- Lifestyle changes can be really helpful,
but what if those aren't enough?
In many cases,
if your blood sugar is still difficult to control
after you've changed your diet
or increase the amount of exercise you get,
it may be time to start a medication.
There are two main types of diabetes
so not all diabetes medications work for all patients.
Patients with type 1 diabetes,
the main issue here is that their body doesn't do
a very good job producing enough insulin.
And so many times the medication they need to take
are medications that replace the insulin,
and insulin usually needs to be injected.
In type 2 diabetes,
many times this is a disease that runs in families.
And the problem here
is that the body doesn't do a very good job responding
to insulin or the body produces too much glucose,
which is a type of sugar
that raises your blood sugar levels.
And in type 2 diabetics, usually the starting point
is medications that you can take by mouth,
but sometimes if those medications aren't enough,
they may also need insulin.
(bright music)
- I've been doing diabetes for a very long time
and I think currently the therapies available
to the diabetic are fantastic.
- Metformin is a medication
that is commonly used for diabetes.
It helps your body to respond better to its own insulin
and it helps your body to produce less glucose,
which is a sugar that causes rises in your blood sugar.
This is a popular medication
because it's effective at treating diabetes
and the cost is low.
There are some side effects associated with it
like all medications.
The most common side effect is GI upset.
People commonly experienced diarrhea.
But this could be avoided
when the medication is started at a low dose
and slowly increased over time.
It also typically gets better over time.
- So that's usually our first go-to,
but if there are other things going on with you,
for example, if you've had a heart attack
or you have congestive heart failure,
there are specific types of diabetes medications
that may be even better for you
or maybe additionally needed to treat your diabetes.
We now also have medications for diabetes
that have been specifically approved for weight loss.
- The GLP-1s work
by first, restoring the signal to your brain
that you are full after you eat.
So in diabetes,
that signal is thought to be not as sensitive it was before.
So the GLP-1 will help you so you won't eat as much
'cause you'll feel full early.
Second, the food that you do eat,
it slows it down through the stomach and intestines
so the sugar doesn't get absorbed as fast.
So your body's able to better manage
that increased sugar with its own insulin.
Third, in response to the food,
the GLP-1 helps you produce insulin
to respond to that sugar load.
- These medications are injectable, but they're not insulin.
And most of them require injections just once a week.
It's a little bit easier to take
than let's say, once daily insulin injections.
You're probably wondering,
"Which one is the right one for me?"
And the right medication for you is gonna be the one
that you can take regularly
and the one that gives you the least side effects
and that works the best
in terms of reducing your blood sugars
and your risk of complications.
- The biggest advice is you gotta take your medications.
Talk to your pharmacist if there's a barrier.
That's what they're there for.
Maybe they can help you figure out
how to manage medications taken at different time
of the day,
combine the medications that are not combined.
They can help you find strategies
on how to take your medications, the pill boxes, reminders,
apps on your phone, whatever you need,
but the important thing is to take your medication.