Diabetes Medicines Summary Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. If you can’t control your diabetes with wise food choices and physical activity, you may need diabetes medicines. The kind of medicine you take depends on your type of diabetes, your schedule, and your other health conditions. With type 1 diabetes, your pancreas does not make insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose get into your cells to give them energy. Without insulin, too much glucose stays in your blood. If you have type 1 diabetes, you will need to take insulin. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, can start when the body doesn’t use insulin as it should. If your body can’t keep up with the need for insulin, you may need to take pills. Along with meal planning and physical activity, diabetes pills help people with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes keep their blood glucose levels on target. Several kinds of pills are available. Each works in a different way. Many people take two or three kinds of pills. Some people take combination pills. Combination pills contain two kinds of diabetes medicine in one tablet. Some people take pills and insulin. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Related Issues Alternative Devices for Taking Insulin National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Beware of Illegally Marketed Diabetes Treatments Food and Drug Administration Byetta, Victoza, Bydureon: Diabetes Drugs and Weight Loss Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Insulin and Weight Gain: Keep the Pounds Off Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Insulin Pumps American Diabetes Association Intensive Insulin Therapy: Tight Blood Sugar Control Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Managing Your Medicines American Diabetes Association More Choices Available for Diabetes Management Food and Drug Administration Find an Expert American Diabetes Association American Diabetes Association Directory of Diabetes Organizations National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypoglycemic Agents National Institutes of Health ClinicalTrials.gov: Insulin National Institutes of Health Array Diabetes – low blood sugar – self-care Giving an insulin injection Oral hypoglycemics overdose Specifics Diabetes and Insulin Hormone Health Network Diabetes Mellitus Type 1: Insulin Treatment (Beyond the Basics) UpToDate Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: Insulin Treatment (Beyond the Basics) UpToDate DPP-4 Inhibitors: Incretin-Based Medicine for Type 2 Diabetes Hormone Health Network GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Hormone Health Network Insulin Food and Drug Administration Insulin Secretagogues Hormone Health Network Oral Diabetes Drugs Consumers Union of U.S. Oral Medication American Diabetes Association Other Injectable Medications American Diabetes Association Treating Type 2 Diabetes Array Type 2 Diabetes and TZDs (Thiazolidinediones) Hormone Health Network Start Here Diabetes: Insulin Therapy American Academy of Family Physicians Insulin Basics American Diabetes Association What I Need to Know about Diabetes Medicines National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Women and Diabetes — Diabetes Medicines Food and Drug Administration Genetics Genetics Home Reference: type 1 diabetes National Library of Medicine Treatments and Therapies Herbs, Supplements and Alternative Medicines American Diabetes Association Encyclopedia Lactic acidosis Statistics and Research Patient Access to Research American Diabetes Association Journal Articles Diabetes Medicines Videos and Tutorials Taking Medication American Association of Diabetes Educators Women Women and Diabetes Food and Drug Administration Latest News Cost of Insulin Rises Threefold in Just a Decade HealthDay More Evidence Diabetes Drug Actos Raises Bladder Cancer Risk a Bit HealthDay Diabetes Meds Vary in Safety and Effectiveness, Study Shows HealthDay FDA: 2 Diabetes Drugs May Be Linked to Heart Failure Risk HealthDay Metformin Safer for Heart Than Other Common Type 2 Diabetes Drugs HealthDay Widely Used Type 2 Diabetes Drug May Reduce Cancer Death Risk HealthDay
