Do I need to take diabetes medicine?

What if I have type 1 diabetes?

Most people make insulin in their pancreas. If you have type 1 diabetes, your body does
not make insulin. Insulin helps glucose from the foods you eat get to all parts of your body
and be used for energy.

 

Because your body no longer makes insulin, you need to take insulin in shots. Take your
insulin as your doctor tells you.

 

What if I have type 2 diabetes?

If you have type 2 diabetes, your pancreas usually makes plenty of insulin. But your body
cannot correctly use the insulin you make. You might get this type of diabetes if members
of your family have or had diabetes. Type 2 is the type of diabetes most people get as
adults after the age of 40. You might also get type 2 diabetes if you weigh too much or do
not exercise enough.

 

Healthy eating, exercise, and losing weight may help you lower your blood glucose when
you find out you have type 2 diabetes. If these treatments do not work, you may need one
or more types of diabetes pills to lower your blood glucose. After a few more years, you
may need to take insulin shots because your body is not making enough insulin.
You, your doctor, and your diabetes teacher should always find the best diabetes
plan for you.

 

How do I know if my diabetes medicines are working?

Learn to test your blood glucose. Ask your doctor or diabetes teacher about the best
testing tools for you and how often to test. After you test your blood glucose, write down
your blood glucose test results. Then ask your doctor or diabetes teacher if your diabetes
medicines are working. A good blood glucose reading before meals is between 70 and
140 mg/dL.

 

Ask your doctor or diabetes teacher about how low or how high your blood glucose should
get before you take action. For many people, blood glucose is too low below 70 mg/dL
and too high above 240 mg/dL.

 

One other number to know is the result of a blood test your doctor does called the A1C. It
shows your blood glucose control during the past 3 months. For most people, the target
for A1C is less than 7 percent.