How medicines fit in
There are a number of different medications which can help you stabilise the sugar levels
in your blood and keep your diabetes under control.
Types of medicine used
Oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs) help you to make better use of the insulin that is
naturally available in your body and/or produce more insulin where possible. There are a number
of different options, including:
- Biguanides (metformin) mainly work by reducing the amount of
glucose released by your liver into the bloodstream and make the
body's cells more sensitive to insulin.
- Sulphonylureas (e.g. glibenclamide (or gyburide), glipizide and
glimepiride) stimulate natural insulin secretion.
- Meglitinides (repaglinide and nateglinide) stimulate natural insulin secretion.
- Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (acarbose and miglitol) slow down the rate at which
carbohydrates from your diet are absorbed from your intestines.
-
Thiazolidinediones (also known as glitazones) (e.g. pioglitazone,
rosiglitazone) make the body's cells more sensitive to insulin.
You may be prescribed tablets which combine two or more of the above medications.
Insulin replacement simply tops up the body's insulin level. Insulin replacement is essential
for the treatment of Type 1 diabetes and may also be required in Type 2 diabetes. A combination of different
types of insulin may be prescribed.
Things to consider
While medications can help stabilise your blood sugar levels, it is still important to check them regularly through regular
blood glucose monitoring.
Type 2 patients may need to initiate insulin in order to achieve better control and prevent future complications.