Women and Diabetes - Diabetes Medicines
Diabetes can make it hard to control how much sugar (called glucose) is in your blood.
There is hope! Some people with diabetes can take medicines to help keep their blood sugar at a healthy level.
This page gives some basic facts about diabetes medicines. Insulin is covered in a separate page. People with type 1 diabetes must use insulin. Use this page to help you talk to your healthcare provider about the kind of medicine that is right for you.
Do not wait. Diabetes is a serious illness.
Diabetes can cause a heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage, and other serious health problems. This is why it is so important for you to get treatment for your diabetes. Treatment can help prevent or slow some of these serious health problems.
You can control your diabetes.
Click on these links to go to the different parts of this page.
- General Tips
- What You Can Do about Side Effects
- Diabetes Medicines
- Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- Sign Up for a Pregnancy Registry
General Tips
There are few kinds of medicines used to treat diabetes. Each kind affects your body in a different way. Some diabetes medicines are taken as pills that you swallow. There are other medicines that you inject. Some people with diabetes need to use medicines every day. What you need depends on your health and the type of diabetes you have. Your healthcare provider can tell you if you need to use medicine to treat your diabetes.
- Talk to your doctor before you change or stop taking your diabetes medicines.
- People with type 1 diabetes must use insulin.
- Ask your doctor about your target blood sugar level.
- Talk to your doctor or nurse about what you should do if your blood sugar gets too low or too high.
- Ask your doctor if your diabetes medicines will affect your other medicines including your birth control.
What You Can Do About Side Effects
Diabetes medicines do not act the same in each person. These medicines can sometimes cause side effects. The side effects will depend on your body and the type of medicine you are taking. Follow these tips to help you learn how to handle the side effects.
- Get the facts. Ask your healthcare provider for the side effects, warnings, and other facts for the medicines you are taking. This booklet does not give all the facts for each kind of diabetes medicine.
- Speak up. Tell someone about any problems you may be having with your medicines. Your doctor may change your medicine or give you tips to help you deal with the side effects.
- Check the FDA website. You can find current safety information about your medicine.
- Report serious problems with your medicines.You or your doctor can tell the FDA about serious problems with your medicines. Report online or call FDA at 1-800-332-1088 to request a form.
Diabetes Medicines
Different kinds of diabetes medicines are shown below. These medicines are most often used to treat type 2 diabetes. The brand names and other names are given for each medicine. There are also some tips about each kind of diabetes medicine. Ask your healthcare provider to tell you the best way to take your medicines. They can also tell you about your medicine’s side effects and warnings. This guide does not give all side effects or warnings for each medicine.
Meglitinides
How do they work? These pills help your body make more insulin around mealtime.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Prandin | repaglinide |
| Starlix | nateglinide |
Some Things To Think About
Before you start taking these medicines, tell your health provider if:
- you have liver or kidney problems
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding
Common Side Effects
- Hypoglycemia (blood sugar that is too low)
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
Alpha-glucosidase Inhibitors
How do they work? These pills help your body digest sugar more slowly.
| Brand Name | Other Names |
|---|---|
| Glyset | miglitol |
| Precose | acarbose |
Some Things To Think About
- These medicines are not likely to cause weight gain or blood sugar that is too low
- Before you start taking this drug, tell your doctor if:
- you have heart, liver, or kidney problems
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding
Common Side Effects
- Stomach Pain
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- Abnormal Liver Tests
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
Thiazolidinediones
How do they work? These pills help the cells in your body use glucose.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Actos | pioglitazone |
| Avandia | rosiglitazone |
Some Things To Think About
- Before you start taking these drugs, tell your doctor if you have heart failure.
- These medicines may raise your chance of having a broken bone (fracture).
- Before you take Actos, tell your doctor if you are a premenopausal women (before the "change of life") who does not have periods regularly or at all. Actosmay increase your chance of becoming pregnant. Talk to your doctor about birth control choices while taking Actos.
Common Side Effects
- Fluid Retention
- Weight Gain
- Heart Failure (heart cannot pump blood well)
- Anemia (low red blood cell counts)
- Upper Respiratory Tract Infection
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
DPP-4 Inhibitors
How do they work? These pills help your body release more insulin.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Januvia | sitagliptin |
| Onglyza | saxagliptin |
| Nesina | alogliptin |
| Tradjenta | linagliptin |
Some Things To Think About
- Call your doctor right away if you have severe stomach pain with or without nausea or vomiting. This may be a sign of a serious side effect.
Common Side Effects
- Upper Respiratory Infection
- Headache
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
Sulfonylureas
How do they work? These pills help your body make more insulin.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Amaryl | glimepiride |
| Diabeta Glynase |
glyburide |
| Diabinese | chlorpropamide |
| Glucotrol Glucotrol XL (extended release) |
glipizide |
| No brand name | tolbutamide |
| No brand name | tolazamide |
Some Things To Think About
- Before you start taking this drug, tell your health care provider if you have heart, liver, or kidney problems.
- Older adults and people with kidney or liver problems may be more likely to have low blood sugar when taking these medicines.
Common Side Effects
- Hypoglycemia (blood sugar that is too low)
- Weight Gain
- Headache
- Dizziness
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
Biguanides
How do they work? These pills stop your liver from making too much sugar (glucose). They also help the sugar get into your cells.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Fortamet | metformin |
| Glucophage | metformin |
| Glucophage XR (extended release) | metformin |
| Glumetza | metformin |
| Riomet | metformin |
Some Things To Think About
- Talk to your doctor about your kidney health before you start and while you are taking this type of medicine.
- These medicines are not likely to cause weight gain or blood sugar that is too low.
- People who drink a lot of alcohol and people with kidney problems may have a rare side effect called lactic acidosis (acid to build up in the blood).
Common Side Effects
- Diarrhea
- Indigestion
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Gas
- Feeling Weak
- Headache
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
Dopamine Receptor Agonists
How do they work? This pill affects a chemical called dopamine in your cells. It is not clear how this pill works for diabetes.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Cycloset | bromocriptine |
Some Things To Think About
-
Do not take this medicine if you are breastfeeding.
Common Side Effects
- Nausea
- Headache
- Feel Very Tired
- Feel Dizzy
- Vomiting
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
Bile Acid Sequestrants
How do they work? It is not clear how this pill works for diabetes.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Welchol | colesevelam |
Some Things To Think About
- This medicine is also used to treat high cholesterol.
- Tell your doctor if you are taking other cholesterol medicines.
Common Side Effects
- Constipation
- Dyspepsia (upset stomach/indigestion)
- Nausea
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
SGLT2 Inhibitors
How do they work? These pills affect the kidney to increase the amount of sugar that goes out in the urine.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Farxiga | dapagliflozin |
| Invokana | canagliflozin |
| Jardiance | empagliflozin |
| Steglatro | ertugliflozin |
Some Things to Think About
- Do not take these drugs if you have severe kidney problems or are on dialysis.
- Before you take these drugs, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems.
Common Side Effects
- Vaginal Yeast Infections
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Changes in Urination
Combination Medicines
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| ActoPlus Met ActoPlus Met XR (extended release) |
pioglitazone and metformin |
| Avandamet | rosiglitazone and metformin |
| Avandaryl | rosiglitazone and glimepiride |
| Duetact | pioglitazone and glimepiride |
| Glucovance | glyburide and metformin |
| Glyxambi | empagliflozin and linagliptin |
| Invokamet Invokamet XR (extended release) |
canagliflozin and metformin |
| Janumet Janumet XR (extended release) |
sitagliptin and metformin |
| Jentadueto | linagliptin and metformin |
| Kazano | alogliptin and metformin |
| Kombiglyze Kombiglyze XR (extended release) |
saxagliptin and metformin |
| Metaglip | glipizide and metformin |
| Oseni | alogliptin and metformin |
| PrandiMet | repaglinide and metformin |
| Xigduo XR | dapagliflozin and metformin |
Some Things to Think About
- These combinations are made up of two kinds of medicines. The side effects depend on which two medicines are in the pill.
- Ask your healthcare provider for the facts about the combination drug you are taking.
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
These are medicines that you inject under your skin. These medicines should not be used instead of insulin.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Adlyxin | lixisenatide |
| Bydureon | exenatide |
| Byetta | exenatide |
| Ozempic | semaglutide |
| Tanzeum | albiglutide |
| Trulicity | dulaglutide |
| Victoza | liraglutide |
Some Things To Think About
- Some people with diabetes can take these medicines that you inject under your skin.
- These medicines are not the same as insulin.
- Some people feel nauseous when they first start taking these medicines.
Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product.
Amylin Analog
This is a medicine that you inject under your skin. This medicine should not be used instead of insulin.
| Brand Name | Other Name |
|---|---|
| Symlin | pramlintide acetate |
Some Things to Think About
- People who use insulin can also use Symlin.
- People with type 1 diabetes can also use Symlin.
- Symlin should be taken in a separate injection. Do not mix Symlin and isulin in the same injection.
- This medicine is usually taken before meals.
- Some people feel nauseous when they first start taking this medicine.
My Diabetes Medicines
| Medicine Name | How Much Do I Take? | When Do I Take It? | Important Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
Write down the facts about your diabetes medicines the next time you talk to your doctor, nurse, or diabetes educator.
- How will my medicines affect my blood sugar?
- Will it affect my other medicines?
- What are the side effects?
- What do I do if I start having side effects?
- What should I do if I am pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding?
- What else should I know about my diabetes medicines?
Sign Up for a Pregnancy Registry
Pregnancy Exposure Registries are research studies that collect information from women who take prescription medicines or vaccines during pregnancy. Pregnancy registries can help women and their doctors learn more about how diabetes medicines affect women during pregnancy.
The FDA does not run pregnancy studies, but it keeps a list of registries. Check to see if there is a registry for your diabetes medicine or other medicines at: www.fda.gov/pregnancyregistries
This page should not be used in place of talking to your doctor or reading the label on your medicine. The drug and risk information may change. Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each product. This page was developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Women’s Health. To download free copies of this booklet and other diabetes materials visit: www.fda.gov/womenshealthpubs