Injectable Medication
All diabetes medications must be prescribed by a health care professional. Your diabetes care provider will ask about your lifestyle, physical condition, insurance coverage, and personal preferences before prescribing drugs.
While insulin is the most common form of injectable drug, there are 2 other injectable drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes.
While insulin is the most common form of injectable drug, there are 2 other injectable drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Injectable Medication
There are two classes of injectable medications: GLP-1 agonists and amylin agonists.
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GLP-1 Agonists
There are two GLP-1 agonists (glucagon-like-peptide 1 agonists): exanatide and liraglutide. Both GLP-1 agonists work by inducing the pancreas to secrete insulin after meals, suppressing appetite, and slowing emptying of the stomach.
Exanatide is used with other diabetes medications to lower blood glucose. It is injected with a pen-like injector. Liraglutide is injected once daily and prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes.
Advantages of GLP-1 Agonists:
- Promote weight loss by suppressing appetite.
- Can be used with Metformin, a sulfonylurea, or a TZD.
Amylin Agonists (Pramlintide)
Pramlintide acetate is an amylin agonist. It is an injectable medication for people who already use insulin. It suppresses appetite and lowers blood glucose after meals. Pramlintide acetate cannot be used with insulin and is available in a separate, prefilled pen or vial and syringe.
This information is a summary from the "Complete Guide to Diabetes" and is provided with the permission of the American Diabetes Association.
It is a comprehensive book and recommended by the American Diabetes Association for those people that want to learn more.
Click on the image to go to the American Diabetes Association bookstore.
Note: Care4life has no commercial interest in any of the books or resources it recommends.