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The Side Effects of Diabetes Medication

Diabetes medication is a necessity to people who suffer from the disease. It is important for a medical professional to establish the correct drug combination that will best help the patient, with the least amount of side effects. However, every one of the drugs designed for diabetes will potentially cause problems. The challenge to a physician is to identify the condition of the patient and make sure that the drugs themselves will help rather than harm.

  1. Weight Gain

    • A number of diabetes medications can cause you to put on weight. Due to their control of blood-sugar levels and the necessity to eat certain foods, a person taking these drugs can experience varying levels of weight gain.

    Low Blood Sugar

    • Patients can suffer from a low level of blood sugar. This is not generally caused by the correct function of the drug, but by the failure of the patient to adequately compensate for the reductions it brings about.

    Stomach Problems

    • Stomach problems are the most common side effect of diabetes medication. They can come in the form of an upset stomach, excessive gas, a feeling of bloating and even diarrhea. This is most commonly controlled by making sure a person's diet includes more fiber.

    Skin Issues

    • Diabetes medications can cause side effects to the skin. The most common effects are rashes that can result in itching. Also, basic redness and hives are common among people who are allergic to a particular diabetes drug.

    Kidney Problems

    • If a person suffers from kidney issues along with diabetes, a variety of challenges may exist for the medical professional helping the patient. People who don't already suffer from them generally eventually develop kidney problems that can turn into other digestive issues.

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