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Most Frequently Prescribed Diabetes Medications
by Lindela Laz
When it comes to diabetes they are different types of medication currently available. If you are diagonalized with type II diabetes, you are given medication instead of insulin. And sometimes a combination of drugs are used. They use of these drugs is to help the body produce more insulin and eliminate glucose.
One of the most popular drugs used to treat diabetes is Sulfonylureas and they are different types available in the market today. Some of it being Glucotrol. This drug works in a way that it helps the body increase insulin. Although the drugs work well in lowering glucose a person may be at risk in developing hypoglycemia. Which is caused by the blood sugar level being too slow. So to this effect this drug is usually given with another drug. A popular drug used with Glucotrol is Glucophage, which helps the liver by reducing the amount of glucose. Since this combination of drugs is effective in maintaining a healthy blood glucose level, it is usually given to type 2 diabetes.
One other drug that is proving to work well with Glucophage is Prandin. This drug helps in lowering your blood glucose levels. But just like Glucophage Prandin can also cause hypoglycemia since it increases the amount of insulin in the body. So a person with diabetes should always follow what the physician has told them to do like only choosing the right medication and never over dosing. It is also important to note that Prandin must not be used when nursing children or while a woman is pregnant.
Another drug we may look at which is similar to Prandin is Starlix. One major advantage of Starlix is that it can be used with those people with kidney problems and people with type II diabetes.
Medications are now being developed to help decrease the absorption of carbohydrates in the intestines. One of the best performers is Precose which did remarkably well. But when coming to sulfonlureas this medication did not do well. Sulfonlureas is considered one of the best medications to treat diabetes. But cannot be used if you are allergic to sulfur.
Symlin and Byetta are new medications that concentrate in controlling the glycemic index. But much more testing has to be done with this drug to be considered in traditional therapies.
Type II diabetes people should not be frightened by the diagnosis of this condition. Because there are different types of medications that can keep this disease today. For this medications to work, it is important for patients to be complaint. To help you maintain a healthy blood glucose level one should not take increased dosage, lower dosage or a different combination of medication. and make sure that you monitor your blood glucose level.
To control it yourself, you should make sure you work along with your physician and report your results when monitoring your blood glucose level. Make sure you do everything you physician tells you to keep this condition at bay.
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By the way, upon first being diagnosed with diabetes, many patients ask can a good diet keep diabetes at bay. Most doctors will agree that a good diet, low in carbohydrates and sugars can help a person with diabetes avoid many of the complications that often accompany the disease. While a good diet can not necessarily cure the illness, a good diet can keep diabetes at bay. Please your taste buds and satisfy your diet restrictions with: So, can a good diet keep diabetes at bay. The answer is yes. While it cannot cure a patient of diabetes, a good diet low in foods that have high ratings in the Glycemic Index and high in proteins can help an individual with this condition live a longer, healthier life. Research: http://www.information-guide.org/diabeticrecipes/ Vitamin D & Calcium For Better Blood Sugar By Jack Challem You probably know about the vitamin D-calcium connection and that these nutrients are essential for building strong bones and preventing osteoporosis, the age-related thinning of the bones. But new research strongly suggests that vitamin D and calcium also play important roles in maintaining normal insulin function and glucose control — the keys to diabetes. Vitamin D Calcium The federal government’s “recommended” daily intake of vitamin D ranges from 200 to 400 IU, depending on age, and doctors and dietitians for years cautioned against taking large amounts of vitamin D supplements. This was because a couple of studies from the 1980s suggested that large doses could be toxic. New Recommendations But that caution has largely evaporated over the past several years, mainly because those old studies have been rejected due to poor-quality science. Since then vitamin D has entered a nutritional and medical renaissance of sorts. Now experts like Michael Holick, M.D., of the Boston University School of Medicine, and Walter C. Willett, M.D., of the Harvard School of Public Health, stress vitamin D’s safety — and recommend much larger amounts. An article in Archives of Internal Medicine (2009) reports that vitamin D levels among Americans have decreased over the past 10 or so years. Researchers note that three of every four people do not have adequate vitamin D levels. The numbers may be even worse during the winter months when the sun is low and people spend more time indoors, which interferes with vitamin D production. The growing consensus is that every man, women, child, and infant should take 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily or 2,000 IU if they have a dark complexion. That may sound like a lot compared to the current 200 IU, but you would have to take 50,000 IU daily — practically a whole bottle a day — for months before you would develop any toxic symptoms. What the Vitamin D-Calcium Science Says In a 2007 review of the research, researchers noted that vitamin D and calcium work hand in hand to influence the body’s secretion of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. In one study of 314 healthy adults, D appears to have offset or prevented age-related increase in blood glucose levels. In the control group, participants averaged a 6.1 mg/dl increase in fasting blood sugar over three years. However, people taking vitamin D (700 IU daily) and calcium (500 mg daily) supplements had virtually no change in their fasting blood sugar levels, according to the 2007 report in Diabetes Care. Early in 2009, doctors at the Harvard School of Public Health found that low vitamin D and calcium levels were related to higher, unhealthy levels of C-peptide, a common marker of insulin function. A separate study by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that people with low vitamin D levels were more likely to have insulin resistance (a form of prediabetes) and also abnormalities in beta cells, which make insulin in the pancreas. In 2008 Australian researchers reported on their use of vitamin D in the treatment of 51 patients with type 2 diabetes who had nerve problems, including numbness, tingling, and burning. After taking an average of 2,000 IU daily for three months, pain decreased by roughly half. Call Your Doc None of this means you should start treating yourself with a high dose of vitamin D. However, it’s probably worthwhile having your vitamin D and calcium blood levels tested and discussing with your doctor the possibility of taking supplements and an appropriate dosage for you. We live in the age of the proactive healthcare consumer: Call your doctor’s office and get the answers you need. SOURCES 1 – Pittas AG, J Lau, FB Hu, et al. 2007. The role of vitamin D and calcium in type 2 diabetes. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 92: 2017-2029. 2 – Pittas AG, SS Harris, PC Stark, et al. 2007. The effects of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on blood glucose and markers of inflammation in nondiabetic adults. Diabetes Care 30: 980-986. 3 – Wu T, WC Willett, and E Giocannucci. 2009. Plasma c-peptide is inversely associated with calcium intake in women with plasma 25-hydroxy vitamin D in men. Journal of Nutrition 139: 547-554. 4 – Chiu KC, A Chu, VL Go, et al. 2004. Hypovitaminosis D is associated with insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79:820-820. 5 – Lee P and R Chen. 2008. Vitamin D as an analgesic for patients with type 2 diabetes and neuropathic pain. Archives of Internal Medicine 168:771-772. 6 – Ginde AA, MC Liu, and CA Camargo. 2009. Demographic differences and trends of vitamin D insufficiency in the US population, 1988-2004. Archives of Internal Medicine 169: 626-632. Last Modified Date: April 21, 2009 |
