Type 2 diabetes.

When someone is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, one of the telltale signs is a high fasting blood sugar level. The normal levels are 70 to 110 mg dL (3.9 to 6 mmol/L) or 80 to 120 mg/dL (4.4 to 6.6 mmol/L) depending on the clinical laboratory.

Diabetes medication is not always prescribed for type 2 diabetics. Your medical doctor will decide this based on your case. The higher your fasting blood level, the greater the chance that you will be given prescription medication.

The type of medication that is given to a type 1 diabetic is different than that given to a type 2 diabetic. That’s because the person diagnosed with type 1 diabetes cannot create the quantity of insulin he or she needs … whereas a type 2 diabetic is pumping out more than enough! As a type 2 diabetic, you would never be able to share medication with a a person with type 1 diabetes. Of course, sharing medication is against the law anyway!

Usually type 2 diabetics are given oral medications that are in the category called biguanides. One example of a biguanide is Metformin. These drugs lower blood sugar levels by decreasing the amount of glucose produced by your liver. They also increase the amount of insulin that the muscles in your body recognize as insulin and then use. Metformin is one of the most prescribed medications for type 2 diabetes.

Some health care providers will prescribe medications that stimulate the beta cells of your pancreas to release more insulin. Drugs that are used to do this fall into the category of sulfonylureas and meglitinides. The physician determines whether or not you will need these drugs by examining your insulin levels. It’s possible that your pancreas has been overworked so hard that it’s cells are not capable of producing enough insulin, and if that is the case, that is when he’ll prescribe these medications.