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Generic name: acarbose
Brand Name: Precose, Glucobay (Europe), Prandase (Canada) – all manufactured by Bayer AG
What is Acarbose?
- Acarbose is an oral medication used to treat type 2 (noninsulin-dependent) diabetes. It is used when high blood sugar levels cannot be controlled by diet and exercise alone. It is believed that strict sugar control in diabetics decreases the risk of eye, kidney, and nerve damage. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors such as Acarbose are used to help lower blood sugar levels that are not controlled by diet and exercise.
- Acarbose works by slowing the body's digestion of carbohydrates so that blood sugar levels won't surge upward after a meal. Acarbose can be used alone to treat type II diabetes or can be combined with sulfonylureas such as Glyburide (Diabeta) or Metformin (Glucophage) or with insulin.
How to take Acarbose?
- There is no fixed dosage regimen for the management of diabetes mellitus with Acarbose or any other pharmacologic agent. Dosage of Acarbose must be individualized on the basis of both effectiveness and tolerance while not exceeding the maximum recommended dose of 100 mg t. i. d.
- In general, though, Acarbose should be taken three times daily at the start (with the first bite) of each main meal. Acarbose should be started at a low dose, with gradual dose escalation as described below, both to reduce gastrointestinal side effects and to permit identification of the minimum dose required for adequate glycemic control of the patient. Do not take more or less of Acarbose than directed by your doctor.
- It is very important to take each dose with the first bite of each main meal. Continue to take Acarbose even if you feel well. Do not stop taking Acarbose without talking to your doctor.
What are the side effects of Acarbose?
- Side effects cannot be anticipated. If any develop or change in intensity, you have to tell your doctor as soon as possible. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Acarbose.
- If side effects do occur, they usually appear during the first few weeks of therapy and generally become less intense and less frequent over time. They are rarely severe. Side effects may include abdominal pain, diarrhea, gas.
- However, when used in combination with insulin or other medications used to treat diabetes, this drug may cause excessive lowering of blood sugar levels. Symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) include shakiness, dizziness or lightheadedness, sweating, nervousness or irritability, sudden changes in behavior or mood, headache, numbness or tingling around the mouth, and weakness.
Warnings and precautions before taking Acarbose
- Every 3 months during your first year of treatment, your doctor will give you a blood test to check your liver and see how it is reacting to Acarbose. While you are taking Acarbose, you should check your blood and urine periodically for the presence of abnormal sugar (glucose) levels.
- Even people with well-controlled diabetes may find that stress such as injury, infection, surgery, or fever results in a loss of control over their blood sugar. If this happens to you, your doctor may recommend that Acarbose be discontinued temporarily and injected insulin used instead.
- Before taking Acarbose, tell your doctor and pharmacist what prescription and nonprescription medications you are taking, especially other medications for diabetes, digoxin (Lanoxin), diuretics ('water pills'), estrogens, isoniazide, medications for high blood pressure or colds, oral contraceptives, pancreatic enzymes, phenytoin (Dilantin), steroids, thyroid medications, and vitamins.
- At any rate, before starting to take this medicine, it is vital that you should consult your doctor! Do not use it on your own initiative, without medical advice.
What to do if you take overdose of Acarbose?
- In case of an accidental overdose, call your local poison control center. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
What to do if you take missed a dose of Acarbose?
- Take the missed dose as soon as you remember it. Also, If you are going to have a snack soon, take a dose with the snack. If it is almost time for the next dose, skip the missed dose and continue your regular dosing schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up.
Considerations of prolonged use:
- Since non-insulin-dependent diabetes is a chronic condition, use of Acarbose can be protracted over a long period of time. Blood glucose levels should be checked regularly during treatment so that the dosage may be adjusted if necessary.
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