Type 2 Diabetes: Living With Complications-Medications

Type 2 Diabetes: Living With Complications - Medications

You may be taking more than one oral medicine to treat your type 2 diabetes. You may be taking insulin by injection or through an insulin pump alone or along with oral diabetes medicine. Taking these medicines as prescribed can help keep your blood sugar levels within your target range. For information on these medicines, see the Medications section of the topic Type 2 Diabetes: Living With the Disease.

You may need to take:

Recommended Related to Diabetes

Traveling With Diabetes

If you have diabetes, traveling requires extra planning. Changes in meal patterns, activity levels, and time zones can affect your blood sugar levels with diabetes. That's why it's important to have some key reminders to make traveling with diabetes much easier:

Read the Traveling With Diabetes article > >

Aspirin. Talk to your doctor about whether you should take low-dose aspirin. Daily low-dose aspirin (81 milligrams) may help prevent heart problems if you are at risk for heart attack or stroke.⁵
A diuretic, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, angiotensin II receptor blocker, or other medicine if you have high blood pressure or have protein in your urine. These medicines can slow or prevent further damage to your kidneys.
Medicines for digestive problems. The type of medicine will depend on the problem you are having. For example, if you have gastroparesis, you may take metoclopramide (Reglan) or erythromycin.
Nonprescription pain relievers, creams, or prescription oral or injection medicines if you have pain from peripheral neuropathy.
Medicines such as sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), or tadalafil (Cialis) if you have erection problems. These medicines can make heart problems worse in some people, especially those who take nitrate medicines (such as nitroglycerin). Check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines.

Medication Choices

Medicines for some complications include:

Aspirin after a heart attack or stroke or to prevent these.
Statins such as atorvastatin (Lipitor), simvastatin (Zocor), or pravastatin (Pravachol), to help prevent heart attack or stroke.
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) for diabetic nephropathy.
Phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5 inhibitors) such as Viagra, Levitra, or Cialis if you have erection problems. Check with your doctor before taking any of these medicines.
Fibrates such as gemfibrozil (Lopid) or fenofibrate (Tricor) to help lower triglycerides and increase HDL levels.

What to Think About

Keep your blood sugar levels tightly within your target range by taking your oral diabetes medicine (and, in some cases, insulin) as prescribed.

If you have high cholesterol, take cholesterol-reducing medicines (such as statins) to keep your LDL cholesterol level less than 100 mg/dL or aim for keeping it at 70 mg/dL, your triglyceride level less than 150 mg/dL, and if possible, your HDL cholesterol level more than 40 mg/dL for men, and more than 50 mg/dL for women. See the topic High Cholesterol.

If you have high blood pressure, take medicines to keep your blood pressure consistently below 130/80 mm Hg. If your systolic blood pressure is between 130 mm Hg and 139 mm Hg or your diastolic blood pressure is between 80 mm Hg and 89 mm Hg, you may try some lifestyle or behavioral therapy for 3 months before starting medicine.⁵ For more information, see the topic High Blood Pressure (Hypertension).

Answer:

Your level is currently NormalHigh (hyperglycemia).Low (hypoglycemia).

If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.

People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Your blood sugar level is slightly high. You should call your health care provider and ask if laboratory tests to check for diabetes are needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.

However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Your level is currently normal. However, if you are concerned about diabetes speak with your physician. There may be other risk factors that increase your risk for diabetes.

Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.

Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.

One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Your blood sugar level may be high, depending on when you last ate. If you have not eaten for at least 8 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 100. If you've eaten within the last 2 hours, your blood sugar should be less than 140. You should call your health care provider and ask if you need laboratory tests to check for diabetes. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Blood sugars consistently above 180 warrant prompt medical attention.

Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.

One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.

Your blood sugar level is high. You should call your health care provider and ask if laboratory tests to check for diabetes are needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.

Today in Diabetes