Other Injectable Diabetes Medications
Besides
insulin, there are two other classes of injectable
diabetes medicines:
- Incretin mimetics
- Amylin analogues.
Incretin Mimetics
There is one incretin mimetic available, called
exenatide (
Byetta®). It works by acting like the hormone incretin in the body, increasing insulin production and slowing digestion. It is used to treat type 2 diabetes either by itself or in combination with
metformin, a sulfonylurea, or thiazolidinedione.
Amylin Analogues
There is one amylin analogue available, called
pramlintide acetate (
Symlin®). Pramlintide is used to treat both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. This diabetes drug works like the hormone amylin in the body, increasing insulin production, slowing digestion, decreasing the production of glucose by the liver, and reducing appetite.
A Summary of Diabetes Drugs
There are several classes of diabetes drugs available for both type 1 and type 2
diabetes treatment. Your healthcare provider will consider a number of factors before deciding on which drug or combination of drugs is best for your situation.
Keep in mind that
treatment for diabetes can require considerable time and patience -- both for you and your doctor. It can be frustrating to take pills or shots and possibly experience side effects, especially if you felt fine before taking the drugs. Remember that your blood sugar is only lowered while you are taking these medications. That's why diabetes drugs can't be stopped in most cases.
Try not to get discouraged if you must be treated indefinitely. Coping with the inconvenience of diabetes drugs is still much better than suffering a
stroke,
heart attack, or other
diabetes complications.
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