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Diabetes Medicine Side Effects

Diabetes medicines are often prescribed without much discussion as to the potential side effects or patient comfort. Listed here are some of the most common diabetes prescriptions and their most common side effects.

  1. Metphormin

    • Also called Glucophage, this is one of the most commonly prescribed diabetes medications since, unlike many other diabetes medications, it doesn't promote weight gain. In larger quantities (500 g and over) it can often cause prolonged diarrhea for patients.

    Byetta

    • A fairly recent drug used for diabetes, Byetta is a subcutaneous injection. It's prescribed because it retards appetite; this same feature can cause stomach pain and nausea if taken too close to a meal. It also can cause constipation, and doctors have expressed (as yet unsubstantiated) concerns that it may stop working after a year or two of use.

    Insulin

    • Insulin is dangerous because it does promote weight gain by forcing sugar into cells.

    Glucotrol

    • Headaches have rarely been reported as a side effect of this drug; negative side effects are actually fairly uncommon. It is also known as glipizide.

    Lantus Long Acting Insulin

    • Lantus, because it acts over a 24-hour period, still has weight gain issues but not as severe as shorter-acting formats.

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