Diabetes Treatment - The Drugs Used for Treatment

Diabetes or Diabetes Milletus is a situation wherein the body is incapable of handling sugar thus resulting in frequent urination, thirst and tiredness. Your doctor will prescribe a certain drug regimen once you are diagnosed with having diabetes.

A customary medical treatment will call for a drug to lessen the effect of diabetes. The treatment relies on the kind of diabetes which can be:

- Type 1 wherein the body cannot produce insulin and insulin replacement is transported to the body by pump or injection. Diabetics under type 1 is classified as insulin dependent.

- Type 2 wherein patients are able to control their glucose level and treatment plan. Some patients will also need insulin injection but generally diet, exercise and some oral medications are sufficient.

1.    Insulin for Type 1 diabetics is a protein substance which is injected to the body to be effective. There is insulin which can be taken orally and is broken down during digestion. In the US there are 20 diverse kinds of insulin; nowadays, replacements for insulin injection are giving promising results.

Insulin is classified according to: how rapid it takes to effect in the body or 'onset', the time when its effect is very high and for how long is it effective.

The dosages and types of insulin to be used will depend on the blood glucose level of the body. For patients who need long acting insulin, they should take Insulin Zinc Extended, patients needing short acting insulin should take Insulin Regular and those who need very long acting should take in Insulin Glargine.

2.    Oral medications on the other hand are used as treatment for diabetics under Type 2.  Some of the drugs prescribed for the treatment of Type 2 diabetics are:

- Miglitol and Acarbose which are Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. They delay the glucose absorption and slow down the digestion of carbohydrates. They also decrease the boost of blood glucose levels after meals.

- Sulfonylureas which stimulates the pancreas to give off more insulin. There are 1st generation sulfonylureas such as Chlorpropamide and Tolbutamide. Examples of 2nd generation sulfonylureas are Glyburide and Glimepiride.

- Biguanides which reduces the glucose amount that is being produced by liver. Metformin is the common drug under this class. Metformin is more useful for obese diabetics because it can diminish the excretion of glucose and it also suppresses appetite.

- Combination of Sulfonylurea and Biguanide which became available just recently. Before, patients are taking these two drugs separately; nowadays, one tablet with the combination of these drugs is effective in encouraging patient's compliance. Metformin and Glyburide are common examples of these drugs.

- Meglitinides stimulates insulin release after having a meal. Drugs under this class are Nateglinide and Repaglinide.

- Thiazolidinediones or glitazones is a recently released drug which increases sensitivity to insulin. Drugs under this category are Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone

- Glucobay is also a new drug. It breaks down carbohydrates into monosaccharide for easy absorption of the small intestine thus reducing the rise of sugar levels.

Diabetes can be dangerous and can lead to more serious illnesses but can be combated nowadays. Different diabetics need different levels of treatment. It is always better to consult a professional doctor to know what drug will best suit your needs.