Medications and Glucose Monitors

Posted: Nov. 1, 2004

Diabetes pills and type 2 diabetes
Many types of diabetes pills can help people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood glucose. Each type of pill helps lower blood glucose in a different way. The diabetes pill (or pills) you take is from one of these groups. You might know your pill (or pills) by a different name.

Sulfonylureas (SUL-fah-nil-YOO-ree-ahs) stimulate your pancreas to make more insulin.
Biguanides (by-GWAN-ides) decrease the amount of glucose made by your liver.
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitor (AL-fa gloo-KOS-ih-dayss in-HIB-it-ers) slow the absorption of the starches you eat.
Thiazolidinediones (THIGH-ah-ZO-li-deen-DYE-owns) make you more sensitive to insulin.
Meglitinides (meh-GLIT-in-ides) stimulate your pancreas to make more insulin.
D-phenylalanine (dee-fen-nel-AL-ah-neen) derivatives help your pancreas make more insulin quickly.
Combination oral medicines put together different kinds of pills.

What do I need to know about insulin?
If your pancreas no longer makes enough insulin, then you need to take insulin as a shot. You inject the insulin just under the skin with a small, short needle.

Insulin lowers blood glucose by moving glucose from the blood into the cells of your body. Once inside the cells, glucose provides energy.

There are six main types of insulin. They each work at different speeds. Many people take two types of insulin. Most people with diabetes need at least two insulin shots a day for good blood glucose control. Some people take three or four shots a day to have a more flexible diabetes plan.

Can insulin be taken as a pill?
Insulin is a protein. If you took insulin as a pill, your body would break it down and digest it before it got into your blood to lower your blood glucose. Making insulin in a pill form is a current area of diabetes research.

Source: National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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