Acarbose (Systemic)

Brand Names : Precose

Category

• Antidiabetic agent

Description

Acarbose (AY-car-bose) is used to treat a type of diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) called type 2 diabetes. Normally, your pancreas releases insulin into the blood stream after you eat. Insulin is used by all the cells in your body to help turn the food you eat into energy. This is done by using glucose (sugar) in the blood as quick energy. When you have type 2 diabetes, insulin is still produced by your pancreas, but the amount of insulin produced may not be enough or your body may not be using it properly and you may still need more. Because of this, the insulin is not able to lower your blood sugar properly and you will have too much sugar in your blood. Acarbose lowers your blood sugar by preventing the breakdown of starch into sugar. It may be used alone or in combination with another type of oral diabetes medicine called a sulfonylurea.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription, in the following dosage form:

Oral
• Tablets (U.S.)

Brand Names

Some commonly used brand names are:

In the U.S.—

• Precose