subject: Diabetes Medication: Why is Conventional Treatment not Suitable? [print this page] Diabetes Medication: Why is Conventional Treatment not Suitable?
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is one of the most common forms of diabetes. Millions of Americans suffer from this aliment. It occurs when the pancreas fail to produce sufficient amounts of insulin. Also, the patient's tissues become resistant to high or even normal levels of insulin. This results in high levels of glucose in the blood.
Some oral medications can improve the body's response towards insulin or increase the insulin production in the body. In some cases, where the anti-diabetic drugs fail, doctors often prescribe insulin therapy. These conventional treatments can keep a check on your blood sugar level but they have several negative side effects. It is preferable to follow a proper diet and exercise regime to maintain a near-normal blood glucose level, rather than depend only on drugs.
The Adverse Effects of Insulin Therapy
Several patients suffering from type 2 diabetes are treated with only insulin treatment or insulin treatment plus oral medication. The major ways of insulin intake are insulin injections, insulin pumps and insulin jet injectors. Some possible side effects of insulin treatment inlcude:
Degradation of blood glucose level, resulting in hypoglycemia.
Confusion, tiredness and sleep disorders.
In severe cases, the patient may experience slurred speech, blurred vision, cold sweats, unconsciousness, headache and drunken behavior.
Weight gain because sugar is directly forced into body cells.
Rashes, itchiness, redness or thickness of skin at the injection site.
Moderate to severe allergic reactions, leading to faster pulse rate, squeezing sensation throughout the body, wheezing and shallow breathing.
Sustained nausea and vomiting are also symptoms of insulin allergy.
If you are using an insulin pump, you may experience problems in the upper-respiratory tract, such as coughing and persistent respiratory infections.
Also, insulin may cause complications by interacting with other medications, such as acebutolol, nadolol, penbutolol, furazolidone, phenelzine, hydrocortisone and octreotide. Insulin overdose can be very dangerous and intake should be carefully monitored.
