Diabetes Treatment Drugs That Are Available To Type 2 Diabetics

By: Lisa Janse

If the thought of injecting insulin terrifies you, finding out that you have diabetes could seem like the worst possible diagnosis. If you are type 2 diabetic however, you may be pleased to know that there are a huge number of different diabetes treatment drugs that you can try before you need to resort to insulin. Here are a few of the diabetes treatments that are available to type 2 diabetics today, along with the possible side effects you may experience when using these.

Some diabetes treatment drugs work by promoting insulin production in the body. One example of this type of diabetes treatment is sulphonylureas, which comes in a number of forms including glimepiride, chlorpropamide, and glibenclamide. There are a few side effects associated with sulphonylureas, the most significant being a lumpy red rash on the skin which occurs in rare cases. They can also cause nausea, weight gain and an upset stomach. Sulphonylureas are unlikely to be recommended for older diabetics as they work over a long period of time and cause blood sugar to drop too low causing a hypo.

Often known as metformin, biguanide is another diabetes treatment drug, but it works very differently to sulphonylureas. Biguanide reduced the release of glucose by the liver, as well as assisting the movement of insulin throughout the cells of the body. Taking biguanide with food can reduce the potential side effects which include nausea, diarrhoea and stomach problems.

A recent addition to the list of diabetes treatment drugs is thiazolidinediones, which has two types, pioglitazone and rosiglitazone. This type 2 diabetes treatment is designed to reduce the body's resistance to insulin, enabling diabetics to use their naturally produced insulin more efficiently. There are some side effects associated with thiazolidinediones which include weight gain, increased incidence of headache pain, and some water retention. On rare occasions diabetics may develop respiratory tract infections when taking thiazolidinediones.

If you are at high risk of hypos when taking sulphonylureas, your doctor may recommend prandial glucose regulators which also increase the production of insulin in the pancreas, but only over a short period of time. These can cause some side effects such as nausea and an upset stomach, but these are minimal when the tablets are taken with meals. Diabetics taking prandial glucose regulators may also experience weight gain, but a flexible dosage can usually solve this problem.

A different approach to tackling the high blood sugar associated with type 2 diabetes, is to take an alpha glucose inhibitor. These reduce the rate at which starchy foods are taken into the blood stream so that your blood sugar level does not rise too quickly. The usual dose for alpha glucose inhibitors such as acarbose is three tablets a day. However, your physician may suggest a low dose to begin with to minimise side effects such as diarrhoea, bloating and wind.

DPP-4 inhibitors are a type of diabetes treatment that increases levels of the incretin hormone, which occurs naturally in the body. This hormone is produced when we eat and helps us to produce the required amount of insulin, whilst limiting glucose production in the liver. DPP-4 inhibitors can be taken along with other tablets such as thiazolidinediones, but not with insulin. The side effects of these diabetes treatment drugs depend largely on what you are taking them with, but they have a small risk of causing hypoglycaemia.

Eventually most type 2 diabetics do need to take insulin, when their pancreas is no longer able to manufacture enough to control their blood sugar. Although many people dread having to inject insulin, the needles are actually very small, depositing the drug just under the skin. Insulin can be injected into various areas of the body including thighs, buttocks, and stomach, and injection sites should be varied to avoid insulin build up. Those that can't face injections could consider using an insulin pump, and there are other methods under development including a patch and an inhaler.

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Lisa Janse is a professional writer who specializes in health topics. Learn more about living with Diabetes and read more useful and interesting facts on Diabetes Diets at www.sugardiabetes.net

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