Miglitol
About
Miglitol belongs to a class of anti-diabetic medications used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, especially in patients whose blood sugar levels are not controlled by diet and exercise alone. Miglitol may be used alone or in combination with other medicines. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that affects the way our body processes glucose. People with type 2 diabetes either do not produce enough insulin or the insulin produced cannot perform its function in the body (insulin resistance). Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose get into your cells to give them energy. Without insulin, too much glucose stays in your blood. Middle-aged or older individuals are most likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, which is also known as adult-onset diabetes.
Miglitol contains Miglitol that works by inhibiting intestinal enzymes that breaks complex sugars into simple sugars like glucose. Thus, Miglitol helps in preventing a very high rise in blood sugar levels immediately after meals.
Take Miglitol as prescribed by your doctor. You are advised to take Miglitol for as long as your doctor has prescribed it for you based on your medical condition. In some cases, you may experience stomach pain, diarrhoea and gas. Most of these side effects of Miglitol do not require medical attention and gradually resolve over time. However, if the side effects persist or worsen, please consult your doctor.
If you are allergic to Miglitol or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. Miglitol is not recommended for children below 18 years of age. Avoid breastfeeding while taking Miglitol as it may be excreted in human milk. If you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy, please inform your doctor before taking Miglitol. Avoid alcohol consumption with Miglitol as it may decrease blood sugar levels. Drive only if you are alert after taking Miglitol as it may cause low blood sugar levels in some patients. Take short, frequent meals and avoid prolonged fasting when taking Miglitol. Beware of hypoglycemia symptoms (low blood sugar), including sweating, dizziness, palpitations, shivering, intense thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, frequent urination, etc. Whenever you experience any of these symptoms, immediately consult your doctor.
Uses of Miglitol
Medicinal Benefits
Miglitol contains Miglitol, an anti-diabetic drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, especially in patients whose blood sugar levels are not controlled by diet and exercise alone. It works by inhibiting intestinal enzymes that break complex sugars into simple sugars like glucose. Thus, Miglitol helps prevent a very high rise in blood sugar levels immediately after meals and prevent further complications due to diabetes. Proper diet and regular exercise along with Miglitol, will give better results.
Directions for Use
Storage
Side Effects of Miglitol
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhoea
- Gas
In-Depth Precautions and Warning
Drug Warnings
If you are allergic to Miglitol or any other medicines, please tell your doctor. If you have ulcers in the colon, inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorption syndrome, bowel block, food breakdown problems or kidney problems, inform your doctor before taking Miglitol. Miglitol is not recommended for children below 18 years of age. Avoid breastfeeding while taking Miglitol as it may be excreted in human milk. If you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy, please inform your doctor before taking Miglitol. Avoid alcohol consumption with Miglitol as it may decrease blood sugar levels. Take short, frequent meals and avoid prolonged fasting when taking Miglitol. Beware of hypoglycaemia symptoms (low blood sugar), including sweating, dizziness, palpitations, shivering, intense thirst, dry mouth, dry skin, frequent urination, etc. Whenever you experience any of these symptoms, immediately consume candies or glucose biscuits or honey/sugar and consult your doctor. Make sure to carry these with you at all times, especially during long travels.
Drug Interactions
Drug-Drug Interactions: Miglitol may have interaction with an antibiotic (gatifloxacin), steroid hormone (estradiol), water tablets (furosemide), bronchodilator (formoterol), and steroids (dexamethasone), Intestinal adsorbents (charcoal), digestive enzyme preparations containing carbohydrate splitting enzymes (amylase, pancreatin)
Drug-Food Interactions: Miglitol may interact with alcohol. Therefore, avoid the consumption of alcohol with Miglitol as it may lead to severely low blood sugar levels.
Drug-Disease Interactions: If you have ulcers in the colon, inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorption syndrome, diabetic acid problems, bowel block, problems with food breakdown, or kidney problems, inform your doctor before taking Miglitol.
Drug-Drug Interactions Checker List:
Safety Advice
Alcohol
unsafeYou are recommended to avoid consumption of alcohol with Miglitol as it may cause severe low blood sugar levels.
Pregnancy
cautionMiglitol is a Category B pregnancy drug and is given to pregnant women only if the doctor thinks benefits outweigh risks. Please consult a doctor if you are pregnant or planning for pregnancy.
Breast Feeding
unsafeAvoid breastfeeding while taking Miglitol as it may be excreted in breastmilk and cause adverse effects in the baby. Therefore, please consult a doctor before using Miglitol if you are breastfeeding mother.
Driving
cautionMiglitol may decrease alertness in some people. Therefore, drive only if you are alert after taking Miglitol.
Liver
safe if prescribedMiglitol may be safe to use in patients with liver disease if prescribed by a doctor.
Kidney
cautionTake Miglitol with caution, especially if you have a history of Kidney diseases/conditions. The dose may be adjusted by your doctor as required.
Children
unsafeMiglitol is not recommended for children below 18 years of age, as the safety and effectiveness were not established.
Habit Forming
Diet & Lifestyle Advise
- Do regular exercise such as cycling, walking, jogging, dancing or swimming for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Invest at least 150 minutes of your week in exercise.
- Maintain healthy body weight as obesity is also related to the onset of diabetes.
- Maintain a low-fat and a low sugar diet. Replace carbohydrates containing whole grains, fruits and vegetables as carbohydrates turn to sugars leading to high blood sugar.
- Avoid consumption of alcohol and quit smoking.
Special Advise
- Regular blood tests are recommended while taking Miglitol to monitor blood sugar levels.
- Use soft footwear and try to prevent any injuries to the extremities as wound healing is difficult in patients with type 2 diabetes due to decreased blood flow.
- Always carry sugar candies, in case of sudden hypoglycemia.
Patients Concern
Disease/Condition Glossary
Type 2 diabetes: It is a chronic (long-lasting) condition that keeps the body away from properly utilizing insulin. Hence, people affected with type 2 diabetes either do not produce enough insulin or are resistant to insulin. Middle-aged or older are most likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, which is also known as adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes symptoms include frequent urination at night, increased thirst, slow wound healing, increased hunger, fatigue and blurred vision. In some cases, there may be weight gain while in rare cases weight loss may be observed. The complication of type 2 diabetes also includes nerve problems, kidney problems and damaged retina of eyes or blindness, loss of limbs, sexual dysfunction, and increase the chance of heart attack or stroke.
FAQs
Miglitol contains Miglitol, an anti-diabetic drug that inhibits intestinal enzymes that break complex sugars into simple sugars like glucose. Thus, Miglitol helps in preventing the very high rise in blood sugar levels immediately after meals.
You are not recommended to take Miglitol with gatifloxacin as it may affect blood sugar levels resulting in hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) or hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). However, please consult a doctor before using Miglitol with other medicines so that the dose may be adjusted appropriately or alternate medicine may be prescribed.
Miglitol should be used with caution in patients suffering from kidney disease as it may worsen the condition. Therefore, if you have any kidney problem, please inform your doctor before taking Miglitol.
Miglitol alone does not cause low blood sugar levels. However, low blood sugar levels may occur if Miglitol is taken along with other antidiabetic medicines, alcohol intake, exercise more than usual, delay or miss snacks or meal. However, if you experience low blood pressure signs such as dizziness, nausea, light-headedness, dehydration, or fainting, please consult a doctor.
You are not recommended to stop taking Miglitol on your own as discontinuing Miglitol suddenly may cause recurring symptoms or worsen the condition. However, if you experience any difficulty while taking Miglitol, please consult your doctor so that alternative medicine may be prescribed.
In type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t produce insulin as the islet cells (insulin-producing cells) in the pancreas are destroyed completed. In type 2 diabetes, though islet cells are working, the body doesn’t respond to insulin as it becomes resistant to insulin.
Miglitol lowers your post-meal blood sugar levels. Therefore, it should be taken before meals.
