Acarbose

Pronunciation

Brand Names

Therapeutic Categories

What is this medicine used for?

• This medicine is used to lower blood sugar in diabetic patients.
• It is used in type II diabetes.
• It can be used alone or in combination with other diabetes medicines.

How does it work?

• Acarbose slows digestion of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates would include sugars, bread, rice, and pasta.
• It slows absorption of sugar into your system.

How is it best taken?

• Take at the beginning of a meal.
• Follow diet plan as recommended by healthcare provider.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• Take a missed dose as soon as possible if you remember within an hour of the meal.
• If not then skip the missed one. Return to your regular schedule.
• Do not take a double dose or extra doses.

What are the precautions when taking this medicine?

• Wear disease medical alert identification for diabetes.
• Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor).
• When used alone, low blood sugars do not occur.
• If taken with other diabetes medicine, use glucose (Dextrose, D-glucose) or milk to treat low blood sugars. Table sugar may not work fast enough.
• Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other symptoms involved.
• Tell healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant.
• Do not use if you are breast-feeding.

What are the common side effects of this medicine?

• Belly pain, cramps, and passing gas.
• Diarrhea.

What should I monitor?

• Check blood sugar as ordered by healthcare provider. Call if glucose is less than 80 mg/dL or greater than 250 mg/dL. Bring results to follow-up visits.
• Watch for low blood sugar. Causes anger, shaking, rapid heartbeats, confusion, and sweating.
• Watch for high blood sugar. Causes many trips to the bathroom, thirst, and weight loss.
• Check blood work. Talk with healthcare provider.
• Follow diet plan and exercise program as recommended by healthcare provider.
• Have a yearly eye exam and visit to the foot doctor.

Reasons to call healthcare provider immediately

• Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing; tightness in the chest; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Signs of infection. This includes fever, chills, pus, or wound that will not heal.
• Low blood sugar or high blood sugar.
• Any rash.

How should I store this medicine?

• Store in a tight container at room temperature. Protect from moisture.

General statements

• Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's medicine.
• Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
• Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, herbal/supplements, vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physician assistant).
• Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine, including over-the-counter or natural products (herbs, vitamins).

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