Diabetes Medicines 

DIABETES TIPS

Do not wait. Diabetes is a 

serious illness.

Diabetes can cause a heart attack, stroke, 

blindness, kidney disease, nerve damage, 

and other serious health problems. This 

is why it is so important for you to get 

treatment for your diabetes. Treatment can 

help prevent or slow some of these serious 

health problems.

You can control your diabetes.

There is hope!

Some people with diabetes can take 

medicines to help keep their blood 

sugar at a healthy level.

This booklet gives some basic facts 

about diabetes medicines. Insulin 

is covered in a separate booklet. 

People with type 1 diabetes must 

use insulin.

Use this booklet to help you talk to 

your healthcare provider about the 

kind of medicine that is right for you.

Diabetes can make it hard 

to control how much sugar 

(called glucose) is in your 

blood.

FDA Office of Women’s Health

www.fda.gov/womensdiabetes

Talk to your healthcare provider 

before you change or stop taking your 

diabetes medicines.

Ask your healthcare provider about:

• your target blood sugar level.

• what you should do if your blood 

sugar gets too low or too high.

• how your diabetes medicines will 

affect your other medicines including 

birth control.
Type 1 Diabetes People with type 1 diabetes make very little or no insulin in their 

bodies. They must take insulin every day to stay alive.

Type 2 Diabetes People with type 2 diabetes do not make enough insulin or do 

not use it well enough. Some people with type 2 diabetes can 

use pills or take other medicines as shots. Other people with 

type 2 diabetes need insulin to help control their diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes Some women get diabetes for the first time when they become 

pregnant. This is called gestational (jes-TAY-shun-ul) diabetes. 

Some women with gestational diabetes need to use insulin to 

control their blood sugar.

There are a few kinds of medicines used to 

treat diabetes. Each kind affects your body 

in a different way. Some diabetes medicines 

are taken as pills that you swallow. There are 

other medicines that you inject.

Some people with diabetes need to use 

medicines every day. What you need depends 

on your health and the type of diabetes you 

have. Your healthcare provider can tell 

you if you need to use medicine to treat 

your diabetes.

Do I Need To Take Diabetes Medicines?

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Some people with diabetes need to use medicines every day. What you need depends 

on your health and the type of diabetes you have. Your healthcare provider can tell 

you if you need to use medicine to treat your diabetes.

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• Get the facts. Ask your healthcare 

provider for the side effects, warnings, 

and other facts for the medicines you are 

taking. This booklet does not give all 

facts for each kind of diabetes medicine.

• Speak up. Tell someone about any 

problems you may be having with your 

medicines. Your doctor may change your 

medicine or give you tips to help you 

deal with the side effects.

• Check the FDA website. You can find 

current safety information about your 

medicine at: www.fda.gov

• Report serious problems with your 

medicines. You or your doctor can tell 

the FDA about serious problems with 

your medicines.

Report Online at: www.fda.gov/medwatch

Call 1-800-FDA-1088 to request a form.

Diabetes medicines do not act the same 

in each person. These medicines can 

sometimes cause side effects. The side 

effects will depend on your body and the 

type of medicine you are taking. Follow 

these tips to help you learn how to handle 

the side effects.

What You Can Do About Side Effects

DIABETES TIP

Talk to your doctor before

you change or stop taking 

your diabetes medicines.

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Diabetes Medicines

Different kinds of diabetes medicines are shown on the next few pages. These medicines 

are most often used to treat type 2 diabetes. The brand names and other names are 

given for each medicine. There are also some tips about each kind of diabetes medicine. 

Ask your healthcare provider to tell you the best way to take your medicines. They can 

also tell you about your medicine’s side effects and warnings. This guide does not give 

all side effects or warnings for each medicine.

Meglitinides

How do they work? These pills help 

your body make more insulin around 

mealtime.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Prandin repaglinide

Starlix nateglinide

Some Things to Think About

Before you start taking these medicines, 

tell your healthcare provider if:

• you have liver or kidney problems.

• you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Common Side Effects

• Hypoglycemia (blood sugar that is 

too low)

Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors

How do they work? These pills help 

your body digest sugar more slowly.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Glyset miglitol

Precose acarbose

Some Things to Think About

Before you start taking these medicines, tell 

your healthcare provider if:

• you have heart, liver, or kidney problems.

• you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

These medicines are not likely to cause low 

blood sugar or weight gain.

Common Side Effects

• Stomach Pain

• Diarrhea

• Gas

• Abnormal Liver Tests

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Thiazolidinediones

How do they work? These pills help the 

cells in your body use glucose.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Actos pioglitazone

Avandia rosiglitazone

Some Things to Think About

• Before you start taking these 

medicines, tell your doctor if you have 

heart problems or heart failure.

• These medicines may raise your chance 

of having a broken bone (fracture).

• Before you take Actos, tell your doctor 

if you are a premenopausal woman 

(before the “change of life”) who does 

not have periods regularly or at all. Actos 

may increase your chance of becoming 

pregnant. Talk to your doctor about birth 

control choices while taking Actos.

Common Side Effects

• Fluid Retention

• Weight Gain

• Heart Failure (heart cannot pump 

blood well)

• Anemia (low red blood cell counts)

• Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

DPP- 4 Inhibitors

How do they work? These pills help 

your body release more insulin.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Januvia sitagliptin

Onglyza saxagliptin

Nesina alogliptin

Tradjenta linagliptin

Some Things to Think About

• Call your doctor right away if you have 

severe stomach pain or vomiting. This 

may be a sign of a serious side effect.

Common Side Effects

• Upper Respiratory Infection

• Headache

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Diabetes Medicines
Sulfonylureas

How do they work? These pills help 

your body make more insulin.

Biguanides

How do they work? These pills stop your 

liver from making too much sugar (glucose). 

They also help the sugar get into your cells.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Amaryl glimepiride

Diabeta 

Glynase glyburide

Diabinese chlorpropamide

Glucotrol 

Glucotrol XL 

(extended release)

glipizide

No brand name tolbutamide

No brand name tolazamide

Some Things to Think About

• Talk to your doctor about your kidney 

health before you start and while you 

are taking this type of medicine.

• These medicines are not likely to cause 

low blood sugar or weight gain.

• People who drink a lot of alcohol and 

people with kidney problems may have 

a rare side effect called lactic acidosis 

(acid build up in the blood).

Common Side Effects

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Fortamet metformin

Glucophage metformin

Glucophage XR

(long-lasting 

extended release)

metformin

Glumetza metformin

Riomet metformin

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Some Things to Think About

• Before you start taking these drugs, tell 

your doctor if you have heart, liver, or 

kidney problems.

• Older adults and people with kidney 

or liver problems may be more likely 

to have low blood sugar when taking 

these medicines.

Common Side Effects

• Hypoglycemia 

(blood sugar that 

is too low)

• Weight Gain

• Headache 

• Dizziness

• Diarrhea 

• Indigestion

• Nausea/Vomiting

• Gas 

• Feeling Weak

• Headache

Diabetes Medicines
Dopamine Receptor Agonists

How do they work? This pill affects a 

chemical called dopamine in your cells. 

It is not clear how this pill works for 

diabetes.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Cycloset bromocriptine

Some Things to Think About

• Do not take this medicine if you are 

breastfeeding.

Common Side Effects

• Nausea

• Headache

• Feel Very Tired

• Feel Dizzy

• Vomiting

Bile Acid Sequestrants

How do they work? It is not clear how 

this pill works for diabetes.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Welchol colesevelam

Some Things to Think About

• This medicine is also used to treat high 

cholesterol.

• Tell your doctor if you are taking other 

cholesterol medicines.

Common Side Effects

• Constipation

• Dyspepsia (upset stomach/indigestion)

• Nausea

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Diabetes Medicines
SGLT2 Inhibitors

How do they work? These pills affect 

the kidney to increase the amount of 

sugar that goes out in the urine.

Some Things to Think About

• Do not take these drugs if you have 

severe kidney problems or are on 

dialysis.

• Before you take these drugs, tell 

your doctor if you have kidney or 

liver problems.

Common Side Effects

• Vaginal Yeast Infections 

• Urinary Tract Infections 

• Changes in Urination

Combination Medicines

These combinations are made up 

of two kinds of medicines. Ask your 

healthcare provider for the facts about the 

combination drug you are taking.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Farxiga dapagliflozin

Invokana canagliflozin

Jardiance empagliflozin

Steglatro ertugliflozin

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

ActoPlus Met

ActoPlus Met XR pioglitazone and metformin

Avandamet rosiglitazone and metformin

Avandaryl rosiglitazone and glimepiride

Duetact pioglitazone and glimepiride

Glucovance glyburide and metformin

Glyxambi empagliflozin and linagliptin 

Invokamet 

Invokamet XR canagliflozin and metformin

Janumet 

Janumet XR sitagliptin and metformin

Jentadueto linagliptin and metformin

Kazano alogliptin and metformin

Kombiglyze 

Kombiglyze XR saxagliptin and metformin

Metaglip glipizide and metformin

Oseni alogliptin and pioglitazone

PrandiMet repaglinide and metformin

Xigduo XR dapagliflozin and metformin

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Diabetes Medicines
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists

These are medicines that you inject 

under your skin. These medicines 

should not be used instead of insulin.

Some Things to Think About

• These medicines are not the same 

as insulin.

• Some people feel nauseous when 

they first start taking these medicines.

Amylin Analog

This is a medicine that you inject under 

your skin. This medicine should not be 

used instead of insulin.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Symlin pramlintide acetate

Some Things to Think About

• People who use insulin can also use 

Symlin.

• People with type 1 diabetes can use 

Symlin.

• Symlin should be taken in a separate 

injection. Do not mix Symlin and insulin 

in the same injection.

• This medicine is usually taken before 

meals.

• Some people feel nauseous when they 

first start taking this medicine.

BRAND NAME OTHER NAME

Adlyxin lixisenatide

Bydureon exenatide

Byetta exenatide

Ozempic semaglutide

Tanzeum albiglutide

Trulicity dulaglutide

Victoza liraglutide

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Diabetes Medicines
MEDICINE NAME HOW MUCH 

DO I TAKE?

WHEN DO I TAKE IT? IMPORTANT FACTS

Write down the facts about your diabetes medicines the next time you talk to 

your doctor, nurse, or diabetes educator.

• How will my medicines affect my blood sugar?

• Will it affect my other medicines?

• What are the side effects?

• What do I do if I start having side effects?

• What should I do if I am pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breastfeeding?

• What else should I know about my diabetes medicines?

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My Diabetes Medicines
Sign Up For A Pregnancy Registry

Pregnancy Exposure Registries are 

research studies that collect information 

from women who take prescription 

medicines or vaccines during pregnancy.

Pregnancy registries can help women 

and their doctors learn more about how 

diabetes medicines affect women during 

pregnancy.

The FDA does not run pregnancy studies, 

but it keeps a list of registries. 

Check to see if there is a registry 

for your diabetes medicine or other 

medicines at: 

www.fda.gov/pregnancyregistries

This booklet should not be used in place of talking to your doctor or reading the label 

on your medicine. This booklet does not list all of the benefits or risks of taking these 

medicines. The drug and risk information in this booklet may change. 

Check the FDA website for the latest facts on each medicine:

www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drugsatfda/

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This booklet was developed by the FDA Office of Women’s Health.

To get other FDA diabetes resources, go to: www.fda.gov/womensdiabetes

2018

You Can Control Your Diabetes

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Make a plan.

Work with your doctor, 

nurse, or diabetes educator 

to plan how you will 

manage your diabetes.

Use medicines wisely. 

Ask your healthcare 

provider when and how to 

safely use your diabetes 

medicines or insulin.

Check your blood sugar. 

Use your glucose meter 

to test your blood glucose 

(sugar) level during the day.

Watch what you eat. 

Work with your healthcare 

team to make a meal plan 

just for you.

Be active and get exercise. 

Dance, take a walk, or join 

an exercise class. Check 

with your healthcare 

provider about safe ways 

to be more active.

Watch your overall mental 

and physical health. 

Work with your healthcare 

team to keep your feet, eyes, 

heart, and teeth healthy.