Diabetic’s medicines are a crucial part of staying healthy for a diabetic patient. Managing your diabetes depends on three things: Your medications, Healthy food, and exercise. All three should go in sync. If the medicines are not administered as directed by the Health Care Practitioner, your diabetes can get out of control. Those heavy medicinal doses may seem irritating and often make your tongue sour, but are a requisite part of your daily diet.
But aren’t you left wondering what those medicines actually do in your body?
Below is the list of common medicine used in the treatment of diabetes.
Type 1 Medication:
Type 1 diabetes happens when your immune system demolishes your own pancreatic cells and your body doesn’t produce insulin. Since your body faces problems processing the glucose, medications are required to compensate for the want of insulin.
Insulin:
It is the most common medicine used in the treatment of type 1 diabetes and is mostly administered through injections. Insulin is also used in other types of diabetes. The type of insulin varies according to the severity of insulin diminution.
Rapid - acting: Insulin glulisine (Apidra), Insulin lispro ( Humalog) and Insulin Aspart ( NovLog , FlexPen)
Short-acting: Humulin, Novolin, and other regular brands
Intermediate acting: Insulin isophane (Humulin, Novolin, Iletin)
Long-acting: Insulin glargine(Lantus) and Insulin detemir(Levemir)
Amylinomimetic
It delays the time it curbs your hunger pangs and reduces glucagon secretion after meals. It is administered after meals
SymlinPem 120, SymlinPen 60
Other recommended medications may include:
Aspirin for maintaining a healthy heart.
To lower your cholesterol levels.
For maintain optimum blood pressure.
Type 2 Medications:
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where your body doesn’t make apt use of the insulin. Since by time, the pancreas inhibits the production of insulin in the body .Hence, insulin injections also pay a role in its treatment.
Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors:
These medications usually taken before meals, help reduces the blood glucose by helping your body break down starches and table sugar.
acarbose
miglitol
Biguanides
They ease the glucose production in the liver, decrease the intestinal glucose ,aid glucose absorption and increase the sensitivity to insulin.
The most common biguanide is metformin (Glucophage, Metformin Hydrochloride ER, Glumetza, Riomet, Fortamet).
Metformin can also be included as an ingredient in another type 2 medicines: Metformin-canagliflozin, Metformin-alogliptin , glyburide-metformin etc.
Dopamine Agonist
Its role in diabetes is still unknown, but Parlodel ie bromocriptine may have an effect on circadian rhythms, obesity, and insulin resistance.
DPP-4 Inhibitors
These inhibitors assist your body in preserving its insulin production capabilities and help pancreas in production of insulin .
alogliptin
alogliptin and pioglitazone (Oseni) etc.
Glucagon-Like Peptides
They act like incretin hormone and helps decrease secretion of glucagon ,increases insulin secretion, curb appetite and increase the steady growth of Beta-cell growth.
albiglutide
dulaglutide
liraglutide etc.
Meglitinides
These medications taken three times a day before meals, stimulate insulin release. Nateglinide (Starlix) and Repaglinide(Prandin).
SGLT2 Inhibitors
Sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors prevent the kidneys from holding glucose and encourages its excretion in the form of urine.
dapagliflozin
canagliflozin
empagliflozin etc.
Thiazolidinediones
They decrease glucose in the liver and promote insulin efficiency in fat cells and are prescribed them with caution because of an increased risk of heart disease or bladder cancer.
Pioglitazone (Actos) and Rosiglitazone (Avandia)
Sulfonylureas
The oldest medication used, they stimulate the pancreas for the production of insulin.
Glimepiride and pioglitazone (Duetact)
Glimepiride and rosiglitazone (Avandaryl)
ChlorproPAMIDE (Diabinese) etc.
Keep taking your medicinal drugs as per the subscription of Healthcare Practitioner to avoid getting high. And don’t forget to eat healthy and be active.