Treatments
What are some common oral diabetes medicines?
There are 5 types of oral diabetes medicines. Your doctor will decide which type of medicine is right for you.
Sulfonylureas help your body make more insulin. These are the most common type of oral diabetes medicine. Some examples of sulfonylureas include acetohexamide (brand name: Dymelor), chlorpropamide (brand name: Diabinese), glipizide (brand name: Glucotrol) and glyburide (brand names: DiaBeta, Glynase, Micronase).
Metformin (brand name: Glucophage) helps control blood sugar in a couple of ways. It helps your body use insulin better. It also helps your body make less sugar and reduces the amount of sugar your body absorbs from food. It almost never causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Meglitinides help your body make more insulin. Examples include nateglinide (brand name: Starlix) and repaglinide (brand name: Prandin). These pills are usually taken with meals.
Thiazolidinediones help your body use insulin better. They also help your body make less sugar. There are 2 thiazolidinediones: pioglitazone (brand name: Actos) and rosiglitazone (brand name: Avandia).
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors help your body absorb sugar more slowly to keep your blood sugar lower. This type of medicine is taken every time you eat a meal. There are 2 alphaglucosidase inhibitors: acarbose (brand name: Precose) and miglitol (brand name: Glyset).
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