Medications

Treatment Options
Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes
Pills for lowering Blood Glucose
How Pills Work Classes of Pills for Diabetes Medication Chart Combination Therapy
Insulin
General Information Types of Insulin and Chart Insulin Action (Graphs) Important Points About Insulin Insulin Schedules Insulin Delivery and Supplies Storing and Handling Where to Inject Getting Insulin Ready How to Inject Disposal of Sharps and Test Strips Containing Blood

Treatment Options

Type 1 Diabetes

• Insulin is needed for the management of Type 1 diabetes.

• Transplants of the pancreas and islet cells have been somewhat successful but are not appropriate or available for everyone.

• Discuss options with your diabetes health care team members.

Type 2 Diabetes

• The first line of treatment for people with Type 2 diabetes is meal planning and physical activity. Often these lifestyle changes are enough to control blood glucose levels for many years.

• This disease does progress, meaning that eventually it is harder for the pancreas to produce insulin.

• If blood glucose is still high after lifestyle changes have been made then a pill or insulin may be needed.

• If a persons’ blood glucose is high and they are taking pills to lower blood glucose, following their meal plan and living actively then insulin may be added as well.

Pills for Lowering Blood Glucose

Many medications are now available to treat Type 2 diabetes, however you must remember that medicines are no substitute for lifestyle changes. You must continue to follow a meal plan and regular exercise program when taking pills.

• Pills are not insulin and cannot be used as a substitute for insulin. Pills can only be used for people whose pancreas produces some insulin.

• It is generally accepted that pregnant women should not take pills for lowering their blood glucose.

• Changes in weight or eating patterns, or activity level may require an adjustment in the dose of the medications you are taking.

• Some pills for diabetes can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

• Try not to miss a dose. If you do then take it as soon as you remember, unless it is soon time for the next dose.

• Do not double dose

• You may take more than one type of pill. Some pills work well together.

• Pills may become less effective over time.

• Pills may also be taken in combination with insulin. (see combination therapy)

Blood Sugar Illustration
This illustration of how exercise affects the body cells may help you understand why exercise is such an important part of your diabetes care.
Flash Player required to view the animation	Click on the image above to open an interactive Blood Glucose animation in a larger window

Combination Therapy

One medication may be all you need to help control your blood glucose levels. However as time goes by you may find that another medication needs to be added to maintain good blood glucose control. This is not uncommon as diabetes is a disease that continues to change.

A common combination is Glucophage with a Sulfonylurea. The combined action of these two different classes of medications works well together. There are numerous other combinations that are equally effective in lowering blood glucose levels.

If the pills (along with exercise and meal planning) are no longer enough to control your blood glucose, a bedtime dose of insulin may be added. (This bedtime insulin is used to decrease your liver’s glucose production and your fasting blood glucose levels.) Combinations of bedtime insulin and daytime pills often result in a lower A1C, fewer hypoglycemic episodes, and less weight gain. Also, using this combination means fewer insulin injections than a total switch from pills to insulin.

Some people, especially those who have had Type 2 diabetes for many years, may no longer be able to produce enough of their own insulin. These people will eventually require insulin and may take multiple injections a day.

Insulin

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