Diabetes Medications When diet, exercise and ideal body weight aren’t enough to maintain normal blood sugar level, you may need to start medication. Medications used to treat diabetes include insulin too. Usually, people with Type 1 diabetes don't use oral medications. Diabetes Medications work best in people with Type 2 diabetes who are having high blood sugar for less than ten years with normal weight or obesity. Some people who begin treatment with oral medications eventually need to take insulin. Unfortunately, insulin cannot be taken in pills form because enzymes in your stomach alter it, which makes it ineffective. Hence, insulin is taken with insulin syringe or insulin pump. Insulin and oral diabetes medications deliberately work to lower your blood sugar. In certain cases medications taken for other conditions may affect glucose levels. Blood sugar levels may rise due to corticosteroids. Thiazides medications are used to control high blood pressure and niacin is used to lower high cholesterol. Your doctor has to change your diabetes treatment, if you need to take certain high blood pressure medications. Number of drug options exists in market for treating type 2 diabetes, including:

Sulfonylureas

Biguanides

Alpha glucosidase Inhibitors

Thiazolidinediones

Meglitinides