Injectable Diabetes Medications
In addition to the oral medications, there are also various injectable medications that can be used to treat type 2 diabetes.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
This type of injectable helps your body to make insulin and at the same time, keep the liver from producing too much glucose.
One benefit to some patients is a reduction in appetite and, in turn, some weight loss. These drugs might initially give you a bit of nausea, but that usually goes away after a time. Which drug you take determines how often you will need the injection.
Amylin Analogues
Another type of injectable which helps your body to produce its own insulin. In addition, it slows the path of food movement to enable the glucose to stay lower after meals.
Insulin
Usually the last tried drug for type 2 diabetes. Sometimes insulin pens are used in combination with some of the above-mentioned drugs. There are various types of insulin products are based on how quickly they work in the body.
Side Effects of Diabetic Medications
As noted above, many medications will have a tendency to cause intestinal side effects. Diarrhea, nausea, and gas are the most common side effects.
You should also be aware that alcohol doesn’t always mix well with diabetes medications. Some interactions can cause vomiting and general malaise.
Be sure to ask your doctor about your particular situation to see what they recommend for you.
The Costs of Diabetes Medications
Many people are rightly concerned about being able to afford their diabetes medicines. I know this is a constantly debated topic. I have found a few things to help me personally.
Here are a few tips:
- Go to the drug websites for the medical assistance programs. Your doctor’s office or pharmacy should be able to help you with this if needed. Many medications offer things like free trial periods, discounted products or even work with your insurance to bring down your co-pays. In past years, this help has turned out to be the only way I could afford some of my prescriptions. A simple Google search will also tell you the website of the production company.
- Ask your doctor about generics. Many insurance companies will offer much lower co-pays for you to use generic medications.
- Discuss the dosage. It’s possible a slightly higher or lower dose may provide a better price. When in doubt, call your insurance company directly for their help. They are usually more than happy to help you find ways to cut costs on your care.
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider and look at regarding type 2 diabetes medications and the combinations of drugs is endless.
But, if you and your doctor can have good communication and a little bit of patience, you are sure to come up with the right plan for you. Remember, your sugar control is not just dependent on the medications.
You still need to take the proper diet and exercise precautions too. But, those are blogs for another day.
