Besides insulin, your doctor may prescribe any number of medications to help your type 2 diabetes. The idea is often to avoid or delay the time when you need to start taking insulin. these medications do one of three things: induce the pancreas to create more insulin, slow down glucose production, and slow down carbohydrate absorption. all of these help with regulating your blood glucose levels. your doctor will look at what particular problems you have and may give you more than one of these drugs at a time. Use these medications as your doctor directs for best results. Let’s look at each type.
Glucose levels are all important in type 2 diabetes management. those medications that increase insulin production help when your glucose levels are consistently higher than they should be. The insulin helps the cells convert the glucose into energy. your doctor will likely prescribe these drugs when glucose levels remain high for too long. two classes of medications do this: sulfonylureas and meglitinides. you might know these medications by their generic or brand names better. one common sulfonylurea is brand name Diabinese. Its generic name is Chlorpropamide. in the meglitinide class, a common brand is Prandin. Its generic name is Repaglinide.
The liver has the ability to produce glucose from sources within the body. that function comes in handy when glucose levels go down too much. The liver can kick in and supplement the supply. however, in those with type 2 diabetes, this can be counterproductive. Too much glucose leads to hyperglycemia. Getting glucose levels normalized is very important. Doctors will prescribe a class of medications called biguanides to slow down or stop the liver’s production of glucose. Glucophage is a brand name. Its generic name is Metformin.
The body’s resistance to insulin is one of the root causes of type 2 diabetes in the first place. Getting the body to react to insulin better is a way to regulate glucose levels. The class of drugs known as thiazolidinediones helps this. one brand name is Avandia. Its generic form is Rosiglitazone. Preventing or slowing the rate of digestive glucose absorption is another way to regulate glucose levels. A class of drugs known as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors does this. one brand name is Precose. Its generic is Acarbose. Blood glucose levels show how well you are managing your diabetes. if you have problems with managing these levels, you may need a bit of extra help.
