Diabetes means your blood glucose, or blood sugar, is 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. Some people need both insulin and 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.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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JAMA Patient Page: Insulin(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/297/2/230.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/297/2/230/DC1/1
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What I Need to Know about Diabetes Medicines
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/medicines_ez/
Also available in Spanish http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/medicines_ez/index.htm
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Diabetes Drugs(Consumers Union of U.S.) - http://www.consumerreports.org/health/best-buy-drugs/type2diabetes.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.consumerreports.org/health/resources/pdf/best-buy-drugs/Diabetes-2pager-Spanish-FINAL.pdf
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Diabetes: Why You Need Insulin and How to Use It(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/diabetes/treatment/354.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/diabetes/treatment/354.printerview.html
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Oral Diabetes Medicines(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/seniors/seniors-meds/803.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/seniors/seniors-meds/803.printerview.html
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Pills for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for Adults(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/healthInfo.cfm?infotype=sg&DocID=28&ProcessID=6
Also available in Spanish http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/repFiles/OralHypo_Consumer_Spanish.pdf
- Cycloset Approved for Type 2 Diabetes(05/06/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83904.html
- Drug Seen Useful in Preventing Diabetes(04/21/2009, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_83208.html
- Halting Avandia Use Hikes Blood Sugar Levels(04/16/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_82998.html
- Insulin Pens Are Not for Sharing(03/25/2009, Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/insulin_pens032509.html
- More News on Diabetes Medicines http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_d.html#diabetesmedicines
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Diabetes: Insulin Lispro(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/diabetes/treatment/253.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/diabetes/treatment/253.printerview.html
- Metformin vs. Avandia: Are Older Diabetes Drugs More Effective?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/metformin/DA00141/METHOD=print
- Premixed Insulin for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for Adults(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) - http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/healthInfo.cfm?infotype=sg&DocID=125&ProcessID=18
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Alternative Devices for Taking Insulin(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/insulin/
- Byetta: Can Diabetes Drug Also Help Me Lose Weight?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/byetta/AN01315/METHOD=print
- Insulin and Weight Gain: Keep the Pounds Off(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/insulin-and-weight-gain/DA00139/METHOD=print
- Intensive Insulin Therapy: Achieving Tight Blood Sugar Control(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/intensive-insulin-therapy/DA00088/METHOD=print
- Intensive Insulin Therapy: Too Risky for Type 2 Diabetes?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/intensive-insulin-therapy/DA00142/METHOD=print
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Control Your Diabetes: It's Worth the Time, Part 3: Medication & Glucose Numbers(Healthy Roads Media) - http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/english/Files/flv/engdiaglumed.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.healthyroadsmedia.org/spanish/Files/flv/spadiaglumed.htm
- Taking Medication(American Association of Diabetes Educators) - http://www.diabeteseducator.org/DiabetesEducation/Patient_Resources/takingmedication.html
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Financial Help for Diabetes Care(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/financialhelp/
- Medicare Coverage of Diabetes Supplies and Services(Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) - Large PDF file - http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11022.pdf
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypoglycemic Agents(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=%22Hypoglycemic+Agents%22
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Insulin(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=%22Insulin%22
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Comparison of Two Types of Insulin Added to Diabetes Pills in Poorly Controlled Type 2 Diabetes(American College of Physicians) - Links to PDF - http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/149/8/I-46.pdf
- Diabetes Medications(American Diabetes Association) - Current medical research reports - http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/summaries/medications.jsp
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Prevention of diabetic retinopathy. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19376433&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Pumped up. A real-world look at insulin pumps. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19360976&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: New diabetes therapies help reduce cardiovascular risks. New medications attack... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19350730&tool=MedlinePlus
- Diabetes Medicines -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term= (diabetes+mellitus/dt[majr]+OR+diabetes+insipidus/dt[majr]+OR+hypoglycemic+agents[majr]+OR+(diabetes+mellitus,type+1[majr]+AND+insulin[majr]))+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Diabetes Association - http://www.diabetes.org/
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National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Insulin and Medications(American Diabetes Association) - http://www.diabetes.org/for-parents-and-kids/diabetes-care/insulin-medications.jsp
- Diabetes - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetes.html
- Diabetes Type 1 - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetestype1.html
- Drug Therapy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugtherapy.html
- Endocrine System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Diabetes Medicines is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
Diabetes Medicines - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/diabetesmedicines.html