Doctors prescribe diverse medicines to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes and assistance switch blood sugar. Action may vary depending on your diagnosis, health, and other factors.
Diabetes is a disorder that reasons high blood glucose (sugar) levels.
This reaction occurs when your body cannot make or use the hormone insulin as it should. Insulin, shaped by the pancreas, helps the body use sugar from the foods you eat.
There are two main diabetes programs: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Persons with either type need medications to help control their blood sugar levels.
The types of drugs you take are dependent on the type of diabetes you have. Learn more about the treatment options available.
Medicines for type 1 diabetes
If you consume type 1 diabetes, your physique cannot make its insulin. The goal of treatment is to change the insulin that the pancreas cannot make.
Insulin
Insulin is the most common type of medication used to treat type 1 diabetes. More than five classes of insulin are sold in the United States under many names, both brand-name and generic.
Insulin is given as a brew below the skin (with the help of an insulin pump) or as an inoculation.
Here are many types of insulin. They vary in how quickly they start working, how long they work, and whether they have maximum leverage.
The type of insulin you need depends on your body’s compassion for insulin and the severity of your insulin deficiency. These include the following:
Short-acting insulin
Regular or “short-acting” insulin can reach your bloodstream 30 minutes after injection and peak 2 to 3 hours later. These injections also work for up to 3 to 6 hours.
Types of regular insulin include:
- Humulin R U-100
- Novolin R FlexPen
- Novolin R ReliOn
- Novolin R FlexPen ReliOn
Rapid-acting insulin
As the name advises, rapid-acting insulin works within 15 minutes. The peak time is 1 to 2 hours after use, and the medication continues between 2 and 4 hours.
Available types of rapid-acting insulin include:
- Inhaled insulin (Afrezza)
- Insulin aspart, sold under brand names including:
- Fiasp
- Fiasp FlexTouch
- Fiasp PenFill
- NovoLog
- NovoLog FlexPen
- NovoLog FlexTouch
- NovoLog PenFill
- ReliOn NovoLog
- ReliOn NovoLog FlexPen
- insulin glulisine (Apidra, Apidra SoloStar), which is available only as a brand-name drug
- Insulin lispro, sold under brand names including:
- Admelog
- Admelog SoloStar
- dropped
- KwikPen dropped
- Humala Junior KwikPen
- insulin lispro-aabc (Lyumjev, Lyumjev KwikPen)
Intermediate-acting insulin
Intermediate-acting insulin the whole thing within 2 to 4 hours after use, with a regular peak time of 12 hours. You can think this type of insulin lasts between 12 and 18 hours.
Examples include:
- Isophane insulin, sold under brand names including:
- Humulin N U-100
- Pull N KwikPen
- Novolin N.
- Novolin N FlexPen
- Novolin N ReliOn
- Novolin N FlexPen ReliOn
Long-acting insulin
Long-acting insulin helps lower blood glucose levels for up to 24 hours or longer. It stabilizes your blood vessels without a spike.
The types of long-acting insulin available include:
- insulin degludec (Tresiba, Tresiba FlexTouch)
- insulin detemir (Levemir)
- Insulin glargine, sold under brand names including:
- Basagral KwikPen
- Lantus
- Lantus SoloStar
- Toujeo SoloStar
- Toujeo Max SoloStar
- insulin glargine-yfgn (Semglee-yfgn)
- regular concentrated insulin (Humulin R U-500, Humulin R U-500 KwikPen)
Discover more about Type 2 Diabetes.
Medications for type 2 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes, your form makes insulin but does not use it properly. Your body cannot food enough insulin to keep your blood sugar levels inside the ideal range.
The goal of type 2 diabetes action is to help the body use insulin more efficiently or to remove excess glucose from the blood.
Most medicines for type 2 diabetes are oral medications. However, insulin or injectables may also be used. Some of these medications are mixtures of more than one diabetes medication.
Insulin
Some people with type 2 diabetes might also need to take insulin. The similar types of insulin used to extravagance type 1 diabetes can also indulgence type 2 diabetes.
The above types of insulin used to treat type 1 diabetes may be recommended by your doctor for type 2 diabetes. As with type 1 diabetes, it depends on the type of insulin wanted and the severity of your insulin deficiency. See the types of insulin above for discussion with a doctor.
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
These medications help the body break down starchy foods and table sugar. This effect lowers blood sugar levels.
These medications can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Your risk of hypoglycemia may be higher if you take them with other types of diabetes medications. Therefore, it is essential to take them only as a set.
For best outcomes, take alpha-glucosidase inhibitors before meals. These medicines include:
- acarbose
- miglitol (Glyset)
A Complete List of Diabetes Medications
biguanide
Biguanides reduce the amount of glucose made by the liver. They also reduce the amount of glucose absorbed by the intestines, help muscles absorb glucose, and make the body more sensitive to insulin.
The most public biguanide is metformin (Glumetza, Riomet, Riomet ER).
Metformin is considered the most generally arranged oral tablet for type 2 diabetes. It can also be collected with other type 2 diabetes medications. It is an ingredient in the following medications:
- metformin-alogliptin (Kazano)
- metformin/canagliflozin (Invokamet)
- metformin/dapagliflozin (Xigduo XR)
- metformin/empagliflozin (Synjardy)
- metformin/ertugliflozin (Segluromet)
- metformin/glipizide
- metformin/glibenclamide (Glucovance)
- metformin/linagliptin (Jentadueto, Jentadueto XR)
- metformin/pioglitazone (Actoplus Met, Actoplus Met XR)
- metformin/repaglinide (PrandiMet)
- metformin/rosiglitazone (Avandamet)
- metformin/saxagliptin (Kombiglyze) XR)
- metformin/sitagliptin (Janumet, Janumet XR)
Dopamine-2 agonists
Bromocriptine (Cycloset, Parlodel) is a dopamine-2 agonist.
It is not known exactly how this medication treats type 2 diabetes. It may affect your body’s rhythms and prevent insulin resistance.
According to a 2016 review, dopamine-2 agonists may also improve other related health problems, such as high cholesterol or weight control.
Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors.
DPP-4 inhibitors are used to help lower blood sugar without causing hypoglycemia.
DPP-4 inhibitors block the enzyme DPP-4. This enzyme breaks down a hormone called incretin, which usually helps the body make insulin when needed. Incretins also reduce the liver’s glucose production when the body does not need it.
These medications may also help the pancreas make more insulin.
Examples of DPP-4 inhibitors include:
- alogliptin (Nesina)
- alogliptin/metformin (Kazano)
- linagliptin (Tradjeta)
- linagliptin/empagliflozin (Glyxambi)
- linagliptin/metformin (Jentadueto, Jentadueto XR)
- saxagliptin (Onglyza)
- saxagliptin/metformin (Kombiglyze XR)
- sitagliptin (Januvia)
- sitagliptin/metformin (Janumet and Janumet XR)
- sitagliptin/simvastatin (Juvisync)
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 receptor agonists)
GLP-1 receptor agonists are similar to incretins. A doctor may suggest adding a diet and workout plan to help promote better glycemic control.
GLP-1 receptor agonists grow the amount of insulin the body uses and the growth of pancreatic beta cells. They decrease appetite and the amount of glucagon the body uses.
GLP-1 receptor agonists also slow stomach draining, which can exploit the absorption of nutrients from your foods while helping you maintain or lose weight
These are all essential actions for persons with diabetes.
For most people, atherosclerotic circulatory disease, heart failure, or enduring food disease may take over their diabetes. In these cases, the American Diabetes Reminder (ADA) mentions some GLP-1 receptor agonists as part of a glucose-lowering treatment regimen.
These medications include:
- dulaglutide (Trulicity)
- exenatide (Byetta)
- exenatide extended-release (Bydureon BCise)
- liraglutide (Saxenda, Victoza)
- lixisenatide (Adlyxin)
- semaglutide (Ozempic)
- tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
Meglitinides
These medications help your body release insulin. However, they are not for everyone. In some cases, they can lower your blood sugar too much, especially if you have progressive kidney disease.
These medications include:
- nateglinide (Starlix)
- repaglinide (Prandin)
Sodium-glucose transporter protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.
SGLT2 inhibitors work by stopping your kidneys from handling glucose. Instead, your body removes glucose through urine.
Over, in cases where atherosclerotic heart disease, heart failure, or continuing kidney disease predominate, the ADA praises SGLT2 inhibitors as a possible treatment option. Examples include trusted Source:
- canagliflozin (Invokana)
- canagliflozin/metformin (Invokamet, Invokamet XR)
- dapagliflozin (Farxiga)
- dapagliflozin/metformin (Xigduo XR)
- dapagliflozin/saxagliptin (Qtern)
- empagliflozin (Jardiance)
- empagliflozin/linagliptin (Glyxambi)
- empagliflozin/linagliptin-metformin (Trijardy XR)
- empagliflozin/metformin (Synjardy, Synjardy XR)
- ertugliflozin (Steglatro)
Sulfonylureas
These are among the oldest diabetes medications still in use today. They work by motivating the pancreas with the benefit of beta cells. This reasons your body to make more insulin.
These medications include:
- glimepiride (Amaryl)
- glimepiride/pioglitazone (Duetact)
- gliclazide
- glipizide
- glipizide ER (Glipizide XL, Glucotrol XL)
- glipizide/metformin
- glyburide (Glinase)
- glibenclamide/metformin
thiazolidinediones
Thiazolidinediones work by lowering glucose in the liver. They also help fat cells use insulin more efficiently by fighting insulin resistance.
These medications have a higher risk of heart disease. If your doctor prescribes one of these medications, they will monitor your heart job during treatment.
Options include:
- pioglitazone/alogliptin (Oseni)
- pioglitazone/glimepiride (Duetact)
- pioglitazone/metformin (Actoplus Met, Actoplus Met XR)
- rosiglitazone
Other Medications
People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes often need to take other medicines to treat settings standard to diabetes.
These medications may include the following:
- aspirin for heart health
- medicines for high cholesterol
- medicines for high blood pressure
Talk to a doctor
There are many medications available to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Each works in different ways to help control blood sugar.
Ask your doctor which diabetes medication may be best for you. They can make endorsements based on the type of diabetes you have, your healthiness, and other factors.
It’s also important to know that new diabetes medications are constantly being researched for approval.