Diabetes pills are a major part of type 2 diabetes treartment!

Diabetes pills are oral medications or antidiabetic drugs that will be prescribed to you if you're a type 2 diabetic. These pills work best for you if your an individual whose pancreases still produce insulin. Nevertheless they can not be used in your treatment if you have type 1 diabetes.

The reason for this, is that these pills work to help lower the blood glucose. Type 1 diabetics need insulin to move or force the glucose into the cells of their muscles. This is where the glucose is used as energy for the body.

Individuals that have been diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes, either produce to much insulin or they produce the hormone a little to late to match the elevated blood glucose in their system. There are different types of diabetes pills or antidiabetic drugs that are used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Many of these antidiabetic drugs work alone or together, in combinations to lower the blood glucose in type 2 diabetics. Although there are many pills of this type used in type 2 diabetes treatment, they each lower your blood glucose in a different way.

For those of us that are type 2 diabetics, our bodies do not respond to the insulin that it produce very well. So for this reason our blood glucose builds up to an unsafe level. In extreme cases, many of us that have type 2 diabetes have to used insulin as well, but for the most part, our treatments will consist of an oral diabetic medication.

Diabetes pills that are used in the treatment of type 2 diabetics, work in one of three ways! They are either used too:

  • Stimulate the pancreas of type 2 diabetics to produce or release more insulin.

  • Increase the sensitivity of the bodies of diabetes patients to the insulin that they produce.

  • They slow the breakdown of the foods that are consumed by diabetics.

Categories for diabetic medications

These pills or diabetic medications, fall under one of these six categories or groups! They are as follows:

  • Sulfonylureas. These are a group of antidiabetic pills that work to stimulate the beta cells in the pancreas of a diabetes patient. The simulation will enable the pancreas to produce or release more insulin.

    • Examples of these type of diabetic medications include:

    1. Amaryl (Glimepiride).

    2. DiaBeta/Micronase/Glynase (Glyburide).

    3. Glucotrol.

    4. Glipizide.

    5. Diabinese (Chlorpropamide).

  • Meglitinide. This is a group of diabetes pills that work similar to that of Sulfonylureas. Example of this group include:

    1. Prandin (Repaglinide).

  • Nateglinide. Again the action of this group is similar to that of the Sulfonylureas group. Example of this group include:

    1. Starlix

  • Biguanide. When this group of pills is used for diabetes treatment, they increase the sensitivity of the bodies of diabetes patients. This allow for the you react to the insulin that is already present in your body . Examples of these type of antidiabetic drugs include:

    1. Glucophage (Metformin).

    2. Glucophage XR (Metformin Long Lasting).

    3. Glucovance (Metformin with Glyburide).

  • Thiazolidinedione (Glitazone). This group works to lower insulin resistance which allows insulin to be better utilized in the cells of the muscles. Examples of this group include:

    1. Avandia (Rosiglitazone).

    2. Actos (Pioglitazone).

  • Alpha-Glucose Inhibitor. The action of this group of pills is to slow or block the breakdown of starches and certain glucose or sugars in the body. They also prevent a sudden rise in your blood glucose levels after a meal.

Combinations of an antidiabetic drug that may be prescribed

Your Physician may have to prescribe one or more diabetes pills for you to use in your diabetes treatment. Your treatment may involve two separate pills or combinations of one or more medications. The combinations that may be prescribed by your doctor can be any one of the following:

  • Sulfonylurea and Metformin.

  • Sulfonylurea and Acarbose.

  • Repaglinide and Metformin.

  • Nateglinide and Metformin.

  • Pioglitazone and Metformin.

  • Rosiglitazone and Sulfonylurea.

    • In any case whatever diabetic medication your doctor prescribes for you, make sure that you are aware of the different side effects that are associated with the diabetes medication. The reason for this, is that you may have some reactions to the diabetes pills that may prove to be severe.

    So make sure that you ask you health care provider about the side effects that you may encounter with your diabetic medications. Some side effects will occur right after you have taken the medication and then goes away.

    On the other hand, other side effects can be more severe in that they will prevent you from taking your medications all together. If this ever happen, be sure to let your doctor know so that he/she can find an alternative method for you to administer your diabetes treatment. This will include any form of oral antidiabetic drug or diabetes pills.

    Diabetes pills are oral medications that are used in type 2 diabetes treatment .

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