Medicines to Control your Blood Sugar

There are six main groups of tablets you may be prescribed to control your diabetes. The way in which they work to help control your diabetes is described below.
1. METFORMIN
This belongs to a group known as Biguanides
Taken 2- 3 times a day with or after food.
How It Works: Metformin improves your body’s responses to insulin and also stops it making too much sugar. Metformin may be used alone or in combination with other treatments e.g Gliclazide or any of those listed below.

2. GLIBENCLAMIDE, GLICLAZIDE, GLIPIZIDE,GLIMEPIRIDE
These belong to the group known as Sulphonylureas
Taken 1-3 times daily, shortly before food.

How It Works: These stimulate the body to make more insulin because it may not be making enough for your needs. This should then lower your blood sugar levels. These may be used alone or in combination with other treatments such as those below.

3. ACARBOSE, Miglitol,Voglibose;
Belongs to a group known as Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors
Taken 1-3 times day
How It Works: by delaying the rate at which you digest sugar, which in turns slows down the rate at which your blood sugar rises after you have eaten. It slows down the uptake of starchy and sugary foods from the intestines.It may be used alone or in combination with other medications. It should be chewed with first mouthful of food or swallowed whole with a little liquid immediately before food.
4. ROSIGLITAZONE and PIOGLITAZONE
These belong to a group called Thiazolidinediones
Taken 1-2 times a day with or without food.
How It Works: Glitazone tablets increase the action of your body’s insulin by helping it work more effectively. It may be used alone or in combination with other medication.
5. REPAGLINIDE and NATEGLINIDE
These belong to a group called Prandial Glucose Regulators
Taken up to 3 times a day before food.
How It Works: These help your body produce the right amount of insulin after meals to cope with the increase in sugar in your blood stream.They work very quickly and should be taken shortly before each main meal.
6. Sitagliptin,Vildagliptin
These belong to a group called DPP4 Inhibitors.
How it works: It works by increasing Insulin secretion and also by decreasing sugar production by Liver.