Managing diabetes can be pretty challenging, because a patient has to constantly monitor his blood sugar level in order to avoid both hyperglycemia (when glucose is extremely high) and hypoglycemia (when glucose is abnormally low). Hyperglycemia is especially difficult to control because every time we eat, the level of glucose in bloodstream raises.
In healthy individuals the organism regulates glucose level “automatically” by releasing an appropriate amount of insulin to deal with glucose. But in people with diabetes this process is disrupted, and thus even a small amount of high-carbohydrate food may increase blood sugar rapidly, so that patients need to regulate it manually by taking pills or injecting insulin. By the way, for people with type 2 diabetes insulin injections are far not the only options to control blood sugar. The medication called acarbose, or Precose as a brand product of Bayer Pharmaceuticals in the USA, offers a specific way of controlling blood sugar level.
Interesting to note that Precose works differently from other oral medications, commonly used for type 2 diabetes management. Acarbose, the key component of the medication, has the ability to inhibit or to suppress the action of specific enzymes, called glycoside hydrolases, which are found in the human intestines. The key is that those enzymes are necessary to convert carbohydrates from food into glucose molecules.
In simple phrase, Precose works like a handbrake in the human digestive tract, slowing down the digestion of complex carbohydrates, such as starches, and consequently, increasing the speed with which glucose molecules get into bloodstream.
Nowadays, Precose is available in both branded and generic form on the market of the USA. In Europe it is sold as Glucobay, and In Canada – as Prandase. The medication is usually prescribed as an adjunct to diet and exercising to improve blood glucose control.
Since the medication deals with food digestion – it should be taken right at the beginning of each meal. The initial dose of Precose is usually 25 mg three times daily, but later the dose may be increased based on evaluating therapeutic effects and individual tolerance.
There is an important thing to underline about the safety profile of Precose. In general, the medication does not cause serious side effects, but it does cause certain gastrointestinal reactions, which may be pretty uncomfortable. Flatulence is the greatest risk with Precose. This adverse reaction occurs in 74% of patients, so one should be prepared for this. Besides, abdominal pain and diarrhea are also not rare, occurring in 19% and 31% respectively.
The key benefit of Precose is that the medication can prevent hyperglycemia or abnormally high levels of blood sugar without throwing one’s glucose below normal level. However, when Precose is used along with other anti-diabetes medications, it may contribute to hypoglycemia, caused by other anti-diabetic drugs, such as sulfonylurea agents or insulin. That is why a patient, taking Precose with some other oral diabetes pills or insulin injections, should always be aware of low glucose risk.
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