Prescribed medicines with brand names

Commonly Prescribed Oral Diabetic Medications
There is a special blood test that your doctor does to determine if your diabetes is in control. This test measures a chemical in your blood called " A1C".
The higher your sugar is, the higher your A1C will be. The American Diabetic Association recommends that diabetics must maintain a A1C of less than 7.0% in order to reduce the complications associated with diabetes. (The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommend 6.5% or less).
The higher your A1C, the more likely it is that you will suffer complications of diabetes such as kidney disease, blindness or amputation.Every point decrease in A1C reduces your risk of diabetic complications and/or dying from a diabetes induced stroke or heart attack. Please take your HBA1C level seriously - your life is in your hands.The best way to control diabetes is with diet and exercise. If this doesn't work, there are many drugs available.
Diabetics must not smoke -- diabetics who smoke are at very high risk of having a heart attack or stroke.
Actos (pioglitizone, Takeda)
- once a day insulin sensitizer
Actos is a drug that increases your body's sensitivity to insulin. Another way to look at it is that when you take Actos, your body's insulin becomes stronger & more effective. Actos can take up to six weeks to kick in to maximum effect.Actos is available in 3 doses - 15mg, 30mg and 45mg. Most people take the 30mg or the 45 mg. Actos is very expensive.

Amaryl (glimepiride, Aventis)
-once-a-day sulfonylurea
The way Amaryl works on the pancreas increase insulin production in response to a meal so that your body can use glucose more efficiently.Amaryl is usually taken once per day. The tablets are very easy to split in case you have to adjust your dose. Amaryl is relatively inexpensive. You must never take Amaryl on an empty stomach - Amaryl should be taken with your first main meal of the day. Amaryl works fast - usually within 24 hours.

Avandia (rosiglitazone; Smithkline Beacham)
- once a day or twice a day insulin sensitizer.
Avandia is a drug that increases your body's sensitivity to insulin. Another way to look at it is that when you takeAvandia, your body's insulin becomes stronger & more effective. Avandia is available in 3 doses - 2mg, 4mg and 8mg. Most people takethe 8mg per day. They either take a 4mg tablet twice per day or an 8mgtablet once per day. Avandia is very expensive.

Avandamet (rosiglitazone maleate and metformin hydrochloride; GlaxoSmithKline)
Avandamet is taken twice a day with meals.
It starts to work within one or two weeks but it can take 2-3 months before the full effects kick in. Avandamet contains metformin so it is normally not taken by people who have sick kidneys.Avandamet is available in four tablet strengths of rosiglitazone/metformin,respectively: 2 mg/500 mg, 4 mg/500 mg, 2mg/1000mg, and 4mg/1000mg.

Byetta (Exantide; injectable given twice per day)
Byetta is very expensive.
Byetta has an interesting background. Scientists noticed that certain reptiles could go for months without eating. They discovered that there was a naturally occurring chemical in the lizards saliva that was able to turn the lizard's pancreas on and off. This discovery lead to Byetta.
Byetta is a synthetic hormone that stimulates insulin secretion in response to blood glucose levels.Byetta is also known to slow down the exit of food from the digestive track so you feel full longer.
Byetta is given twice per day as an injection. It must be taken within one hour BEFORE meals.It comes in a prefilled disposable pen-like injector system. Byetta comes in two strengths - 5 micrograms per dose (5mcg) and 10 micrograms (10mcg) per dose.
The use of Byetta is associated with a modest weight loss. A common side effect of Byetta is nausea and vomiting. They are working on a version of Byetta that you will only have to take once every week instead of twice per day but this is a long way off.Byetta is very expensive.

Duetact (pioglitazone HCl and glimepiride)
Duetact is what we pharmacists call a "fixed combination" product.Duetact is a combination of Actos and glimepiride (formerly known asAmaryl).
Fixed combination products are useful to patients because they give youtwo drugs in one pill, making for better convenience.
Another consideration of fixed combination products is that you get 2 different medicines but you only have to pay one copay.
The downside of fixed combination products is that if you get a side effect, it's hard be sure what component of the pill gave you the problem. Since Duetact contains glimepiride, it is important not to take it on an empty stomach. If you take it on an empty stomach, you may get a serious side effect known as "hypoglycemia" or low blood sugar.

Galvus (Vildagliptin)
Galvus is an experimental diabetes drug developed by Novartis.
It is expected to be approved for use in the United Stated some time during early winter of 2006.
Galvus is known as a DPP-4 inhibitor. DDP-4 inhibitors are part of a broader class of medicines known as incretin mimetics, such as Byetta (exenatide). However, unlike Byetta (which must be injected twice per day) Galvus is a pill Galvus is known as a DPP-4 inhibitor. DPP-4 inhibitors work in the pancreas to increase insulin protection. They also work in the liver toregulate the over-production of glucose. Supposedly, Galvus is not expected to cause weight gain such as is seen in other diabetespills such as Actos, Avandia, and sulfonylureas such as glimepiride andglipizide.
When approved, Galvus will be taken once per day. Galvus is similar in action to another experimental DPP-4 pill, Januvia which will be marketed by Merck.Since Galvus is not yet approved by the FDA, the Galvus prescribing information is not available. We will post the Galvus package insert on this page when it is made available to the public.

Glipizide Sulfonlyurea;
Generic; Brand Name = Glucotrol, Pfizer.

Glucophage (metformin, Bristol Meyers Squibb) - biguanide ;
also available in sustained release form; Glucophage XR. Glucophage is a brand name version of a drug called metformin. Metformin is the most popular diabetes drug in the United States. Metformin's main job is to get your liver to stop producing too much glucose. In many diabetics, the liver acts like a sugar factory on overtime; it goes haywire and produces way too much sugar all throughout the day.
What metformin does is to send a signal to the liver to reduce the production of sugar.One drawback of metformin is that it can cause terrible stomach crampsand diarrhea if you take too high a dose too soon. You have to give your body a chance to get used to the metformin. If you build up the dose slowly, day by day, these side effects can be dramatically reduced.If you have poor kidney function you should not take metformin.

Glimepiride
(Generic; formerly known as Amaryl)

Glyburide (Micronase; Upjohn, Glynase; Upjohn, Diabeta; Aventis) sulfonylurea
Glyburide works on the pancreas to increase insulin production in response to a food so that your body can use glucose more efficiently.Glyburide is relatively inexpensive.
You must never take glyburide on an empty stomach . If you take glyburide on an empty stomach your blood sugar may drop too low.
The scientific name for low blood sugar is hypoglycemia. Glyburide is usually taken once or twice per day. Glyburide is an inexpensive drug.

Januvia (sitagliptin phosphate)
Januvia diabetes drug developed by Merck.
It was approved for use in the United Stated October 19th, 2006.
Januvia is indicated to be used alone or in combination with metformin, Actos and Avandia.Januvia is available as tablets containing 25mg, 50mg or 100mg.
The recommended dose of Januvia is 100mg per day to be taken with or without meals. Patients with kidney disease or weakened kidneys shouldtake a smaller dose.
Januvia is known as a DPP-4 inhibitor.
DDP-4 inhibitors are part of abroader class of medicines known as incretin mimetics, such as Byetta (exenatide). However, unlike Byetta (which must be injected twice per day) Januvia is a pill.
DPP-4 inhibitors work in the pancreas to increase insulin protection. They also work in the liver to regulate the over-production of glucose. Supposedly, Januvia is not expected to cause weight gain such as is seen in other diabetes pills such as Actos, Avandia, and sulfonylureas such as glimepiride and glipizide. In trials, Januvia was be taken once per day in doses of 100mg or 200mg.
Januvia is similar in action to another experimental DPP-4 pill, Galvuswhich will be marketed by Novartis.

Janumet
Janumet is a combination of Januvia and metformin in the same pill. This way you get added convenience of one pill rather than two pills and you only have to pay one copay but you are getting two drugs.Janumet is available in two strengths. The low dose pill contains 50mg Januvia + 500mg of metformin.
The 50/500mg pill is light pink and stamped with the number "575".The second strength of Janumet contains 50 mg of Januvia + 1000mg of metformin. The 50/1000mg pill is red and stamped with the number "577".

Glipizide+Metformin ; fixed combination tablet; formerly known as Meta-Glip)
Available in 3 Strengths:
2.5 mg glipizide/250 mg metformin
2.5 mg glipizide/500 mg metformin
5.0 mg glipizide/500 mg

Metformin - biguanide ; also available in sustained release form
Metformin is the most popular diabetes drug in the United States.
Metformin's main job is to get your liver to stop producing too much glucose.
In many diabetics, the liver acts like a sugar factory on overtime; it goes haywire and produces way too much sugar all throughout the day.
What metformin does is to send a signal to the liver to reduce the production of sugar.One drawback of metformin is that it can cause terrible stomach crampsand diarrhea if you take too high a dose too soon.
You have to give your body a chance to get used to the metformin. If you build up the dose slowly, day by day, these side effects are dramatically reduced.If you have poor kidney function you should not take metformin.

Prandi-Met (combination tablet of repaglinide and metformin; Sciele)
Available in 2 strengths:
1 mg Prandin./500 mg metformin.
and 2 mg Prandin./500 mg metformin.

Prandin (repaglinide, NOVO)
Short Acting Insulin secretagogue

Precose (acarbose, Bayer)
glucosidase inhibitor

Rezulin (troglitazone, Parke Davis)
Not available in USA - Voluntarily withdrawn from market due to safety concerns:
side effects, warnings, dose.

Starlix (nateglinide, Novartis)
Short Acting Insulin secretagogue;