What are the medications that can affect blood glucose

You may have heard about different foods and drinks causing blood glucose to increase. Did you also know that some prescription drugs can trigger such increase in blood glucose? Lets see what are the medications that can affect blood glucose.

That is why people with diabetes should always inform their doctors, nurse practitioners, dentists and others prescribing drugs for them that they have diabetes. Doctors and nurses managing diabetic patients should be aware of any drug their patients are using.

That brings us medications that affect blood glucose. Let’s find out what those drugs are and how they affect blood glucose.

What are the medications that can affect blood glucose?

The answer to this question is there are many of them. Some of those medications that can affect blood glucose are effective in the conditions they treat. But their side effects might be too big to neglect. Let’s take a look at how they act.

Antipsychotics

The answer to this question is there are many of them. Some of those drugs that affect blood glucose are effective in the conditions they treat. But their side effects might be too big to neglect. Let’s take a look at how they affect blood glucose.

Examples of antipsychotics

Drugs widely called antipsychotics include:

• Clozapine – FazaClo and Clozaril
• Risperidone – Risperdal
• Fumarate – Seroquel

Because taking these drugs can affect blood glucose it’s better to measure your sugar levels before you start using them.

How does Antipsychotics affect blood glucose?

Studies on antipsychotics and they how they affect blood glucose suggests that antipsychotics can impair regulation of glucose by lowering insulin action. These medications have also been shown to cause weight gain.

Steroids

Corticosteroids which are also called steroids are special anti-inflammatory classes of drugs used to treat different types of health conditions. They are available in different forms such as tablets, injections, lotions, and inhalers.

Corticosteroids treat conditions like asthma, atopic eczema, hay fever, allergic rhinitis and others.

Examples of corticosteroids

• Cortisone
• Prednisone
• Hydrocortisone – Cortef
• Prednisolone – Prelone

How do Corticosteroids affect blood glucose?

Though prednisone is effective and capable of significantly reducing pain and inflamed tissue, the price for this comfort is high. It has a long list of side effects which is scary. And one such side effect is its action on blood glucose.

Taking prednisone is even riskier when one has diabetes. Corticosteroids are also referred to as glucocorticoids because of their powerful effect on glucose metabolism in the body.

Prednisone raises glucose levels in the blood by reducing its transportation into the muscle cells and adipose tissue. It also stimulates the liver’s glucose secretion. The resultant effect of all these actions is glucose clearance reduction. When excess glucose is in the system, it leads to glucose toxicity.

Heart Medications

Though drugs that treat heart issues can affect blood glucose levels, not all of them react this way. Those that increase blood glucose are called the beta-blockers.

Examples of Beta Blockers

• Atenolol – Tenormin
• Acebutolol – Scretral
• Nadolol – Corgard
• Metoprolol – Lopressor

How does Beta Blockers affect blood glucose?

Beta blockers can make it impossible for someone to know and respond to low blood glucose by causing the person’s heart rate to be slow. This makes it impossible for people to recognize hypoglycemia symptoms when it starts.

Beta blockers can block the liver’s ability to release glucose. It can lower levels of insulin even in the presence of high blood glucose. It interacts with some nerve signal to the organ called pancreas, thus limiting the ability of the pancreas to regulate blood sugar.

Blood Pressure Drugs

High blood pressure is a severe health condition that doesn’t have symptoms. It causes severe health problems like heart failure, kidney failure, and stroke. Those who cannot control their HBP through lifestyle changes, reduction in sodium intake or losing weight rely on blood pressure drugs to do so. But there could be a side effect that one may not like.

Blood pressure drugs work by removing water and salt from the body, which in turn helps to decrease blood pressure. These are also said to decrease blood pressure by widening or relaxing the blood vessels.

Examples of blood pressure drugs

• Furosemide – Lasix
• Hydrochlorothiazide – HCTZ
• Bumetanide – Bumex

How Does Blood pressure drugs affect blood glucose?

The reason diuretics or blood pressure drugs can affect blood sugar level is that they can impair the body’s ability to break down glucose. When such happens, the person’s glucose level will increase. However, other reasons why diuretics have such effects on blood sugar are still unknown.

Conclusion

These are medications that can affect blood glucose levels even though they are very effective in the conditions they treat. One needs to have a sound knowledge of these drugs and how they affect blood glucose.

Author Bio

Clement Otega is a content producer and writes about health-related issues. He has written several articles on the glucose level chart and other diabetes-related issues.