Acarbose, Oral

What are other names for this medicine?

Generic and brand names: acarbose, oral; Precose

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth to lower blood sugar in people who have type 2 diabetes mellitus when diet alone has not worked. This medicine may be used along with other diabetes medicines or insulin shots.

How should I use it?

Take this medicine exactly as your health care provider prescribes. Take it with the first bite of each main meal (3 times a day).

Your health care provider may prescribe insulin or other diabetes medicine to be used with this one. Take any other medicine exactly as prescribed.

What should I watch out for?

Follow the diet and exercise program prescribed by your health care provider.

Your health care provider will want to test your blood sugar levels regularly. You may be able to test your blood sugar at home using a small machine. Follow your health care provider's advice exactly. Your health care provider may also do more in-depth tests. Keep all appointments for these tests.

Tell your health care provider if you are scheduled to have surgery.

When used alone, this medicine will not cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). However, when used with insulin or other diabetes medicines, hypoglycemia can occur and may be serious. Symptoms of low blood sugar include confusion, shaking, weakness, strong hunger, cold sweats, headache, nausea, vision problems, and feeling faint. Treat the condition quickly by eating or drinking something with sugar in it such as candy, juice, or nondiet soda. Taking glucose tablets or gel (available in drug stores) is another quick way to treat hypoglycemia. If you have low blood sugar often, contact your health care provider to find out if you need a dosage adjustment.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your health care provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while taking this medicine. Your health care provider may want you to take insulin if you need medicine to control your blood sugar while you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your health care provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Serious (report these to your health care provider right away): Any abdominal pain, diarrhea, or stomach gas that continues or gets worse; hypoglycemia (its symptoms are confusion, shaking, weakness, strong hunger, cold sweats, headache, nausea, vision problems, and feeling faint), which should be reported to your health care provider if it happens often.

Other: Mild abdominal pain, diarrhea, or stomach gas.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your health care provider if you are taking:

• birth control pills
• calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), nicardipine (Cardene), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor), and verapamil (Calan, Isoptin)
• corticosteroids such as prednisone (Meticorten, Deltasone) and dexamethasone (Decadron)
• diuretics such as hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL, Esidrix) and furosemide (Lasix)
• estrogens such as Premarin, Estratab, Ogen, Estinyl, and estrogen patches
• isoniazid (Laniazid, Nydrazid)
• nicotinic acid
• phenytoin (Dilantin)
• phenothiazines such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), fluphenazine (Permitil, Prolixin), mesoridazine (Serentil), perphenazine (Trilafon), prochlorperazine (Compazine), thioridazine (Mellaril), trifluoperazine (Stelazine), promazine (Sparine), and trifluoperazine (Vesprin)
• sympathomimetics used to treat asthma such as salmeterol (Serevent), albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin), terbutaline (Brethine), metaproterenol (Metaprel), and epinephrine (Adrenalin)
• thyroid medicines such as levothyroxine (Eltroxin, Levo-T, Levothroid, Levoxyl), thyroid USP (Armor Thyroid, Thyrar, Thyroid Strong), liothyronine (Cytomel), and liotrix (Thyrolar).

Keep a list of all your medicines (prescription, nonprescription, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins) with you. Be sure that you tell all health care providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your health care provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Ask your pharmacist for the best way to dispose of outdated medicine or medicine you have not used. Do not throw medicine in the trash.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.