subject: All You Need to Know About Diabetes Medicine [print this page] All You Need to Know About Diabetes Medicine
Type 2 diabetes is a chronic medical condition that reduces the insulin supply in the patient's body. It can lead to severe complications, such as increased risk of strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure and even amputation. There are mainly two types of medication used to treat this ailment, insulin shots and oral medications (pills).
The anti-diabetic drugs sold today belong to 5 classes of drugs: meglitinides, sulfonylureas, biguanides, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors and thiazolidinediones. These medicines have several side effects and can cause unwanted medical problems. Some of them are more harmful than beneficial. It is preferable to ask your doctor about the possible adverse effects of the drugs before you begin to take them.
Diabetes Medicine: Side Effects of Prescription Drugs
Here are few commonly prescribed classes of drugs and their side effects:
Sulfonylureas
These were the only oral medications available for diabetes in the US until 1994. This type of medication forces your pancreas to produce more insulin, which results in lowered blood sugar. Side effects of this type of medication include skin rashes, itching, weight gain, stomach upset and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Biguanides
The generic name for this drug is Metformin. It prevents your liver from making too much sugar. Metformin can cause several complications, such as:
You may feel sick, after alcohol consumption.
It can worsen your existing kidney problems.
You may experience weakness, tiredness, dizziness or trouble in breathing.
You may experience nausea, diarrhea, other stomach disorders and metallic taste in your mouth.
It can cause lactic acidosis. In this condition, the patient's blood becomes too acidic.
Further, you may have to stop the intake of this drug before having a surgery or undergoing a medical examination using dye.
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
There are mainly two types of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, Miglitol and Acarbose. They slow down the rise of sugar levels in the blood. However, these drugs can lead to stomach problems, such as bloating, diarrhea and excessive gas formation.
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