When to Take Your Oral Diabetic Medicine

Oral diabetic medicines like Glucophage, Glucotrol, Diabeta or Avandia act in much the same way that insulin does to regulate blood sugar levels, but actually help your body to do this by itself rather than supplementing your insulin amount. While the guidelines here can help you determine when to take your oral diabetic medicine, you should always consult with your physician before changing your medication routine, and any instructions provided by your physician should be followed exactly.

With Meals

• Almost all oral diabetes medication should be taken with meals, or at least with a snack. Not only will this help you to avoid stomach upset, but it actually ensures that the medication will work properly because if you do not eat and thus do not have any sugar in your blood, then the medication will cause blood sugar levels to drop drastically, which could be very serious.

At the Same Time Every Day

• Physicians also recommend taking oral diabetes medications at the same time every day, just as you would with insulin injections because this helps to maintain a constant blood sugar level rather than creating unpredictable highs and lows.