Being diagnosed as a diabetic means a large amount of changes in your daily life. A new diet, more exercise, and monitoring of your blood sugar will all become part of your daily routine. One thing that many newly diagnosed patients want to know is if they will have to take medication as part of their diabetes treatment. While there are rare cases of diabetes that respond well to only dietary and lifestyle changes, many patients require at least occasional medication to keep their diabetes under control.
A large percentage of diabetic patients require medications as part of their diabetes treatment, to help them manage their blood sugar levels. If you have been diagnosed, your doctor may prescribe insulin injections or other medications that can help you with your diabetes treatment. Insulin is often used only when blood sugar levels are outside of the normal range, but other medications may be taken regularly to help the body maintain healthy levels of insulin.
Many diabetic patients as part of their diabetes treatment also take medication to control complications and symptoms that are affected by diabetes, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. Whether you will need these medications will depend on your symptoms and only your doctor can help determine what medicines are right for you. Many patients are able to control these symptoms through lifestyle changes, and every case is different.
Taking diabetes treatment medication means taking a close look at all supplements and over the counter medicines you take as well as prescription medications for other illnesses and problems. Because many drugs can interact or change blood sugar levels, it is important to discuss all new medications and supplements with your doctor before taking them to ensure that they are safe and will not counteract or interact with one another. Mixing in some of the over the counter medication into your diabetes treatment, can some times have a devastating result. Tell your doctor about these medications.
Whether or not you will need drugs to control your diabetes will depend on your individual symptoms. Talking to your doctor will help you determine if medication is right for you. If you do have to take medications, do not lose heart. Many drugs have little or no side effects, and taking them every day soon becomes routine.
Not all diabetic patients require daily medication, and some require only medication when insulin levels fall too low. Your medication needs can change over time. Improving your lifestyle can decrease your need for drugs as part of your diabetes treatment, and certain complications may necessitate taking additional medications. As with all illnesses, each case is different. Talking with your doctor can help you understand more about what the best treatment will be for you.