Did you know that an estimated 34.2 million people living in the U.S. have diabetes? That’s around 10.5% of the population. These rates continue to grow, so innovations are constantly made to better understand and treat the condition.
Medicine for diabetes management is an essential part of managing your condition, but how do you know what is right for you? Keeping reading to learn more about diabetes medication types and how they work.
Diabetes: An Overview
Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects a person’s ability to produce and regulate insulin levels. Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas that helps the body absorb sugar (in the form of glucose) from food. This glucose is then converted to usable energy.
However, those with diabetes either do not make insulin or have become resistant to it over time. Type 1 diabetics have no insulin-producing cells. Type 2 diabetics produce too little insulin or are resistant to it, meaning the hormone goes unused.
Both types often need medication to help regulate their blood sugar levels. However, the type of diabetes medicine depends on diabetes diagnosis, glucose levels, lifestyle, other drugs, side effects, and how long you have lived with the condition.
Insulin Therapy for Diabetes
Insulin therapy (the regular manual or automatic injection of insulin in the body in response to blood sugar spikes) is often the go-to treatment for type 1 diabetes, as they cannot produce it independently. However, it usually requires careful monitoring and diet considerations. Insulin pumps and a variety of insulin types made this easier.
Type 2 patients do not typically use insulin for diabetes as the first step in their treatment. Instead, management often includes lifestyle changes and other types of medication that help the body use insulin, control glucose levels, etc.
Biguanides
The first and most common categories of drugs for people with type 2 diabetes are biguanides. These drugs lower the amounts of glucose produced by the liver and levels absorbed by the intestines. These also increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
The medication metformin is the only widely available biguanide. It is sold under the names Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Fortamet, Glumetza, and Riomet.
Glucophage is typically taken with meals two or three times a day. While it is not common if you are only taking one diabetes medication, hypoglycemia is a risk. Additionally, a rare side effect of metformin is lactic acidosis, a build-up of lactic acid.
GLP-1 Agonists
Another standard class of medicine used in the treatment and management of diabetes is called GLP-1 agonists. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists mimic the method of action of a hormone called incretin. These hormones are secreted to eat a meal and prompt the pancreas to produce insulin before blood sugar levels get too high.
It also holds the pancreas from releasing glucagon, which triggers the liver to convert and release stored sugars in the bloodstream. Slowing this reaction and keeping the blood sugar levels stable helps a person feel full and more satisfied after eating a meal. For this reason, drugs in the GLP-1 agonist class are often used for weight management and bodyweight reduction in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Common names in the category are:
- Trulicity (dulaglutide)
- Byetta (exenatide)
- Bydureon (exenatide XR)
- Ozempic (semaglutide)
- Rybelsus (semaglutide)
- Victoza (liraglutide)
- Adlyxin (lixisenatide)
These medications can cost hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. To fill your RX cheaply, check to see if your medication is available at 90DayMeds.com. All that is needed is a doctor’s prescription.
Talk to Your Doctor About the Best Medicine for Diabetes
If you think your condition could be under better control, talk to your doctor about which diabetes medicine is best for you. If the costs of your prescriptions are a barrier, check out an online pharmacy to get the cheapest rates.
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