Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that causes glucose to be pulled out of the blood by muscle, fat and liver cells. Diabetes is a condition that is caused by the body not making enough insulin or not responding properly to it. Type 2 diabetes, which tends to occur later in life, can often be treated using certain medications. However, these diabetes drugs can cause serious complications.
Types
There are five main types of medications that can be used to treat diabetes, according to DiabetesNet.com. Sulfonylureas and meglitinides are drugs that cause the pancreas to make more insulin. Thiazolidinediones, on the other hand, increase the sensitivity of muscle, fat and liver cells to the effects of insulin. Another kind of medication, known as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, inhibit the ability of the intestines to absorb sugars. Finally, biguanides keep the liver from inserting more glucose into the bloodstream. Each of these different types of diabetes medicines has its own side effect profile.
Complications
Thiazolidinediones can cause heart problems, RxList.com explains. These medications cause the body to retain extra fluid, which can increase blood pressure and put extra strain on the heart. Complications associated with thiazolidinediones include congestive heart failure and an increased risk of a heart attack, also known as myocardial ischemia. The biguanide family of medications, which includes the drug metformin, can result in a condition known as lactic acidosis, EMedTV.com notes. Metformin and thiazolidinediones can also damage the liver, resulting in abdominal pain, jaundice and permanent liver scarring.
Overdose
Another potential complication of diabetes medications is that they can lower blood sugar too far, resulting in a condition known as hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia is caused by blood glucose levels dropping too low and can result in fatigue, confusion, weakness and fainting. Hypoglycemia can be very dangerous because in severe cases it can cause patients to go into shock. It can be difficult to avoid hypoglycemia because a dose of diabetes medication that is effective one day can result in hypoglycemia the next due to changes in diet and activity. For this reason, patients must monitor their blood sugar levels using home blood glucose monitoring equipment and may need to keep snacks handy to raise blood sugar if hypoglycemia develops.
Screening
Some of the complications of diabetes medications can result in permanent organ damage or failure. For this reason, patients taking medications for the treatment of diabetes may need to be screened periodically for some of the potentially life-threatening complications that may result from their medications. Liver function can be tested by measuring the amount of certain kinds of proteins in the blood. Doctors may also test the health of the cardiovascular system by measuring blood pressure and administering a cardiac stress test.
Prevention
Many of the complications of diabetes medications can be prevented by using the minimum effective dose of the drug, according to DiabetesNet.com. Patients should also take the drug exactly as directed and should not take extra doses of their medication if their blood sugar levels start to rise. Because some medications can increase the chance that drugs for diabetes will cause complications, patients should also check with their doctors before starting any new medications or taking herbal supplements.
