It is important to stay informed about the diabetes med treatment options that are available to you. Diabetes med treatment usually varies from person to person depending on what type of diabetes you have, any other health conditions you may have, and even the schedule that you keep. Along with a healthy diet and exercise, good diabetes med treatment will help you keep your blood sugar levels controlled so that you may avoid further complications such as nerve damage, kidney disease, eye diseases, heart attacks and strokes.
According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), types of diabetes medications include:
Insulin – Many people think that it is only type-1 diabetics that use insulin for their diabetes med treatment. This is not true; insulin can be used in any type of diabetes where the diabetic’s body does not make enough of it. Since insulin cannot go through your digestive system without being demolished it must be injected into the skin. There have been recent advancements to where the insulin can now be injected with a jet injector, which sprays the skin with insulin at high pressure, saving the person from having to inject it with a needle.
The way that you will take your insulin depends on your daily routine and the type of insulin that you use. Some people only have to take one shot a day, while others may take it up to four times daily. The different types are categorized by the speed at which they work. For example, rapid-acting insulin starts working right after you take it, and long-acting insulin works for hours on end.
Diabetes Pills – Diabetes pills have developed vastly throughout the last century. There are many types on the market today, and each one works in a different way. Many diabetics have had to take a combination of different pills over the years, and so many now come in combination form so that the diabetic only has to take one tablet. It is likely that you will not stay on the same pills throughout your struggle with diabetes. Your doctor uses a trial-and-error process to find the right combination of pills and/or insulin for your diabetes med treatment, usually starting small and building up as needed. What works best for you largely depends on your eating habits, how active you are, and your general routine. Other health conditions will also affect the type of diabetes pills that you use.
Other Injectable Meds – There are several types of other injectable meds that are now being used to keep your blood sugar stable after you finish eating. They are not a substitution for insulin and usually have to be taken along with your other medications. However, they do help you to avoid dangerous fluctuations in your blood sugar levels.
New Diabetes Med Treatment
According to the NYtimes.com, a new type of diabetes med treatment has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This drug, called Bydureon, is injected only once a week. It is said to be similar to Novo Nordisk’s Victoza, which is injected once a day. It is said that this drug could serve as an easier alternative for some patients that have to take multiple insulin injections or multiple pills every day. Bydureon has been rejected twice previously for causing heart rhythm abnormalities, and there are still safety concerns about the drug which involve thyroid cancer and pancreatitis.
An article that can be found on SFgate.com tells of a new diabetes drug that could change diabetes med treatment for good. This new drug is able to stimulate the pancreas into making more insulin when needed, but then ‘deactivates’ when your blood sugar levels come back to normal. Clinical trials have been successful for this new medication so far, and it is said the third phase of testing should be the final round before it is submitted to the FDA for approval.
