Not everyone with type 2 diabetes will be helped by oral diabetes medications. Oral medications are more likely to lower blood glucose levels in people who have had high blood glucose levels for less than 10 years, who are using a healthy meal plan, and who have some insulin secretion by their pancreas. The drugs work poorly in people who are very thin.
Type 2 Diabetes Treatment
There is no known cure for type 2 diabetes. However, if you manage your condition effectively, you can expect a long, healthy life. Type 2 diabetes is treated with a combination of diet, exercise, and regular blood glucose, or blood sugar, testing.
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 6 Answers
Whether you should take oral medication, insulin, or any medication at all and what sort of insulin or medication plan you need depends on how your body is dealing with the glucose it makes. Your treatment plan is based on your usual blood glucose levels. Ideally, you will want to keep your glucose levels as close to normal as possible. ADA’s general targets for blood glucose levels are 70–130 mg/dl range before meals and less than 180 mg/dl 2 hours after meals. Talk to your provider about setting your own blood glucose targets.
Your treatment plan is based on your usual blood glucose levels. Ideally, you will want to keep your levels as close to normal as possible.
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RealAge answeredSynjardy is a combination of two medications, empagliflozin and metformin, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Empagliflozin removes excess sugar through the kidneys, while metformin blocks the creation of glucose in the liver and its absorption in the intestines. Synjardy is not meant to treat type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Synjardy comes in tablet form, to be taken twice a day; it should be taken with meals to avoid stomach upset. Lactic acidosis may occur while taking Synjardy; the risk is increased with alcohol abuse, liver or kidney impairment, dehydration, sepsis, or acute congestive heart failure. Lactic acidosis can cause shock, coma, or death; if while taking this drug you experience flu-like symptoms, fruity breath, problems with urination, myalgias, breathing problems, increased sleepiness, or unusual muscle or stomach pain, consult your doctor right away. Nursing mothers should not use Synjardy. It is not known if Synjardy is safe during pregnancy. -
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Dr. Daniel R. Spogen, MD , Family Medicine, answered on behalf of Univ. of Nev. School of Medicine, Family MedicineInsulin therapy for type 2 diabetes involves injecting (usually with a very small needle just under the skin) either a harvested or manufactured insulin hormone which is responsible for assisting the body to uptake and utilize sugar from the blood. Typically insulin therapy for people with type 2 diabetes is reserved for those who are not able to control their blood sugar with other types of medications.
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Dr. Steven V. Edelman, MD , Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism, answered on behalf of Taking Control Of Your Diabetes (TCOYD)See All 4 Answers
We can prevent type 2 diabetes, but we don't know yet what causes it, says Steven Edelman, MD, director of Taking Control of Your Diabetes. In this video, he talks about prevention versus a cure.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, MD , Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease), answered
Insulin may not be able to attach to the muscle cells the way it is supposed to in people with type 2 diabetes. Watch the video to learn more about insulin problems in type 2 diabetes
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Dr. Jack Merendino, MD , Endocrinology Diabetes & Metabolism, answeredThe short answer to this question is no, but it deserves an explanation. First of all, and unfortunately, there is a severe shortage of endocrinologists in many parts of the country, so even if I thought the right answer was yes, it wouldn’t be a practical answer for everyone. But the right answer for this, and for most medical problems, is that you need a good working relationship with a primary physician who is interested in you as a person and your concerns, keeps as up-to-date as can be expected to knowing how much there is to know, communicates well and knows his or her limits. I know of family practitioners, nurse practitioners and general internists who render great diabetes care, and I know some endocrinologists who I don’t think do such a good job.
It’s important to be your own healthcare advocate. Start by being prepared when you go in for your visits. This means having your blood tests done in advance of your visit so that you can discuss the results at the time of the appointment, brining an up-to-date list of all your medications, and bringing well-organized blood sugar readings with you. These steps will go a long way to ensuring that you get good care.
If you’re not having success despite good care from your primary physician and a good effort on your part, ask to see an endocrinologist your doctor trusts. -
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 2 Answers
The following are some weight loss recommendations if you have type 2 diabetes:
- Begin a weight loss program with the help of your healthcare team.
- Ask for a referral to a dietitian who can help you find a diet you can use every day.
- Don't try to do everything at once. Take one step at a time and make changes you can stick with.
- Adding an extra workout a week may be enough to counteract the fact that you’re not losing as much glucose in your urine anymore.
If diet and exercise are not enough to reduce your weight, your healthcare provider may prescribe medications that can help.
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American Diabetes Association answeredSee All 4 AnswersThe accepted, tried-and-true treatment for type 2 diabetes is a balance of diet and exercise. Even if you need medications, healthy eating and exercise habits continue to be key in caring for your type 2 diabetes. Most people with type 2 diabetes are advised to lose weight and improve their physical fitness. This can help to lower the body’s resistance to insulin. The severity of type 2 diabetes can be greatly reduced by maintaining a healthy body weight. Even a modest weight loss—10 pounds—can have benefits. By building a healthy lifestyle around a low-fat, well-rounded diet and regular exercise, it is possible to decrease body weight and insulin resistance. Exercise helps by taking some glucose from the blood and using it for energy during a workout, an effect that lasts even beyond the workout. Healthy eating, especially watching the amount of food eaten, helps glucose levels stay lower. As your level of physical fitness improves with regular exercise, so does your body’s sensitivity to insulin.
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American Diabetes Association answeredIf you seek to intensively manage your type 2 diabetes, keep the following suggestions in mind:
• If you manage your blood glucose with food and physical activity, you may
need to add an oral diabetes medication.•If you already take medication, you may need to add another pill, once-a-day
insulin, or other inject able medication.• If you already take insulin, you may need to take a more aggressive
approach such as three or four shots a day. Your therapy might even be
similar to a person with type 1 diabetes.• You may choose to wear an insulin pump if you begin taking more frequent
insulin shots.• Watch out for weight gain that accompanies lowered blood glucose levels.
You may need to add an extra workout a week to counteract the fact that
you’re not losing as much glucose in your urine anymore.