If you have diabetes, you know how important taking your diabetic medication is to your health. But are you taking your diabetes medication properly?
Author of “Diabetes Without Drugs” and pharmacist Suzy Cohen talks about the appropriate way to take diabetes medications.
Cohen provides an easy guide to decipher the top diabetes medications on Lifescript.com, a top women’s health information website. For this sneak peek of the full article, we’ll cover one group of medications.
Biguanides are for patients with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes. Biguanides are sourced from French lilac extract, which contains isoamylene guanidine. Metformin is often the most popular drug for diabetics, ever since it was put on the market in 1994.
This type of medication makes your body more sensitive to insulin, drawing the glucose to your muscles. They also help prevent the liver from dumping an excess of sugar into the body, making it an excellent choice in medicine for people struggling with their weight. This medicine comes in liquid form: Metformin and Pioglitazone (ActoPlus Met), Metformin and Rosiglitazone (Avandamet) and Riomet, or it also comes in tablet form (Fortamet, Glucophage, Glucophage XR).
These medications usually need to be taken with food. If you forget to take one, don’t double up the medication. These drugs could rob you of folic acid, probiotics, Coenzyme Q10 and vitamin B12. This could cause depression, memory loss, confusion, muscle cramps, liver damage, fatigue, mouth sores, yeast infections, high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Possible side effects of biagunides include hypoglycemia, abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, diarrhea, headache and a metallic taste in the mouth. Excess lactic acid in the bloodstream, called “lactic acidosis” is another dangerous – albeit rare – complication. Lactic acidosis is connected to a high mortality rate, especially in those individuals over the age of 80 or who have other concerning health issues.
Lactic acid built up in the bloodstream can resul in fast, shallow breathing, weakness, cramps, sleepiness, muscle aches and feeling chilled. Stop using the drug if these side effects occur and notify your doctor right away; hospitalization may be needed.
For more type 2 and type 1 diabetes articles, visit Lifescript.com.
The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not, nor is it ever intended to be, a substitute for professional medical advice or professional recommendations, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician(s) or other qualified healthcare provider(s).