Acarbose (Glucobay®)

Product Description

Glucobay Acarbose fights diabetes, weight gain and aging

Acarbose reduces food cravings by slowing the absorption of glucose and reducing sugar highs. Branded as Glucobay Acarbose, it helps diabetes sufferers live more normal lives. Acarbose can also counter aging caused by excessive insulin in our bodies.

Acarbose defends your body by reducing blood sugar peaks. Glucobay Acarbose taken daily helps you feel full for longer by providing a more stable supply of essential blood sugars. Extensive evidence shows this weight loss can be achieved through regular Acarbose dosage. Diabetics clearly have a powerful ally too when they choose Acarbose for their daily therapy.

Glucobay Acarbose also assists diabetics with weight loss. Acarbose provides the appropriate dosage and is tested and proven over two decades to ensure that diabetics weight loss can be maintained. It is the weight loss system physicians and patients trust as the number one Acarbose diabetes therapy.

Why Glucobay Acarbose is vital

Glucobay Acarbose is your essential treatment because it helps regulate glucose, your body’s preferred source of energy. Diabetes means your body can’t regulate blood glucose levels without additional help.

Glucose comes from carbohydrates found in a range of foods, while your body’s natural insulin effectively “unlocks” cells allowing glucose to enter them.

Acarbose is important if your body does not produce insulin, or your natural insulin does not unlock glucose properly. In each scenario, you have diabetes.

Acarbose treats types 1 and 2

Glucobay Acarbose will help if you have Type 1 diabetes which results from the body’s inability to produce insulin. If you don’t inject yourself with insulin, you will die. Type 1 usually develops quickly and has classic symptoms of feeling thirsty, coupled with frequent and sweet-smelling urine.

Glucobay Acarbose is equally essential if you suffer Type 2 diabetes due to insulin resistance. While you still produce insulin, your body is unable to use it to unlock cells. Type 2 may not have immediate life-threatening consequences but is a contributor to a number of serious long-term illnesses.

How Acarbose dosage helps type 2 diabetics

Glucobay Acarbose is ideal for Type 2 sufferers, by helping to reduce the risks of heart disease and strokes, kidney failure, limb amputation and the onset of blindness.

Diabetes increases your risk of ‘Atherosclerosis’ – the clogging of blood vessels with plaque – and underlying cause of cardiovascular heart disease and strokes. Type 2 also causes blood vessels in your kidneys, legs, feet and eyes to narrow, which can lead to major problems.

Glucobay Acarbose – proven over 20 years

Launched in 1990, Acarbose belongs to a class of drugs known as alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. It works in the small intestine where Acarbose inhibits the actions of enzymes that breakdown complex carbohydrates into simpler sugars such as glucose.

Glucobay Acarbose can either be prescribed as a single therapy, or it can be used in conjunction with other treatments.

More than 100 studies have proven the effectiveness of Acarbose – in particular its ability to help delay the progression of diabetes and fight against cardiovascular complications.

Taking Acarbose – the wider benefits

Acarbose may also help people suffering pre-diabetes – the precursor to Type 2. Research shows it can significantly reduce the risk of progressing to Type 2.

An additional benefit of slowing carbohydrate digestion is that you feel full for longer – a powerful appetite suppressor.

With age, we produce more insulin to cope with increased blood-sugar levels, as our cells gradually become more insulin resistant. However, too much insulin is damaging, causing premature aging. But by taking Glucobay Acarbose, we reduce our desire for glucose-rich foods.

Acarbose -dosage and side effects

For antiaging and appetite suppression, take one 50mg Glucobay Acarbose tablet one to three times daily. For diabetics, the dosage should be set by your doctor.

Acarbose has an excellent safety record but may initially cause flatulence, diarrhoea or abdominal pain. If this happens, reduce or stop the dosage then gradually increase it again. Any effects should then disappear. Do not take Acarbose if you suffer from intestinal, inflammatory or ulceration disorders.

Glucobay Acarbose delivers on many fronts: from combating diabetes, to weight loss support and promoting antiaging health, Acarbose is the answer.

Glucobay tablets should be chewed with the first mouthful of food. If you prefer not to chew the tablets then swallow them whole with a little liquid immediately before the meal.

Label

Acarbose -effective treatment for diabetes and weight loss

Acarbose has a unique mechanism of action in that it reduces blood sugar peaks and slows the absorption of glucose in our bodies. This reduces food cravings and makes Acarbose an ideal drug for diabetics or anyone wanting to loose weight.  Acarbose has a different mechanism of action to loperamide, which addresses conditions associated with diarrhoea.

Acarbose helps lower the risk of kidney failure and heart disease associated with high blood glucose levels. Taken daily, regular acarbose dosage provides a more stable supply of essential blood sugars. This mechanism of action ensures you feel full for longer, and counters the damage caused by excessive insulin. Put simply, Acarbose allows diabetes sufferers to live more normal lives.

ACARBOSE / GLUCOBAY ^®

Tablets, each containing 50 mg acarbose. The tablets also contain  starch, cellulose, magnesium stearate and silicon dioxide. Glucobay 50  comes in packs of 90 tablets. Glucobay 50 contains acarbose which is one  of a group of substances known as glucosidase inhibitors which are used  to treat diabetes.

Why have I been prescribed Glucobay 50 by my doctor?
This  medicine has been prescribed for you by your doctor to treat your  diabetes. Glucobay will help to control your blood sugar levels. This is  because Glucobay works by slowing down the digestion of carbohydrates  (complex sugars) from your diet, and this reduces the abnormally high  blood sugar levels that occur after each meal.

When should I not take Glucobay?
Do not take this medicine  if you have previously had an allergic reaction to any of the  ingredients. If you are unsure about this ask your doctor. Do not take  this medicine if you are under 12 years of age. Do not take this  medicine if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. If you are taking  Glucobay and think that you may be pregnant, or are planning a family,  consult your doctor. You should not take Glucobay if you have any of the  following medical conditions:

• • If you suffer from inflammation or ulceration of the bowel, e.g. ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.

• • If you have, or are susceptible to, an obstruction in your intestines

• • If you have a liver disorder.

• • If you have an intestinal disease whereby you do not digest or absorb food properly.

• • If you have a large hernia or any other condition where increased gas in your intestine may make it worse.

• • If you have a kidney disorder do not take Glucobay without consulting your doctor first.

• • If you are unsure whether you might have any of these conditions, please ask your doctor.

What special precautions should I take?
Treating  hypoglycemic episodes (“hypos”). As a diabetic you may also be receiving  other treatments for your diabetes. If you are taking insulin or  sulphonylurea drugs to control your blood sugar, you will probably be  used to avoiding hypoglycemic episodes by taking sugar when you feel  that your blood sugar level is too low.
WHEN TAKING GLUCOBAY DO NOT  TREAT A HYPOGLYCAEMIC EPISODE WITH ORDINARY SUGAR (SUCROSE). INSTEAD  TAKE SOME GLUCOSE (ALSO KNOWN AS DEXTROSE) TABLETS, SYRUP, OR SWEETS  WHICH SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL PHAR- MACIST.
This medicine  may affect the levels of certain proteins called enzymes in your blood.  Your doctor may wish to see you more frequently in order to monitor the  levels of these enzymes. Glucobay may alter the effect of other drugs  or, alternatively, some drugs may alter the effect of Glucobay. If you  are using any of the following drugs, speak to your doctor or pharmacist  before taking this medicine:
-Drugs known as intestinal adsorbents e.g. charcoal.

• • Drugs to help your digestion (digestive enzyme preparations).

• • The antibiotic, neomycin.

• • Cholestyramine, a drug used to treat high cholesterol.

When and how do I take Glucobay?
To gain the maximum  benefit from Glucobay you should adhere to the diet prescribed for you  by your doctor. This will also help in reducing any side effects you may  experience. Take the tablets as prescribed by your doctor. This will  normally be one or two tablets taken with meals three times a day.  However, when you first start your treatment, your doctor may recommend  that you take your tablets once or twice a day before increasing your  dose to three times a day. This medicine is intended for long-term use.  Glucobay tablets should be chewed with the first mouthful of food. If  you prefer not to chew the tablets then swallow them whole with a little  liquid immediately before the meal-
DO NOT EXCEED THE PRESCRIBED DOSE.
If  you do exceed the prescribed dose, or in the event of an overdose, you  may experience diarrhea and other intestinal symptoms such as flatulence  (wind) and abdominal pain. If you take more than the prescribed dose,  or in the event of an overdose, avoid the intake of carbohydrate  containing food or drinks and seek medical advice immediately. If  possible, take your tablets or the pack with you to show the doctor.

What should I do if I miss one or more doses?
If you forget  to take one or more doses of Glucobay do not take the tablets between  meals but in- stead, wait until your next scheduled dose and meal and  continue as before.

What undesirable effects may I experience?
During the first  few days or weeks of treatment with Glucobay you may experience  increased flatulence (wind), rumbling in your stomach, a feeling of  fullness and possibly abdominal cramps. It is also possible that you may  pass softer stools or even experience diarrhea, particularly after a  meal containing sugar or sucrose containing foods. Normally, these  symptoms will disappear if you continue treatment and keep to your  prescribed diet.

DO NOT TAKE INDIGESTION (ANTACID) PREPARATIONS FOR TREATING THESE  SYMPTOMS, AS THEY ARE UNLIKELY TO HAVE ANY BENEFICIAL EFFECT. IF YOUR  SYMPTOMS PERSIST FOR MORE THAN 2 OR 3 DAYS, OR IF THEY ARE SEVERE,  CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR, PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF DIARRHOEA.

Less common side effects include inflammation of the liver  (hepatitis), jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and skin reactions such as  redness, rash and urticaria (hives). Glucobay tablets may cause an  increase in the levels of certain proteins called enzymes in your blood.  These effects go away when treatment is stopped.

IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY UNDESIRABLE EFFECTS, TELL YOUR DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. YOUR DOCTOR WILL GIVE YOU ADVICE.

How should I store my Glucobay tablets?
It is best if you  keep your tablets in the original carton supplied. The tablets should be  kept in a dry place where the temperature is not likely to exceed 25°C.  KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. Do not use tablets beyond the expiry  date that is marked on both the outer container and on each blister  strip of tablets. If you find that you have tablets after their expiry  date, return them to your local pharmacist who will dispose of them  properly.

REMEMBER: THIS MEDICINE HAS BEEN PRESCRIBED FOR YOU. DO NOT  GIVE IT TO ANYONE ELSE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS  ABOUT TAKING GLUCOBAY CORRECTLY SEEK THE ADVICE OF YOUR DOCTOR.
Date of Preparation: February 1999
Product License Number: PL 0010/0171
The above  information is the translation of the manufacturer’s insert. It is  provided under the supplying company’s terms and conditions and should  not replace the advice of your personal physician.