Acarbose

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acarbose
Generic Name: acarbose (ah KAR bose)
Brand Names: Precose

What is acarbose?

Acarbose delays the digestion of carbohydrates (forms of sugar) in the body. This decreases the amount of sugar that passes into the blood after a meal and prevents periods of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).
Acarbose is used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Acarbose may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about acarbose?
Take each dose of acarbose with the first bite of a meal.
Know the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which include shaking; headache; sweating; pale, cool skin; fast heartbeats; drowsiness; dizziness; weakness; hunger; confusion; nausea; nervousness or anxiety; or difficulty concentrating. Carry a piece of non-dietetic, sugary hard candy or glucose tablets with you to treat episodes of low blood sugar.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking acarbose?
Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you have
inflammatory bowel disease, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, or any other disease of the intestines;
ulcers of the colon;
a blockage or obstruction in the intestines;
liver disease; or
kidney disease.
You may not be able to take acarbose, or you may require a dosage adjustment or special monitoring during treatment if you have any of the conditions listed above.
Contact your doctor if you develop a fever or an infection, require surgery, or if you experience a serious injury. Illness or injury may cause a loss of blood sugar control and insulin (or an adjustment of a current insulin dose) may be required for a period of time.
Acarbose is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Generally, insulin is the drug of choice for controlling diabetes during pregnancy. Do not take acarbose without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. Acarbose passes into breast milk and may affect a nursing infant. Do not take acarbose without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
How should I take acarbose?
Take acarbose exactly as directed by your doctor. If you do not understand these directions, ask your pharmacist, nurse, or doctor to explain them to you.
Take each dose with a full glass (8 ounces) of water. Take each dose with the first bite of a meal.
It is important to take acarbose regularly to get the most benefit.
Your doctor may recommend regular monitoring of blood sugar levels with blood or urine tests or other medical evaluations during treatment with acarbose to monitor progress and side effects.
Contact your doctor if you develop a fever or an infection, require surgery, or if you experience a serious injury. Illness or injury may cause a loss of blood sugar control and insulin (or an adjustment of a current insulin dose) may be required for a period of time.
Store acarbose at room temperature away from moisture and heat.
What happens if I miss a dose?
For maximum effectiveness, acarbose should be taken with the first bite of a meal. A missed dose taken within 15 minutes of the first bite of a meal will still be effective and should be taken as soon as remembered. If more than 15 minutes have passed since the first bite of the meal, a missed dose of acarbose may still be taken, although the effectiveness of the medication will be reduced. If a missed dose is not remembered until the next meal, skip the missed dose and take only the next regularly scheduled dose. Do not take a double dose.
What happens if I overdose?
Seek emergency medical attention if an overdose is suspected.
An overdose of this medication is unlikely to occur. Symptoms of an overdose are unknown, but stomach pain, gas, bloating, and diarrhea might be expected.
What should I avoid while taking acarbose?
Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely. Changing any of these factors can affect your blood sugar levels.
Tell your doctor and dentist that you are taking this medication before you undergo any surgery.
Do not take any over-the-counter cough, cold, allergy, pain, or weight-loss medications without first talking to your doctor.
Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol may affect blood sugar levels.
Acarbose side effects
Stop taking acarbose and seek emergency medical attention if you experience an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; or hives).
No other serious side effects have been reported from the use of acarbose. Consult your doctor if you experience any unusual or especially bothersome side effects.
Know the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which include shaking; headache; sweating; pale, cool skin; fast heartbeats; drowsiness; dizziness; weakness; hunger; confusion; nausea; nervousness or anxiety; or difficulty concentrating. Carry a piece of non-dietetic, sugary hard candy or glucose tablets with you to treat episodes of low blood sugar.
Some gas, bloating, abdominal discomfort or pain is likely to be experienced. Diarrhea may also occur. These side effects usually lessen with time.
Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
What other drugs will affect acarbose?
Digestive-enzyme supplements such as pancreatin (amylase, protease, lipase) in products such as Arco-Lase, Cotazym, Donnazyme, Pancrease, Creon, Ku-Zyme, and others may decrease the effects of acarbose. These medications should not be taken at the same time as acarbose.
Before taking acarbose, tell your doctor if you are taking any of the following medicines:
a thiazide diuretic (water pill) such as hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ, Hydrodiuril, others), chlorothiazide (Diuril), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), indapamide (Lozol), and others;
a steroid medication such as prednisone (Deltasone), methylprednisolone (Medrol), and others;
an estrogen (Premarin, Ogen, others) or an estrogen-containing birth control pill;
a phenothiazine such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), prochlorperazine (Compazine), promethazine (Phenergan, Promethegan), and others;
a thyroid medication (Synthroid, Levoxyl, others);
phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); or
a calcium channel blocker such as verapamil (Calan, Verelan, Isoptin), diltiazem (Cardizem, Dilacor XR), nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat), and others.
The drugs listed above do not necessarily affect the actions of acarbose directly, but they are known to affect blood sugar levels. Special monitoring may be necessary.
Drugs other than those listed here may also interact with acarbose or affect your condition. Talk to your doctor and pharmacist before taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicines, including vitamins, minerals, and herbal products.
Where can I get more information?
Your pharmacist has more information about acarbose written for health professionals that you may read.
What does my medication look like?
Acarbose is available with a prescription under the brand name Precose. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about this medication, especially if it is new to you.
Precose 50 mg--round, white, scored tablets
Precose 100 mg--round, white tablets
Remember, keep this and all other medicines out of the reach of children, never share your medicines with others, and use this medication only for the indication prescribed.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Cerner Multum, Inc. ('Multum') is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Multum information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Multum does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Multum's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Multum's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners. The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Multum does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.


Acarbose

Generic Name: Acarbose (ay-KAR-bose)
Brand Name: Precose

Acarbose is used for:

Treating type 2 diabetes in adults whose diabetes cannot be managed with diet alone. Acarbose may be used alone, in combination with other oral diabetes medicines, or with insulin.
Acarbose is a glucosidase inhibitor. It works by slowing down the enzyme that turns carbohydrates into glucose; this decreases blood sugar levels following a meal.
Do NOT use Acarbose if:
you are allergic to any ingredient in Acarbose
you have blockage of the stomach or intestine or are at risk for these problems
you have long-term (chronic) bowel inflammation, colon ulcers, or stomach or intestine problems that interfere with digestion or nutrient absorption
you have cirrhosis of the liver or unexplained abnormal liver function tests
you have diabetic ketoacidosis (high ketone levels) or severe kidney problems
Contact your doctor or health care provider right away if any of these apply to you.
Before using Acarbose :
Some medical conditions may interact with Acarbose . Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you have any medical conditions, especially if any of the following apply to you:
if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are breast-feeding
if you are taking any prescription or nonprescription medicine, herbal preparation, or dietary supplement
if you have allergies to medicines, foods, or other substances
if you have stomach or intestinal problems, liver problems, or kidney problems
Some MEDICINES MAY INTERACT with Acarbose . Tell your health care provider if you are taking any other medicines, especially any of the following:
Anticoagulants (eg, warfarin) because the risk of their side effects, including bleeding, may be increased by Acarbose
Calcium channel blockers (eg, verapamil), corticosteroids (eg, prednisone), diuretics (eg, hydrochlorothiazide), estrogen, isoniazid, nicotinic acid, oral contraceptives (birth control pills), phenothiazines (eg, chlorpromazine), phenytoin, sympathomimetics (eg, pseudoephedrine), or thyroid hormone because they may increase or decrease Acarbose 's effectiveness
Insulin or sulfonylureas (eg, glyburide) because the risk of their side effects may be increased by Acarbose
Digoxin because its effectiveness may be decreased by Acarbose
This may not be a complete list of all interactions that may occur. Ask your health care provider if Acarbose may interact with other medicines that you take. Check with your health care provider before you start, stop, or change the dose of any medicine.
How to use Acarbose :
Use Acarbose as directed by your doctor. Check the label on the medicine for exact dosing instructions.
Take Acarbose by mouth with food.
If you also take charcoal or digestive enzyme preparations, do not take them within 2 to 4 hours before after taking Acarbose . Check with your doctor if you have questions.
Temporary insulin therapy may be necessary during stressful periods (such as fever, trauma, infection, or surgery).
If you miss a dose of Acarbose , skip the missed dose and go back to your regular dosing schedule. Do not take 2 doses at once.
Ask your health care provider any questions you may have about how to use Acarbose .
Important safety information:
Follow the diet and exercise program given to you by your health care provider.
Tell your doctor or dentist that you take Acarbose before you receive any medical or dental care, emergency care, or surgery.
Carefully follow the regular testing of urine or blood glucose schedules given to you by your health care provider.
Acarbose , used with other diabetes medicines, may cause a loss of blood sugar control. Your health care provider may need to change the amount of medicine that you are taking. Because Acarbose prevents the breakdown of table (cane) sugar, be sure to use glucose (dextrose), not sugar or fruits, to treat symptoms of low blood sugar (tiredness, excessive hunger and sweating, numbness in arms or legs). Contact your health care provider if these symptoms occur.
Lab tests, including complete blood cell counts, blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin levels, and liver function tests, may be performed while you use Acarbose . These tests may be used to monitor your condition or check for side effects. Be sure to keep all doctor and lab appointments.
Acarbose should not be used in CHILDREN; safety and effectiveness in children have not been confirmed.
PREGNANCY and BREAST-FEEDING: If you become pregnant, contact your doctor. You will need to discuss the benefits and risks of using Acarbose while you are pregnant. It is not known if Acarbose is found in breast milk. Do not breast-feed while taking Acarbose .
Possible side effects of Acarbose :
All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Bloating; diarrhea; gas; nausea; stomach pain; vomiting.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); severe stomach pain; yellowing of skin or eyes.
This is not a complete list of all side effects that may occur. If you have questions or need medical advice about side effects, contact your doctor or health care provider. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 (1-800-332-1088) or at http://www.fda.gov/medwatch.
If OVERDOSE is suspected:
Contact 1-800-222-1222 (the American Association of Poison Control Centers), your local poison control center (http://www.aapcc.org/findyour.htm), or emergency room immediately. Symptoms may include diarrhea; gas; stomach pain or discomfort.
Proper storage of Acarbose :
Store Acarbose below 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) in a tightly sealed container. Store away from heat, moisture, and light. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep Acarbose out of the reach of children and away from pets.
General information:
If you have any questions about Acarbose , please talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
Acarbose is to be used only by the patient for whom it is prescribed. Do not share it with other people.
If your symptoms do not improve or if they become worse, check with your doctor.
This information is summary only. It does not contain all information about Acarbose . If you have questions about the medicine you are taking or would like more information, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or other health care provider.
Issue Date: October 3, 2007
Database Edition 07.4.1.001
Copyright © 2007 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.