Taking your Tablets

Folks with diabetes often have to take medication not only to control their blood sugar levels but also to help reduce high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. It is important that you know about any medication that you have been prescribed.
 
  • Medication to control your blood sugars
  • Medication to help lower your blood pressure
  • Medication to reduce cholesterol levels
  • Medication to prevent diabetes complications
Medication to control your blood sugars
   

Controlling your blood sugars when you have diabetes is so important. Keeping your blood glucose as normal as possible will make you feel better and will reduce the risk of complications. The type of treatment needed depends on the type of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes will always be treated with insulin injections. For some people with type 2 diabetes blood sugars can be controlled with a healthy diet and good levels of physical activity. However, for many with type 2 diabetes, medication in tablet form, is often required.

It is important that you know about your medication. You need to know how it works, when best to take it and about any possible side-effects. There are a number of different medications which can be used to control blood sugar levels and they work in different ways.

The most common medications used are:
Metformin (Glucophage®)
 

How does metformin work?

  • Metformin allows your body to use its natural insulin better.
  • Metformin increases the use of sugar and decreases sugar being produced

Will I experience any unwanted effects?

  • Metformin may cause a mild loss of appetite
  • Metformin may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, cramps, flatulence and diarrhoea when you first start taking it but these symptoms usually settle quickly
Metformin should be taken with or after food. If you experience any unwanted effects when you first start metformin or after increasing the dose of your metformin, it is worthwhile to try and persevere with metformin for the next few days. These unwanted effects usually improve within 5-7 days. If you find after this period that these unwanted effects do not settle then contact your GP or a member of your Diabetes Team.
   
Sulphonylureas : (Diamicron® Gliclazide® Diamicron MR® Gliclazide MR® Amaryl® Glimepiride®).
 

 

How do they work?

  • They help your pancreas to make more insulin.

Will I experience any unwanted effects?

  • May cause mild hypos.
  • May cause nausea
  • May cause weight gain
 
Glitazones: Rosiglitazone (Avandia®) Pioglitazone (Actos®)
 

Before starting this treatment it is important that a blood test called a liver function test is carried out.

How do they work?

  • Helps to make your body more sensitive to insulin.
  • Helps the insulin available in your body to work more effectively.

Will I experience any unwanted effects?

  • May cause nausea or vomiting
  • May cause severe loss of appetite
  • May cause weight gain
  • May cause mild hypos

If you notice at any time

  • Yellow discolouration of the eyes
  • Passing dark-coloured (tea-coloured) urine
Contact your GP or a member of your diabetes team

 

Prandial glucose releasing agents: Repaglinide (NovoNorm®) Nateglinide (Starlix®)

 

 
  • How do they work?

 

  • Encourages insulin to be released from your pancreas
  • They have a rapid action but only work for a short period.

 

Will I experience any unwanted effects?

They must be taken at meal times and should be omitted if a meal is missed.

 
 
Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor -Acarbose (Glucobay®)
 
  • How does it work?

 

  • slows down the absorption of glucose in your bowel.

Will I experience any unwanted effects?

  • flatulence


In time, a careful diet combined with oral medication may not be sufficient to keep your diabetes under control. If this is the case then insulin injections may be recommended (see Using Insulin ).