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| Pronunciation |
|
 (AY
car
bose) |
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| Brand Names |
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| Precose® |
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| Therapeutic
Categories |
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Antidiabetic Agent (Miscellaneous) |
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| Reasons not to take this
medicine |
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|
- If you have an allergy to acarbose or any other part of the medicine.
- If you have any of the following conditions: Diabetic ketoacidosis or
cirrhosis; inflammatory bowel disease, colonic ulceration, partial intestinal
obstruction or history of intestinal obstruction; severe disorders of digestion
or absorption.
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|
|
| What is this medicine used
for? |
|
|
- This medicine is used to lower blood sugar in diabetic patients.
- It is used in type 2 diabetes.
- It can be used alone or in combination with other diabetes
medicines.
|
|
|
| How does it work? |
|
|
- Acarbose slows digestion of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates would include
sugars, bread, rice, and pasta.
- It slows absorption of sugar into your
system.
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|
| How is it best taken? |
|
|
- Take at the beginning of a meal.
- Follow diet plan as recommended by healthcare
provider.
|
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|
| What do I do if I miss a
dose? |
|
|
- Take a missed dose as soon as possible if you remember within an hour
of the meal.
- If not then skip the missed one. Return to your regular schedule.
- Do not take a double dose or extra
doses.
|
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|
| What are the precautions when
taking this
medicine? |
|
|
- Wear disease medical alert identification for diabetes.
- Avoid alcohol (includes wine, beer, and liquor).
- When used alone, low blood sugars do not occur.
- If taken with other diabetes medicine, use glucose (dextrose,
D-glucose) or milk to treat low blood sugars. Table sugar may not work fast
enough.
- Tell healthcare provider if you are allergic to any medicine. Make
sure to tell about the allergy and how it affected you. This includes telling
about rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of
face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other symptoms involved.
- Tell healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan on getting
pregnant.
- Do not use if you are
breast-feeding.
|
|
|
| What are the common side effects
of this
medicine? |
|
|
- Belly pain, cramps, and passing gas.
- Diarrhea.
|
|
|
| What should I monitor? |
|
|
- Check blood sugar as ordered by healthcare provider. Call if glucose
is less than 80 mg/dL or greater than 250 mg/dL. Bring results to follow-up
visits.
- Watch for low blood sugar. This can cause anger, shaking, rapid
heartbeats, confusion, and sweating.
- Watch for high blood sugar. Causes many trips to the bathroom, thirst,
and weight loss.
- Check blood work. Talk with healthcare provider.
- Follow diet plan and exercise program as recommended by healthcare
provider.
- Have a yearly eye exam and visit to the foot
doctor.
|
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| Reasons to call healthcare
provider
immediately |
|
|
- Signs of a life-threatening reaction. These include wheezing;
tightness in the chest; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; fits;
swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat.
- Any signs or symptoms of infection. This may include a fever greater
than 99 degrees, chills, sore throat, cough, increased sputum or change in
color, painful urination, mouth sores, wound that will not heal, anal itching or
pain.
- Low blood sugar or high blood sugar.
- Any rash.
|
|
|
| How should I store this
medicine? |
|
|
- Store in a tight container at room temperature. Protect from
moisture.
|
|
|
| General statements |
|
|
- Do not share your medicine with others and do not take anyone else's
medicine.
- Keep all medicine out of the reach of children and pets.
- Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, herbal/supplements,
vitamins, over-the-counter) with you. Give this list to healthcare provider
(doctor, nurse, pharmacist, physician assistant).
- Talk with healthcare provider before starting any new medicine,
including over-the-counter or natural products (herbs,
vitamins).
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Copyright © 1978-2001 Lexi-Comp Inc. All Rights Reserved
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The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application, use, or misuse of any of the information contained herein, including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability, negligence, or otherwise. No warranty, expressed or implied, is made in regard to the contents of this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any drugs or compounds currently marketed or in investigative use. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication. The reader is advised to discuss the information provided here with a doctor, pharmacist, nurse, or other authorized healthcare practitioner and to check product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage, precautions, warnings, interactions, and contraindications before administering any drug, herb, or supplement discussed herein.
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