Drug

Glucobay®

Active ingredient

Acarbose

definition

Glucobay® is an antidiabetic agent and is used for the treatment and co-medication of type I and II diabetes mellitus.

Mode of action

Glucobay® inhibits an enzyme called α-glucosidase, which is the increase in Blood sugar level prevented in the body after meals. α-Glucosidase normally has the task in the intestine of converting the polysaccharides into simple sugars. If this is blocked, the polysaccharide cannot be used and the blood sugar therefore does not rise.

field of use

Like the drug class ("Antidiabetic drug“) Already reveals, will Glucobay® to treat Diabetes mellitus used. At the insulin dependent diabetes (type I) can acarbose only as Comedic should be used as the sole effect would not be sufficient. At the Type II diabetes mellituswho is not insulin dependent comes Glucobay® together with one diet with or without another antidiabetic drug used.

dosage

Glucobay® must be dosed individually, as every body can react differently to a drug. The dose becomes from the doctor determined on the basis of various values in the blood.
In the adult it is the usual one Starting dose about at 150 mg of Glucobay® (one 50mg tablet in the morning, at noon, in the evening Gulcobay®).
It has been shown that the side effects are reduced if the drug is started gradually, i.e. with a lower starting dose: 50mg 1 to 2 times a day Glucobay®.
The dose can then be gradually increased until the optimum effect is achieved. The Total dose may 300mg acarbose however do not exceed.

No dose reduction is necessary in elderly patients either, which can be the case with many other drugs.

A therapy from Glucobay® at Children and adolescents under 18 years of age should not be ordered as there are no studies on this. The safety and effectiveness of the drug has therefore not yet been proven.

The Glucobay® tablets should be chewed lightly or swallowed whole with a little liquid before a meal.

There is no time limit for acarbose. It can be used as long as it works well and has few side effects.

Contraindications

Also at Glucobay® there are certain contraindications for which the drug must not be taken.
Which includes:

a Hypersensitivity reaction with prior use of Glucobay®
chronic inflammatory Bowel disease (here the risk of an absorption disorder in the intestine can be too great)
all kinds one diabetic metabolic imbalance With
- coma
- Ketoacidosis
- and Hypoglycemia
Colon ulcers
suspicion of Intestinal obstruction
severe liver dysfunction such as
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- heavy Kidney disease

Careful application

It is recommended to check liver values during the first 6 to 12 months, as they often increase at the beginning. In addition, the Creatinine values (around a Renal dysfunction to be excluded).
Glucobay® it lowers the Blood sugar level, but the risk of one Hypoglycemia (a dangerous low sugar) is very low with a single medication.
If other anti-diabetic drugs are also taken, the risk of hypoglycaemia increases. This must slip into the hypoglycemic area Glucobay® be reduced in its dose.

pregnancy and breast feeding period: No fetal-damaging properties could be shown in animal experiments. However, it was no study performed on pregnant women why Glucobay® in the Pregnancy is prohibited.
Breastfeeding mothers will avoid taking Acarbose advised against. The drug could not be shown to be excreted in breast milk, but it could not be ruled out either.

Side effects

As with others Anti-diabetics can also with Glucobay® undesirable effects occur.
To the very common to most common side effects count well