Type 2 Diabetes Medications

People diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes have many medicines available to help control their blood sugar levels. These drugs fall into 3 methods of reducing blood sugar levels:

• Class 1 reduces the amount of glucose the liver releases into the bloodstream.
• Biguanide (Bi-gwa-need) like Metformin

• Class 2 increases insulin releaseed into the bloodstream by the pancreas .
• Sulfonylureas (SUL-fah-nil-YOO-ree-ahs)
• D-Phenylalnine (dee-fen-nel-AL-ah-neen)
• Meglitinides (meh-GLIT-in-ides)

• Class 3 increases the body’s cells sensitive to insulin.
• Thiazolidinedione (THIGH-ah-ZO-li-deen-DYE-owns)

• Class 4 slows the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream after eating carbs.
• Alpha-glucosidase Inhibitors (AL-fa gloo-KOS-ih-dayss in-HIB-it-ers)

• Class 5 (sitagliptin) increases incretin levels which reduces the amount of glucose released into the bloodstream, but also increases insulin secretion by the pancreas decreases stomach emptying.
• DPP-4 Inhibitors
  

You need to know:

• Diabetes medicines that lower blood glucose never take the place of healthy eating and exercise.
• If your blood glucose gets too low more than a few times in a few days, call your doctor.
• Take your diabetes pills or insulin even if you are sick. If you cannot eat much, call your doctor.

Type 2 Diabetes Medications

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AL-fa gloo-KOS-ih-dayss in-HIB-it-ers) are oral Type 2 diabetes medications that are used in Type 2 Diabetics to lower the blood sugar level by slowing the absorption of carbohydrates from food. Acarbose and Miglitol are two of the most common Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors prescribed.

How Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors Work

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors help to control the blood sugar level by slowing the sugar absorption rate in the intestines. As such, Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors do not cause the pancreas to produce more insulin. And, for that reason Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors do not cause low blood sugar unless taken with other diabetes medications.

Why Use Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are very effective in helping diabetics maintain even blood sugar levels, especially right after they eat. Typically, diabetics lose weight when they take Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors along with a nutritious diet, exercise, and, sometimes, take other medications, such as insulin or oral medications. However, Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors alone are generally not enough to help diabetics lose a significant amount of weight.

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are most often prescribed for diabetics that have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. New diabetics often have blood sugar levels that are only slightly elevated. Often, if a diabetic is also taking insulin to treat diabetes, they can normally decrease their insulin intake after they begin taking Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors.

Side Effects of Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors(AL-fa gloo-KOS-ih-dayss in-HIB-it-ers) are temporary digestive problems (gas, diarrhea).

Some popular types and brands are:

* Acarbose- Precose
* Miglitol – Glyset
* Voglibose

Type 2 Diabetes Medications

There are three main types of Thiazolidinediones, including Actos, Avandia, and Avadamet. Actos is proven to help lower high cholesterol,
reduce triglyceride fat, and increase high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
Avandia is shown to increase HDL and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). A
major difference between Actos and Avandia is that Actos may interact
with other medications, including birth control pills.

Type 2 Diabetes Medications

Meglitinides
(meh-GLIT-in-ides) are type 2 oral medications that stimulate the
pancreas to make more insulin. They are commonly used to help stop
rapid increased in blood sugar levels right after meals. Two examples
of Meglitinides (Starlix) are nateglinides and repaglinides (Prandin).

When to Use Meglitinides

Meglitinides are very similar to Sulfonylurea (SUL-fah-nil-YOO-ree-ahs) oral medications. Meglitinides are most often used to help prevent dramatic increases in blood sugar levels right after a diabetic eats by helping the pancreas produce more insulin.

They are frequently prescribed with other methods of controlling blood sugar levels do not work, including nutritional changes and exercise.

Side Effects of Meglitinides

Meglitinides do not stay in the body very long and need to be taken
directly before or after a meal. Also, people with liver problems
should not take Repaglinide. Other side effects may include:

low blood sugar

upper respiratory infections

bronchitis

headaches

joint and back pain

nausea

diarrhea

constipation

weight gain

Exercise Safely to Reduce Blood Sugar!

Type 2 Diabetes Medications

D-phenylalanine (dee-fen-nel-AL-ah-neen) derivatives are a new form of oral Type 2 diabetes medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes.
Currently, there is just one D-phenylalanine derivative drug called
Starlix (nateglinide), which should be taken directly before or after
each meal.

D-phenylalanine derivative drugs are distinguished from other oral
medications because they help the pancreas (see below) make insulin
very quickly and in just a short amount of time.

The Pancreas within the Digestive System: (just below the stomach)

Therefore, they help to lower the blood sugar level right after a meal. However, D-phenylalanine derivative drugs could lower the blood sugar level so low that you get hypoglycemia (hahy-poh-glahy-see-mee-uh).

Side effects may include:

Type 2 Diabetes Medications

It’s nearly summer, time for a trip
to the
beach, the mountains, or beyond. Wherever you’re vacationing, some
advance planning will help ensure you have a healthy trip. Before you
travel, here is what to do:

back to
top..

Type 2 Diabetes Medications

People with
Type 2 diabetes have many different drugs on the market that help to
control their blood sugar levels. Metformin (Glucophage)
is a very popular oral medication for Type 2 diabetes and
pre-diabetes. Metformin controls high blood sugar levels, which helps
to prevent nerve damage, kidney damage, blindness, circulatory
problems, and sexual function problems (including incontinence).

Metformin reduces the amount of glucose your liver releases
between meals.Metformin
Because of this action, Metformin does not cause low blood glucose (hypoglycemia).
Metformin
may slightly reduce cholesterol, and triglycerides. On the
plus side, Metformin may cause a little weight loss. Metformin
belongs to a family of Type 2 diabetes oral medication called Biguanides.

Normally, Metformin is taken as the only Type 2 oral medication.
However, Metformin is also sold as a combination
pill.
This combination combines the reduced glucose release with the effect
of the other drup. The FDA has approved 3 types of combination pills.
The other drug in the pill may cause low blood sugar:

Glipizide+
Metformin – Stimulates pancreas to release insulin. May cause low blood
sugar.
Glyburide+ Metformin –
Stimulates the pancreas to release insulin. May cause low blood sugar.
Rosiglitazone+
Metformin – increases insulin sensitivity in cells. May cause low blood
sugar as well as water retention and weight gain.

What to know if you are new to
Metformin
If you have just started taking Metformin (or are getting ready to
start taking Metformin), then you should be aware of the following
facts:

• Metformin is generally taken twice a day. Try to take it at the
  same time each day – with breakfast and your evening meal.
• Be sure to drink plenty of fluids while on this medication.
• You may increase the dosage as side effects decrease. Initial
  side
  effects generally include stomach issues, but they quickly go away.
• If you experience effects of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar
  levels),
  first test your blood, then contact your doctor immediately. If you are
  taking a combination pill, the other drug may be the cause.
• You should take this medication each day to feel the effects.
  It
  generally takes up to two weeks for Metformin to begin working.

What to keep in mind when taking Metformin as part of a
combination pill:

1. When
   taking Metformin in combination with other drugs that increase the
   release of insulin or increase the cells’ sensitivity to insulin , it
   is important to always have a source of glucose available. Many
   individuals on combination pills need to carry glucose tablets with them so that they can quickly
   increase their blood sugar levels.
2. Metformin users should also
   be sure to get regular exercise and eat
   a balanced diet, which includes regular meals, so that they can
   maintain a more even blood sugar level throughout the day.

Metformin Side Effects
There
are a few side effects of Metformin that you should be aware of,
including:

• Lactic
  acidosis: Rarely occurs in diabetics with
  poor liver or kidney function. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include:
  fatigue, chills, cold skin, muscle pain, difficulty breathing,
  irregular heartbeat. Lactic acidosis can be fatal in some cases.
• Nausea, upset stomach, diarrhea, metallic taste in the mouth (these
  symptoms generally only occur in the first few weeks of taking
  Metformin)
• Fast heartbeat
• Cold hands and feet
• Change in appetite, often decreased appetite
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness

Contact your doctor immediately if
you have any negative side effects associated with Metformin use.

People with diabetes should know that some fruits contain certain ingredients, which when eaten with specific medications can cause more harm than good. Grapefruit juice with diabetic medicine is one such combination. This has been the subject of many research studies, largely because people could not really agree on whether it is a ‘safe’ combination or not.

Health Benefits of Grapefruit

Health wise, grapefruit juice has been considered extremely useful in curing ailments like cancer and hardening of the arteries. According to scientists, there are certain chemicals in grapefruit juice that can greatly help an ailing person.  Grapefruit is therefore a nutraceutical. Grapefruit juice also delivers:

• vitamin C – helps build different types of tissue like bone, muscle, cartilage, etc.

• potassium – helps regulate blood pressure

• lycopene – an antioxidant helps neutralize radicals in the body to fight certain cancers

Known Side Effects of Grapefruit

Grapefruit juice also contains certain ingredients that can be very harmful when taken with certain medications. In many cases, diabetics tend to drink their grapefruit juice with diabetes drugs, or for that matter any pill type medication during breakfast. Diabetics say it taste better that way. In cases where the fruit or the fruit juice interferes with the functioning of the medication, there could be serious side effects if both are swallowed together.

Under these circumstances, it is obvious that doctors will tell their patients to either stay off the fruit or its juice, or to keep a time gap between taking both.

While no study has actually proven the link between grapefruit juice and diabetes drugs that specifically effect blood glucose or insulin, it is important to note that when the juice is taken along with drugs such as statins, which is a cholesterol reducing drug, it can be deadly to the person.

Research has revealed that grapefruit juice has a compound called furanocoumarins (FOO-ran-o-coo-mah-rens) that actually block certain enzymes in the intestine. Normally, these enzymes help the intestines absorb the statins or other drugs and take them out of the bloodstream. The loss of the enzyme reduces the absorption of the medication by the small intestines. This causes the drug level in the blood to increase to sometimes 3 times the correct amount. The drug level in the blood becomes toxic to the liver, muscles and other tissue in the body’s. The drug just like glucose becomes a poison at a high level in the blood.

It is therefore advised that prescribed medications like statins, and the other drugs in table 1 should not be taken with grapefruit juice.  By the way, Pomelos and Seville are two bitter oranges use to make marmalade and compotes are believe to contain furanocoumarins.

Drugs Effected by Grapefruit Juice (Table 1)

In other words, you should create a time gap between drinking grapefruit juice and taking the drugs in table 1 by taking one in the morning and the other preferably at a later hour. According to experts, the time gap between drinking grapefruit juice and swallowing diabetes drugs should be more than 24 hours, which is not possible in most of the cases. Therefore, they believe that people with diabetes should avoid grapefruit juice and diabetes drugs that contain statins.

When it comes to grapefruit juice and diabetes drugs, it is important to note that if you drink the juice without the active ingredient furanocoumarins, you will not face the same problem. This was determined when a scientist decided to study the effects of grapefruit juice both with and without the active ingredient, and orange juice on three groups of patients who were taking drugs mixed with statins.

Research revealed that grapefruit juice with the active ingredient interfered with the drug, while the juice without the active ingredient had no effect like the orange juice. This has led to the belief that if furanocoumarins were removed from grapefruit juice, then there would be no interference between grapefruit juice and diabetes drugs with statins.

Lastly, this study of grapefruit juice and diabetes drugs should teach people with diabetes to study more about the drugs you will be taking as part of your diabetes treatment. Read the information your pharmacist gives you. Also, ask the pharmacist and doctor to clearly explain how the drug works and what can go wrong. After all, it is your body. Protect it or suffer the side effects.

Take Your Meds With Fresh Water

For decades people with diabetes and others were glad to hear that their blood pressure was normal. Normal meant the systolic pressure was between 120 and 139 mm Hg and the diastolic pressure was between 80 and 89 mm Hg. Well, this past Spring normal was changed. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has changed the health labels linked to blood pressure numbers so what was once normal is  now prehypertension.

Table 1 shows the new blood pressure categories. The important important change in definition is prehypertension. Prehypertension has been squeezed between normal and stage 1 hypertension. So, what used to be normal is now prehypertension at a systolic pressure range between 120-139.

Normal is now less than 120 mm Hg. The reason for that is researchers have found out that your risk for heart and blood vessel issues begin to rise at 115 mm Hg over 75 mm Hg. That’s not all. Your risk for heart disease doubles for every 20 mm Hg of systolic pressure rise and every 10 mm Hg increase in the diastolic pressure.

What Does The New Standards Mean

The new standards mean we will have to raise our sense of urgency around reducing our blood pressure to the new normal. The standards will put even more pressure on people with Type 2 diabetes to:

• Eat less salt
• Increase our physical activity levels
• Eat less food
• Eat more foods that lowers blood pressure, like fruits and veggies
• Lose more body fat
• Work to reduce blood cholesterol
• Try to laugh more to reduce your stress – Hey try some yoga
• We don’t yet need medication – just motivation

We will need to do as much as we can naturally to bring down our blood pressure and delay taking blood pressure medications by trying all of the above suggestions. But, if we can’t, then you have to follow your doctor’s orders.

As the patient, and the captain of your health team ask your doctor
questions, get tips about diet and exercise, and mention any side effects
and other troubles you might be having with your medications.

Confused about sugar alcohols? Many people with diabetes hear that sugar alcohols are not sugar, they don’t raise your blood sugar, and you can subtract them from your carbohydrate count.  What is the real scoop on sugar alcohols?

In the past, diabetics were told they should not have any sugar whatsoever in their diet. Today, diabetics can have “certain” sugars in their diet and still meet the goals they set for themselves or by their health care professionals. One of the more confusing topics you’ll run across is sugar alcohols and how it relates to Type 2 diabetes.

What Are Sugar Alcohols – Sugar alcohols are Not Created Equal
Sugar alcohols are a kind of reduced-calorie food sweetener often seen in sugar free or no sugar added food content; they are actually carbohydrates. The intention of these sweeteners is to prevent rapid rise of diabetics’ blood sugar to dangerous levels, which will generally happen with regular sugar.

You can find sugar alcohols in all kinds of products like sugar free candy, cookies, ice cream, fruit spreads, gums, etc. You can also find sugar alcohols in medicines and dental cleaning products like toothpaste and mouthwash. This type of carbohydrate energy ranging from 0.2 to 3  calories per gram compared to 4 grams per calorie of  regular sugar and many carbohydrates.

Sugar alcohols do not contain ethanol, which is used in alcoholic drinks so you won’t get drunk from it. Make sure to look for products that contain the following sugar alcohols (carbohydrates).  Below, we have  listed some of the more popular sugar alcohols with the calories they deliver and their Glycemic Index.

Note: in the United States 1 Calorie = 1 kilocalorie in the metric system

    
Calories and Glycemic Index of Some Sugar Alcohols

Diabetes and Sugar Alcohols – Why Should You Use Them?
When you have Type 2 diabetes, you’re going to need to watch your diet especially with the amount of sugar you consume. It doesn’t mean you can’t have sugar; it just means you need to watch how much you consume or the kind of sugar you consume. This is when foods/drinks with sugar alcohols come in handy. There are two very big reasons why diabetics should use sugar alcohols.

• One reason sugar alcohols are wonderful is that they maintain blood glucose levels because they are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream, meaning they need little to no insulin during the process. Bear in mind that they are also not completely dissolved into the bloodstream, which can cause some gassy feelings in your stomach. (Some people may see this as a negative aspect to using sugar alcohols.)

• A second reason sugar alcohols are good for diabetics is that they can help you lose weight or maintain it because it doesn’t contain all the calories regular sugar or carbohydrates do. Keep in mind that sugar alcohols have less than three calories per gram; regular sugar has four calories for one gram.

How To Use Sugar Alcohols In Every Day Life
When you are diabetic, it’s important to know how to wisely use sugar to avoid any unpleasant health effects. Here are three things you need to know when it comes to using sugar alcohols in your every day life.

1. Sugar alcohols are generally used to make bland foods a little more flavorful with  less added carbs or calories eaten with real sugar. For example, you want to eat oatmeal; rather than using sugar to sweeten it, use fresh fruit or a sweetener that contains sugar alcohol in it. Keep in mind that you’ll need to count it as a carbohydrate (with the other carbs) because it still has calories attached to it.
2. Remember that there’s very little nutritional value found in sugar alcohols so they should only make up a small part of your diet (they may already be a part of your diet without your knowledge).
3. When you’re counting carbs in your diet, you need to remember that sugar alcohols only make up between 5% and 75% of the carbs; thus, it is easy to overestimate how many carbohydrates you have consumed (for that day or that meal). For that reason, you’ll need to take away 25% the sugar alcohols from the total carb of a food item. Regardless of what you eat (at snack or mealtime) that contains sugar alcohols, you must count that food as part of your carbs.
4. When sugar alcohols are eaten with fats and protein as part of a balance meal or snack, they stay in your stomach longer fats and protein demand a longer period to be broken down in your stomach. This extra time in the stomach reduces the rise of blood sugar levels.

Are Sugar Alcohols Safe For Diabetics
Scientists have studied the effects of sugar alcohols on the human body and concluded that they are indeed safe for humans to eat. However, people with diabetes mellitus – Type 2, Type 1 and gestational diabetes, should limit the amount of sugar alcohols they eat.  Because, some do raise blood sugar levels (see table above). Note: Sugar-free does not mean calorie-free.

Some diabetics are very sensitive to some of the popular sugar alcohols like maltitol. One hundred percent (100%) of sugar alcohols are not broken down in the stomach. The unbroken down part that reaches the large intestines are broken down by bacteria that live in the large intestines. This late break down causes gas and diarrhea. The gas and diarrhea depends on the amount of sugar alcohols eaten. Read the package for the recommended serving size.

End Note: Before you do any kind of dietary changes or start an exercise regime, you should speak with your physician. He/She will be able to tell you what kinds of foods you should eat and avoid so that you can control your Type 2 diabetes. You can live a healthy life with this diagnosis; you just need to make some necessary dietary adjustments.