Drug Treatment for Diabetes

Diabetes and Drug Treatments
Diabetes Types
Type 1 diabetes is also called juvenile diabetes because it tends to occur in young people and children. It happens when the person’s body fails to produce adequate amounts of insulin. Insulin is the hormone made by the pancreas that helps the body to regulate blood sugar. When the body lacks enough insulin to perform this function, the individual is typically diagnosed with type 1 diabetes or juvenile diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is different in that the body may produce enough insulin but the body’s cells are insulin-resistant, so the insulin cannot do its job of converting blood sugar into energy, which makes the blood sugar level rise to a dangerously high level. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.
Gestational diabetes is the third type of diabetes. It occurs in women who are pregnant. It is not infrequent for this to happen to pregnant women, and post-pregnancy the woman can develop type 2 diabetes. However, the woman’s body can also return to normal and there will be no more symptoms of diabetes. Just because a woman has gestational diabetes does not mean, therefore, that she will be a diabetic the rest of her life. In fact, diet and exercise can play a large role in the extent to which one’s diabetes is a debilitating factor (Bain, Crane, Tieu, Han, Crowther & Middleton, 2015). Diet has been shown to be an effective way to prevent diabetes for a number of populations (Pronk & Remington, 2015).
Treating Diabetes
One type of drug used to treat type 2 diabetes is the oral drug metformin, the common brand of which is called Riomet. This drug must be prescribed by a physician and is taken by the mouth usually 1-3 times per day, with meals. The individual is able to measure out the dose himself using a measuring device at home. This popular drug has been used by many patients with diabetes over the years—however, it is not without its risks and side effects. As opposed to other type 2 diabetes drugs which are injected using a prick pen that shoots the insulin into the body and is self-administered, too, metformin can be swallowed using a spoon.
Side Effects
One study has shown that metformin is now associated with cognitive impairment (Faux & Watters, 2014). Metformin can cause B12 levels to drop as well, which is why Faux and Watters (2014) also point out that patients who use this drug should be monitored for B12 levels as well. The cognitive impairment can be related to the B12 loss, but there is another way it can be related as well: “AMP-activated protein kinase activation by metformin was sufficient to induce dendritic spine loss in hippocampal cells. Therefore, there is at least some evidence for a neurodegenerative effect” (Faux & Watters, 2014, p. 151). This is not, however, the only side effect of using metformin. There are others as well.
The other side effects can include the typical side effects so often associated with pharmacotherapy: nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, weakness, diarrhea, and so on. A doctor should always be consulted if these symptoms occur so that the medication can be switched. As there are many different types of medication for type 2 diabets, patients are not limited to any one specific kind, and if one does not work, others may be available for use that are less negatively impactful on the body.
Short-term side effects of fusing metformin can include the above-mentioned issues, and if they do then the medicine should be alternated with a different type. If metformin is combined with other diabetes medications, there is the potential risk of low blood sugar occurring, which is hypoglycemia. If this occurs, it is commonly because another diabetes medication is used in conjunction with metformin. Symptoms of hypoglycemia can include an elevated heart rate, dizziness, hunger, sweatiness, and inability to see clearly.
Long-term side effects of this drug can include cognitive impairment, as Faux and Watters (2014) have pointed out. Hyperglycemia can also occur, the symptoms of which include confusion, need to urinate frequently, increased rate of breathing and a fruity odor on the breath. Again, if hyperglycemia occurs, the patient is advised to get into contact with the physician because it is more than likely occurring as a result of an unhealthy combination of diabetes medications.
If one is already taking a different medicine for diabetes, the doctor should be instructed because certain combinations can create side effects for the patient that would otherwise not occur. The physician should always be kept abreast of these conditions when they do happen.
Alternatives to this medication are to exercise and diet properly, though these are typically not recommended alone without pharmacotherapy of some sort. Usually metformin is prescribed in conjunction with a dietary routine and an exercise schedule to help the patient lose weight. There is commonly a connection between obesity and type 2 diabetes, which is why health care providers routinely recommend that patients develop a dietary plan and an exercise plan to facilitate the treatment of diabetes.
References
Bain, E., Crane, M., Tieu, J., Han, S., Crowther, C., & Middleton, P. (2015). Diet and
exercise interventions for preventing gestational diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 4, CD10443.
Faux, N. G., & Watters, D. A. (2014). Increased Risk of Cognitive Impairment in Patients
With Diabetes Is Associated With Metformin. Diabetes Care, 37, e151.
Pronk, N. P., & Remington, P. L. (2015). Combined diet and physical activity promotion
programs for prevention of diabetes: Community Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 163(6), 465-468.