Diabetes Treatments

Diet, exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are the cornerstones of diabetes treatment. When these aren’t enough, however, medications may be used to treat the condition. Some Type 2 diabetics need to inject themselves with insulin. Insulin cannot be taken in pill form, so must be injected into the body. A syringe, pen injector or pump may be used for this.

An insulin pump is a pumping device about the size of a deck of cards. You wear it outside your body. A small tube connects the reservoir of insulin to a catheter that's inserted under the skin of your abdomen. The pump dispenses the desired amount of insulin into your body and can be adjusted to infuse more or less insulin depending on meals, activity and glucose level.

The following classes of drugs are commonly used to treat Type 2 Diabetes:

Sulfonylureas : Enhance insulin secretion from the pancreatic beta cells. Hypoglycemia and weight gain are noted as side effects.

Biguanides: Reduce plasma glucose via inhibition of hepatic glucose production and increase of muscle glucose uptake. Weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, lactic acidosis and kidney toxicity are noted as side effects.

Alpha-glucosidase Inhibitors: Decrease post-prandial glucose levels by interfering with carbohydrate digestion and delaying gastrointestinal absorption of glucose. Gas, bloating and diarrhea are noted as side effects.

Thiazolidinediones: Improve insulin sensitivity in the muscles and liver. Liver toxicity, weight gain, bloating and hypoglycemia are noted as side effects.

Meglitinides: Augments insulin secretion. Weight gain, bloating and hypoglycemia are noted as side effects.