What pills do you take for diabetes?
What are the pills that some doctors prescribe for diabetics? The pills that some adult diabetics take have the trade names Orinase, Tolinase, Diabenese and Dymelor. They are called oral hypoglycemics. Oral means you take them by mouth; hypo means low, and glycemic refers to blood sugar. Put that all together and you have a pill that lowers blood sugar. These pills work by making the person's own pancreas produce more insulin. Only diabetics who are still making some insulin on their own can use them. If you are the type of diabetic who can't keep your blood sugar normal on diet and exercise alone, your doctor may consider you a good candidate for these drugs. However, many doctors and diabetics prefer to go directly to insulin rather than experimenting with the drugs first. There are several reasons why. No one knows if the drugs are safe. Since the 1990 study by the University Group Diabetes Program, many physicians have stopped prescribing the oral hypoglycemics, bec...