Side effects of diabetes medications

Depending on the patient's condition and condition, the specialist will give the patient the drug along with specialized products to treat diabetes more effectively. However, during treatment, diabetes drugs will cause some effects on the body.

Based on different mechanisms of lowering blood sugar, diabetes drugs are divided into 4 groups as follows:
Drugs that increase insulin sensitivity include: Biguanide metformin (Metforal, Glucophage, Stagid); thiazolidinedione rosiglitazone (Avandia, Hasandia 8, Avanglyco 4); thiazolidinedione pioglitazone (Actos, Dopili 15 mg, Pioglitazone Stada 30mg, Pioglar); GLP-1 receptor agonist (exenatide); DPP-4 inhibitor sitagliptin Januvia TM. Drugs that increase insulin secretion : Sulfonylurea: glimepiride (Amaryl), glibenclamide (Daonil, Maninil), gliclazide (Diamicron, glipizide (Glibénès, Minidiab), Meglitinide Repaglinide Drugs that slow the absorption of fat and glucose from the intestines : drugs Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors: Acarbose (Glucobay, Precose), lipase inhibitors (orlistat) Insulin: slow-acting insulin (Lantus®); intermediate-acting insulin (Protaphane®, Humulin® NPH); short-acting insulin (Actrapid®, Humulin®, Apidra®); rapid-acting insulin (Novorapid®, Humalog®); premixed insulin.

2.1. Hypoglycemia Drugs used to treat diabetes are effective in lowering blood sugar levels. In some cases, the wrong way a person takes certain medications can cause hypoglycemia - a condition in which blood sugar drops below normal levels. Without measures to raise blood sugar back to normal, it will lead to severe loss of consciousness and deep coma.
To avoid hypoglycemia, it is necessary to gradually increase the dose of the drug, distribute meals throughout the day to match the dose of the drug, avoid excessive diet or exercise too much.
Some notes so that patients do not have hypoglycemia when taking drugs:
Do not use 2 drugs from the same group because they have the same mechanism of action. A slow-acting drug can be mixed with a fast-acting drug. Check the blood sugar level in the blood before taking the medicine to take timely preventive measures.

2.2. Side effects on the liver and kidneys When using diabetes drugs can cause some serious side effects. The two organs directly affected by diabetes drugs are the liver and kidneys. The liver is responsible for metabolism and the kidneys are responsible for elimination.
2.3. Allergies to drugs After using diabetes drugs, patients may have allergies. Some manifestations such as rash, urticaria, inflammation, ... If the condition is severe, the patient may experience anaphylaxis leading to death.
In case of the above condition, the treatment is simply to stop using the drug. Because if you continue to use this drug, the allergy will return.
Patients who experience the above conditions when taking medication for diabetes, must immediately notify a specialist to change the prescription accordingly. It is not possible to regret that continued use of the drug has caused an allergic reaction to the body.

2.4. Abdominal bloating and diarrhea Metformin - glucophage is one of the drugs that cause gastrointestinal disorders, at this time the patient will have symptoms of bloating and diarrhea.
It is possible to reduce the dose of the drug when this situation occurs, but if it does not go away, you must immediately notify the doctor to change the prescription to another more suitable prescription.

Diabetes is a chronic disease and the patient must determine long-term treatment. Therefore, care must be taken during the use of the drug to minimize the side effects caused by the drug. If you have any unusual symptoms, you should immediately notify your doctor for advice and timely treatment. Absolutely do not adjust the prescription or the dose of the drug yourself.

To minimize unwanted side effects brought by diabetes medications. Patients should note some of the following issues to treat diabetes more effectively:
Take medicine in the right way, at the right time, at the right dose. Consult your doctor about unusual problems during the use of the drug. Taking medicine in combination with a scientific diet helps to control sugar levels in the body well. Not only that, it also helps patients improve health, prevent dangerous complications of the disease. Maintain a healthy and relaxed mentality to make the treatment process more effective. Patients need to regulate emotions, relax their mind and limit unstable negative thoughts. These things will help keep your blood sugar under good control.

Occurrence of some side effects when using diabetes medicine is common. Patients should not be too worried that it will affect their health. Please consult a specialist for the most appropriate solution. The doctor will make a change in the type of drug, the course of treatment to best suit the patient's condition.
Aiming to bring healthcare quality according to international standards, since its establishment, Vinmec International General Hospital system has always focused on the development of clinical pharmacy, coordinated support with specialties, contribute to the most effective treatment for the patient. With the patient-centered model, pharmacists actively participate in the multidisciplinary care team (doctors - pharmacists - nurses) with specific clinical pharmacy activities and services:
Interview history of drug use, control of drugs used by the patient before hospital admission; Pharmacovigilance activities include: Management of adverse drug reactions (ADRs); Medication error management (ME) As a result, the patient's drug treatment process at Vinmec is always guaranteed to be transparent and consistent.