Acarbose is a prescription drug that is licensed to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. This eMedTV page explains how acarbose works to slow digestion of carbohydrates, lists potential side effects, and covers general dosing guidelines.
What is acarbose used for? Acarbose treats type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels. This eMedTV page explains how acarbose decreases the rise in blood sugar that can occur after meals and also explains why the drug is not used in children.
This eMedTV Web page discusses some potential side effects of acarbose -- which can include gas, abdominal pain (or stomach pain), and diarrhea. This page also lists some serious side effects that you should report to your healthcare provider.
As this eMedTV article explains, the recommended starting acarbose dosage is usually 25 mg three times per day. This resource also highlights some factors that can affect acarbose dosing, such as how well your diabetes is controlled.
Estrogens and certain decongestants are among the drugs that can potentially interact with acarbose. This eMedTV Web page explains how drug interactions with acarbose can raise your risk of high or low blood sugar, among other things.
This eMedTV page describes some precautions and warnings with acarbose, such as possible drug interactions, the risk of low blood sugar in some people taking the drug, and the safety of taking acarbose when you are pregnant or nursing.
As this eMedTV page explains, low and high blood sugar levels are possible effects of acarbose. Blood sugar levels that are high or low can cause serious or life-threatening complications. This page also lists symptoms of high and low blood sugar.
It is generally considered safe to take acarbose during pregnancy. This eMedTV segment explores acarbose and pregnancy, and explains how the FDA categorizes acarbose as a pregnancy Category B medication.
It is possible to overdose on acarbose. This eMedTV Web page lists some acarbose overdose symptoms -- including gas, abdominal pain (or stomach pain), or diarrhea -- as well as some treatment options for a recent overdose.
Acarbose is currently available in generic form. This selection from the eMedTV Web site offers an in-depth look at generic acarbose, including information on available strengths, how the FDA classifies the drug, and more.
This eMedTV page takes an in-depth look at a number of acarbose alternatives, such as lifestyle changes and other oral diabetes medications or injectable diabetes drugs. This page also explains when an alternative to acarbose might be necessary.
