Possible doses: Acarbose is a safe glucose-lowering drug. It is usually taken three times daily with maximum doses being 100 mg three times daily.
What it does: Acarbose is used to lower glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Research shows that it can also reduce or prevent diabetes from occurring in people who are at risk for diabetes. It has no affect on other serious health outcomes.
How it works: Acarbose works in the intestines. It slows the breakdown of starches into glucose (sugar), thereby slowing the absorption of glucose into the system. It modestly reduces glucose levels.
Side effects: By slowing the breakdown of starch in the bowel, acarbose increases the amount of time that starch stays in the bowel rather than being absorbed. This can cause bloating and gas in many people. For that reason, the dose needs to be started at a low dose and increased very slowly to allow the bowel to adapt to the changing amount of starch in it. Some people may experience diarrhea as well or looser bowel movements as well. If it is started slowly most people tolerate the drug well.
Also, because it slows breakdown of complex sugars like starch in the bowel, if someone is taking acarbose and has a low blood sugar reaction due to another agent like insulin, they need to remember to treat it with glucose and not table sugar, since table sugar is a complex sugar that won’t be absorbed well in the presence of acarbose.Bottom line: Acarbose remains a widely used drug, especially outside of North America. It remains an important relatively inexpensive part of diabetes care for many people with type 2 diabetes.
About the author
Hertzel Gerstein, Endocrinologist
Hertzel is an endocrinologist and professor at McMaster University who is in high demand as a speaker, advocate, and educator on diabetes-related topics. His research focuses on using large, international randomized trials to identify and test new ways of preventing type 2 diabetes, reducing serious health outcomes like strokes and death, and achieving type 2 diabetes remissions.
articles
What does that drug do? Focus on Injectable Dulaglutide
Possible doses: Injectable dulaglutide is a glucose lowering drug that is taken once weekly. The weekly dose for the treatment of type 2 diabetes ranges between 0.75 mg to 4.5 mg. What it does: In addition to lowering glucose, randomized controlled trials have clearly shown that injectable dulaglutide reduces the occurrence of strokes, heart attacks,...
articles
What does that drug do? Focus on Gliclazide
Possible doses: Gliclazide can be taken in a long-acting form with doses typically ranging between 30 mg to 120 mg daily. It can also be taken in a once or twice-daily form with doses ranging from 80 mg one or twice daily to 160 mg twice daily...
articles
What does that drug do? Focus on Sitagliptin
Possible doses: Sitagliptin is a safe glucose lowering pill. It can be taken once or twice daily. Its maximum effect on glucose lowering is achieved with 100 mg once daily or 50 mg twice daily...