to <30, it's in the overweight range. For children, obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex, and overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile. Aging, lack of exercise, and food choices are all culprits in the battle to keep weight down. However, some very common medications can also lead to weight gain. For example, prescription drugs found in these various classes can all add on unwanted pounds: Some medications are more common than others to boost weight, and not all patients will gain weight from every drug that has weight gain listed as a side effect. However, it is important to understand your risk. Learn More: Do My Medications Cause Weight Gain? How Do Prescription Drugs Cause Weight Gain? For many drugs, it is not known exactly what causes the weight gain. Some medications can increase appetite, cause fluid retention, or slowly lead to weight gain over a period of time due to fatigue and lower activity. Drugs that trigger increases in appetite may work in the brain and affect the satiety (fullness) center. It is often difficult to distinguish between weight gain from a drug and weight gain from other reasons, like diet or lack of exercise, because it can be a slow process. Some conditions, like depression, Continue reading >>
