According to the Mayo Clinic, medications are always necessary to treat type 1 diabetes and are often needed to treat type 2 diabetes as well. There are different medications that work in different ways, depending on how much insulin your body produces or how much your body resists using the insulin that it produces. Insulin is also an injected medication, but there are other oral medications that can also be used to help manage blood glucose levels as well.
Long-Acting Insulins
Lantus and Levemir are called long-acting insulins, as they can require up to an hour to begin working and last for up to 26 hours, according to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. They are usually used to treat type 1 diabetes.
Intermediate-Acting Insulins
Humulin N and Novolin N (generic name NPH) are insulins that can take from one to three hours to work, and peak after eight hours. Their effects can last up to 16 hours. They are typically prescribed for type 1 diabetes.
Rapid- and Short-Acting Insulins
NovoLog, Humalog and Apidra are three types of insulins that start working in about 15 minutes, peak after about 30 to 90 minutes, and last for up to five hours. They are typically used to treat type 1 diabetes. Novolin R and Humulin R, also sometimes called "regular" insulin, are two types of short-acting insulin. These begin working within an hour, peak in two to four hours, and may last as long as eight hours.
Oral Medications
Type 2 diabetics may require insulin injections, but others can manage their diabetes with lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) and oral diabetes medications alone. Biguanides (including Glucophage, generic name metformin) are often prescribed to manage type 2 diabetes. These medications reduce glucose production in the liver and increase sensitivity to insulin.
Thiazolidinediones (including Avandia, generic name rosiglitazone, and Actos, generic name pioglitazone) also work to inhibit glucose production by the liver.
DPP-4 inhibitors are newer drugs, with the only available type being Januvia (generic name sitagliptin). This drug works by slowing down the breakdown of blood glucose until levels become too high.
The drugs Precose (generic name acarbose) and Glyset (generic name meglitol) are called alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. These drugs also work by inhibiting the breakdown of starchy foods, slowing blood glucose breakdown and working to lower blood glucose when levels become too high.
Prescribing Diabetes Medications
These drugs are often prescribed in combination. Sometimes several types of insulin, several types of oral medications or even a combination of both insulin and oral medications are necessary. Diet and exercise are also strongly recommended as an important part of any diabetes treatment plan.
