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Oral Diabetes Medications (Diabetes Pills)

Oral diabetes medications help control blood glucose levels in people whose bodies still produce some insulin (the majority of people with type 2 diabetes). These diabetes medicines are usually prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes along with recommendations for making specific dietary changes and getting regular exercise. Several of these diabetes pills are often used in combination to achieve optimal blood glucose control.

Remember that people with type 2 diabetes tend to have two problems that lead to increased glucose in the bloodstream:

1. They don't make enough insulin to move glucose into cells where it belongs.
2. The body's cells become "resistant" to insulin ( insulin resistance), meaning they don't take in glucose as well as they should.

In time, people with type 2 diabetes develop what's called "beta-cell failure." This means that the cells in the pancreas that make insulin no longer are able to release insulin in response to high blood glucose levels. Therefore, these people often require insulin injections, either in combination with their oral diabetes medications, or just insulin alone to manage their diabetes.