When Medicine Is Needed
Your type of diabetes determines the diabetes medicine you need. For
type 1 diabetes,
insulin is required because none is being made by the body. For those with
type 2
and
gestational diabetes,
diet and exercise may be enough.
If medicine is needed for gestational diabetes, only insulin
is currently approved for use. However, preliminary studes using glyburide and metformin have been published.
For
type 2 diabetes, diabetes pills and/or insulin may be taken.
Even with diabetes pills or insulin, a good diet and regular exercise are still
important for the best diabetes control.
Diabetes Pills
There are many diabetes pills. They may be taken together or alone. Sometimes insulin
and diabetes pills are both needed. How the medicine works will determine when and how
often you take it.
Diabetes pills can lower the
blood glucose
level in four ways:
- Make the body produce more insulin.
- Make the liver produce less glucose (sugar).
- Make the cells use insulin better.
- Slow the absorption of carbohydrate (starches and sugar) after meals.
Insulin
There are different kinds of insulin. Some act quickly, while others last over 24 hours. Your
doctor will decide the type, amount, and frequency of insulin doses you will take. Shortacting
insulins are regular insulin and rapid-acting insulin analogs. Medium-acting insulins
are NPH and Lente. The very long-acting insulins are called glargine and Ultralente.
Many people mix two different insulins to control their blood glucose over the course of the
day. Some regular and medium-acting insulins are already premixed. Other people use an
insulin pump
to deliver small amounts of short-acting insulin throughout the day.
Side Effects
Ask your health care provider about the side effects of these medicines. Report any side
effects right away to your doctor. One of the most common side effects will be
hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Symptoms of hypoglycemia include the following:
- Shakiness
- Cold sweat
- Hunger
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Any sudden personality change
You may have your own special symptoms. Whatever they are, do not ignore them. Check
your blood glucose if possible. If your blood glucose is too low, eat or drink some quick
carbohydrate, such as 8 ounces of reduced fat milk, three glucose tablets, five life savers, 4
ounces of juice, or soft drink with sugar.
Rest for 15 minutes, and check again. If the reading is still low, treat again. Don't overtreat,
because your blood glucose level may then get too high.
If a meal is due within 30 minutes, eat as soon as possible. If the meal is later, have a glass
of milk or some cheese and crackers to prevent hypoglycemia before the meal. If
hypoglycemia happens often, your medicine, diet, or activity may need to be adjusted.
Keep a record of your blood glucose readings, your food, medicine, and activity to help you
decide if a change is needed.
Questions to Ask
- Do I have written instructions about how to take my diabetes medicine?
- What side effects could happen?
- If I have hypoglycemia, how will I treat it?
From the NDEP
Undated webpage
http://www.diabetesatwork.org/plans/factsheets/II_A_05_FS.PDF (PDF file) [PDF help]
Information about use of diabetes pills in gestational diabetes modified by the Editors.
Also see
diabetes medications websites
diabetes pills
insulin
insulin websites
medicines for people with diabetes
medicines for people with diabetes
tips to help you remember to take your medication
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