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Suggest An Alternative Medication For Januvia
Question: Hello I have diabetes type 2 and my doctor prescribed januvia which really seems to reduce my blood sugar count. Since it is astronomically expensive please tell me some other options . can I cut it in half? can I buy online? is there another medicine that works just as good but it is inexpensive
Brief Answer:
You can try metformin
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
you haven't mentioned any other drugs so metformin is a much cheaper but equally effective choice. You can start with 500mg (or even 250mg) per day and slowly advance to higher doses (every 1-2 weeks) unless diarrhea (or other side effects) occur.
A common dosage is about 1500mg per day at divided doses. Maximum dosage is 2500mg. If you've got any organ failure (renal, heart, respiratory) then this drug might cause problems.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.
Kind Regards!
You can try metformin
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
you haven't mentioned any other drugs so metformin is a much cheaper but equally effective choice. You can start with 500mg (or even 250mg) per day and slowly advance to higher doses (every 1-2 weeks) unless diarrhea (or other side effects) occur.
A common dosage is about 1500mg per day at divided doses. Maximum dosage is 2500mg. If you've got any organ failure (renal, heart, respiratory) then this drug might cause problems.
I hope you find my comments helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I should have mentioned that I already do take metformin 2000 milligrams a day divided
Brief Answer:
Glimepiride is another cheap choice
Detailed Answer:
I see... glimepiride could be used instead. If your diabetes has been diagnosed more than 10 years before then glimepiride and similar drugs might not be very effective. There are various doses for glimepiride ranging from 1mg to 6mg per day. Glimepiride acts a little differently than metformin and sitagliptin. Glimepiride will induce insulin secretion by the pancreas whether you have high or low blood sugar. It may thus cause you hypoglycemia if you omit meals, so keep that in mind. Sitagliptin and metformin are not supposed to cause significant hypoglycemia.
Kind Regards!
Glimepiride is another cheap choice
Detailed Answer:
I see... glimepiride could be used instead. If your diabetes has been diagnosed more than 10 years before then glimepiride and similar drugs might not be very effective. There are various doses for glimepiride ranging from 1mg to 6mg per day. Glimepiride acts a little differently than metformin and sitagliptin. Glimepiride will induce insulin secretion by the pancreas whether you have high or low blood sugar. It may thus cause you hypoglycemia if you omit meals, so keep that in mind. Sitagliptin and metformin are not supposed to cause significant hypoglycemia.
Kind Regards!
Note: For further follow-up, discuss your blood glucose reports with our diabetologist. Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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