What is the safest diabetic medicine to take?

Official answer. Most experts consider metformin to be the safest medicine for type 2 diabetes because it has been used for many decades, is effective, affordable, and safe. Metformin is recommended as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes by the American Diabetes Association (ADA).

What is the best and safest medication for type 2 diabetes?

Metformin is a tried and tested medicine that has been used for many decades to treat type 2 diabetes, and is recommended by most experts as first-line therapy. It is affordable, safe, effective, and well tolerated by most people.

What is a safer drug than metformin?

Precose, Januvia, Victoza, Glucotrol XL, and Actos are some metformin alternatives.

Is there a better drug than metformin for diabetes?

Insulin remains the most effective therapy to lower glucose, particularly in comparison to most oral medicines for type 2 (including metformin).

What is the number one medication for diabetes?

Metformin is considered the first-line oral agent for patients with diabetes and can be used to treat pre-diabetes. It works by decreasing glucose production in the liver, increasing insulin sensitivity, and lowering intestinal sugar absorption.

Type 2 diabetes: Which drug is best?

What medications should all diabetics be on?

The most common biguanide is metformin (Glumetza, Riomet, Riomet ER). Metformin is considered the most commonly prescribed oral medication for type 2 diabetes, and it can also be combined with other type 2 diabetes medications. It's an ingredient in the following medications: metformin-alogliptin (Kazano)

What is the humble pill for diabetes?

For decades we've known that metformin does more than just help lower blood sugar in people with diabetes. It also offers them cardiovascular benefits, including lower rates of death due to cardiovascular disease. And it sometimes helps people with diabetes lose excess weight.

What is the downside of taking metformin?

Long-term side effects

Taking metformin can cause vitamin B12 deficiency if you take it for a long time. This can make you feel very tired, breathless and faint, so your doctor may check the vitamin B12 level in your blood. If your vitamin B12 levels become too low, vitamin B12 supplements will help.

What has replaced metformin?

How can I lower my a1c without medication?

Go easy on the sweets and sugary beverages, white breads, potatoes, pastas, starchy vegetables, and other carbohydrate-rich foods as these increase your blood sugar levels. Instead, opt for foods that are high in fiber, fruits and vegetables, small servings of lean meats and poultry, and low-fat milk or cheese.

Why did doctors stop prescribing metformin?

Based on these focus groups, the researchers found that three main factors affected how doctors prescribed metformin: concerns about when to start the drug, concerns about the drug's known risks, and whether procedures were in place to notice and deal with any adverse reactions caused by the drug.

Why doctors stop using metformin?

This is because an unacceptable level of a probable carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) was found in some extended-release metformin tablets. If you currently take this drug, call your healthcare provider. They will advise whether you should continue to take your medication or if you need a new prescription.

What diabetes medicine has the least side effects?

What is the best diabetes medication with the least side effects? Metformin is a first-line diabetes treatment because it has fewer side effects than many other types of medications used to treat high blood sugar.

What drink lowers blood sugar?

Drinking water regularly may rehydrate the blood, lower blood sugar levels, and reduce diabetes risk ( 20 , 21 ). Keep in mind that water and other zero-calorie drinks are best.

What vitamin is good for A1C?

Vitamin D

After two months of taking a 4,500-IU supplement of vitamin D daily, both fasting blood sugar and A1C improved. In fact, 48% of participants had an A1C that showed good blood sugar control, compared to only 32% before the study ( 20 ).

What should Type 2 diabetics stay away from?

Is there a natural form of metformin?

Learn about Berberine

A 2012 study published in European Journal of Endocrinology shows berberine has similar insulin normalizing benefits as Metformin for PCOS but without the side effects. Further, berberine was superior to Metformin in reducing other risk factors like waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio.

How long can you stay on metformin?

Chances are, you doctor will have you take metformin for at least a year. This is because it takes about 3 months for your HbA1C to change, and those changes are usually very gradual. If your fasting blood sugar and HbA1C drop to the normal range, your doctor may take you off metformin and see how you do without it.

What are the long term effects of taking metformin?

In some people, metformin leads to poor absorption of vitamin B12. That can lead to a vitamin B12 deficiency, though this only occurs after long-term medication use. Taking metformin might also lead to loss of appetite, which could cause a small amount of weight loss.

What is normal A1c for a 70 year old?

The key measure of diabetes control is hemoglobin A1c. For healthy over 65ers with long life expectancy, the target should be 7.0 – 7.5%.

Is metformin hard on your kidneys?

Metformin doesn't cause kidney damage. The kidneys process and clear the medication out of your system through your urine. If your kidneys don't function properly, there's concern that metformin can build up in your system and cause a condition called lactic acidosis.

What fruits should diabetics avoid?

Diabetics should avoid fruits with a high GI or eat them in moderation so that their blood sugar levels do not spike abruptly. Pineapple, watermelon, mango, lychee, and banana have a high GI, so these are the worst fruits if you are diabetic.

At what A1c level do you start medication?

What A1c levels require medication/treatment? There is no specific A1c level that makes it necessary for you to be on medication. While an A1c of 6.5% or higher is indicative of diabetes, some people may need to start taking medication for an A1c under 6.5%.

What is the name of the new diabetic medicine?

How does this new diabetes medication work? Teplizumab is a monoclonal antibody that modifies T cells in a way that prolongs the pancreas' ability to create insulin. The drug is specific to a molecule called CD3, which is the “cognate” component of the T cell, Dr. Herold explains.

What diabetes drug slows down aging?

Metformin is a commonly used drug for treating patients with Type 2 diabetes. Extensive research has shown that metformin can also be used as an anti-aging therapy. For this reason, many people without diabetes, including Silicon Valley techies, take the inexpensive drug in the hopes it will keep them healthy longer.