Why Your Medication Changes
You may need a different diabetes medication over time
If you’re nervous about trying a different medication, think of it this way: there are 3 parts of your diabetes management plan: meal planning (diet), activity level (exercise) and medication. And, as your diabetes changes, you will work with your doctor to adjust all 3. Just as your activity routines and meal planning change over time — your treatment can too. Change can be scary, but your doctor will help you know what is best for you in each part of your treatment plan. Try to be open to the adjustments your doctor makes including different medications, knowing these changes are what your body may need to help you keep your blood sugar on track. Learn about how Greg, Amy and Julie managed changes to their treatment plan.
Watch their stories
Everyone has their own story, choose one of the TeamingUp Champions below to see his or her path towards better blood sugar control.
Greg
Starting long-acting insulin
"My diabetes still wasn't under control with oral medication."
Amy
Finding the right long‑acting insulin for me
"I switched to a different long‑acting insulin and needed to find the right dose."
Julie
Adding a treatment to help with after meal blood sugar spikes
"I needed better blood sugar control around meals."
Hey, I’m Greg
I recently started long-acting insulin
Adding long-acting insulin
Adding long-acting insulin was not easy, but my doctor and I decided along with diet and exercise, it was the best way to get closer to my goals. At the beginning I was nervous about injecting myself, but with the support of my doctor and family, I was able to get over it quicker than I thought. Starting insulin was not like I would have imagined. Keeping in close contact with my doctor and creating a routine for when to take my injections helped me. It wasn’t easy, but once my blood sugar numbers were in the recommended range, I felt more in control.
These stories are based on real people and have been provided for generalized education purposes only. Your healthcare professional is the single best source of information regarding your health. Please consult your healthcare professional if you have any questions about your health or treatment. Individual results may vary.
Here’s a look at some medications your doctor may add to your treatment plan
GLP-1 Receptor Agonist
A GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) helps your pancreas make more insulin, which helps lower blood sugar. GLP-1 RA helps decrease the amount of blood sugar made by your liver. It also helps slow down the breakdown of foods in your stomach and intestines, which slows down the increase in blood sugar.
Possible side effects of GLP-1 RA: The most common side effect of GLP-1 RA is nausea. Some people also experience vomiting or diarrhea. These side effects tend to occur when you first begin using a GLP-1 RA.
Biguanides (metformin)
help decrease the amount of blood sugar made by your liver. They also help improve the way your body responds to insulin.
Sulfonylureas
help your pancreas make more insulin; insulin helps lower blood sugar.
DPP-4 (Dipeptidyl peptidase-4) Inhibitors
prevent the breakdown of GLP-1 so that GLP-1 can help the pancreas make more insulin after meals.
SGLT-2 (Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2) Inhibitors
help lower blood sugar by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through the urine.
Thiazolidinediones
help insulin work better in your muscles and fat cells and reduce the sugar produced in the liver.
Possible side effects of oral medications: Each oral treatment works in a different way and can have different side effects. Some possible side effects may include: gas, diarrhea, upset stomach, risk for low blood sugar, weight gain, yeast infections, and urinary tract infections.
Insulins
Long-acting/Longer-acting insulin (also called basal insulin) provides blood sugar-lowering activity for approximately 24-36 hours. Along with the rest of your treatment plan, it can help control your blood sugar between meals and while you are sleeping.
Intermediate-acting insulin begins working 2-4 hours after you take it and helps lower your blood sugar for 12-18 hours.
Mealtime insulin is released quickly, helping you control your blood sugar after meals.
Possible side effects of insulin: The most common side effect of insulin is low blood sugar. Some people may experience symptoms of low blood sugar such as shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, and blurred vision, while some experience no symptoms at all.
GLP-1 RA/Long-acting Insulin Combo
The GLP-1 RA helps your pancreas make more insulin, which helps lower blood sugar, decrease the amount of blood sugar made by your liver, slow down the breakdown of foods in your stomach and intestines, which slows down the increase in blood sugar. The long-acting insulin in the combo provides blood sugar-lowering activity for approximately 24 hours.
Possible side effects of GLP-1 RA/Long-acting Insulin Combo: The most common side effects of GLP-1 is nausea. Some people also experience vomiting or diarrhea. These side effects tends to occur when you first begin using a GLP-1 RA. The most common side effect of insulin is low blood sugar. Some people may experience symptoms of low blood sugar such as shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, and blurred vision, while some experience no symptoms at all.
Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP) and Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA)
This helps your body release insulin when blood sugar is high and removes excess sugar from the blood. It also impacts the amount of sugar that your liver produces. It works differently to curb appetite by reducing the amount of food that can be eaten and slowing down the speed at which food exits your stomach.
Possible side effects of GIP and GLP-1 RA: The most common side effects are nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion, and stomach pain.
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