Diabetes drugs help patients maintain healthy blood sugar levels. In combination with diet and exercise, diabetes drugs help prevent blindness, loss of limbs, kidney disease and other problems associated with persistent high blood sugar. Doctors take many factors into account when prescribing diabetes drugs, such as whether the drug is fast-acting or slow-acting and what type of diabetes the patient has. There is no one best drug for all diabetics because drugs that are excellent for type 2 diabetes may be worthless for treating type 2 diabetics. Fortunately, a number of excellent drugs are available for managing blood sugar levels in all patients.
Glyburide
Glyburide---also known as glibenclamide---is so valued that it made the World Health Organization's Essential Medicines List. This drug is used to treat type 2 diabetes. According to Pub Med Health, it works by helping the pancreas secrete insulin. Glyburide is ineffective to treat type 1 diabetes because the body must be capable of producing insulin for the drug to work.
Glipizide
Glipizide is similar to glyburide because both are sulfonylurea compounds. Like glyburide, glipizide works by stimulating the pancreas to produce insulin. One difference between the two drugs, however, is that while food delays the absorption the glipizide, glyburide absorption is not affected by food. According to PubMed Health, glypizide is also known by the brand name Glucatrol. It is also prescribed in combination with metformin in a product called Metaglip.
Metformin
Metformin appears on the World Health Organization's List of essential medicines. According to MedLine Plus, metformin works by decreasing the amount of glucose that is absorbed from food and increasing the body's ability to respond to insulin. It is often used in either alone or in combination with insulin or glyburide.
MedLine Plus warns that although metformin has a long, track record in treating diabetes, it has a very rare and very serious side effect called lactic acidosis.
Repaglinide
Manufacturer Novo Nordisk describes repaglinide as a secretagogue. Secretagogues are drugs that make the pancreas secrete more insulin, which, in turn, lowers insulin. PubMed Health notes that this med is taken with food, just when blood sugar levels are likely to spike. If meals are skipped or added, the dose of the drug is adjusted accordingly. Repaglinide is known by the brand name Prandin.
Insulin
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas. Synthetic insulin is used to treat type 1 diabetes and cases of type 2 diabetes that do not respond sufficiently to drugs. Insulin is generally administered in individual injections. As of 2010, pumps have become a popular way to administer insulin. The patient wears a small pumping device that pumps insulin in the patient. According to the American Diabetes Association, patients who administer insulin with a pump experience more even blood sugar levels.
