Precose (Acarbose)

Description

Precose is an anti-diabetic medication. It works as a glucose inhibitor. Its key component is acarbose.

 

Uses

 

Precose helps to control an elevated blood sugar level in individuals with type-2 diabetes. This medication works by reducing the speed with which starch is broken down into sugar. This means that your blood sugar level does not rise as much after you eat.

 

Maintaining a balanced blood sugar level prevents a number of unpleasant ailments. These include loss of vision, kidney problems, nerve damage, sexual dysfunction, and even loss of limbs. It may also decrease the prevalence with which strokes and heart attacks occur.

 

Contact your doctor to learn about all the benefits that this medication has.

 

Dosage

 

Always follow the prescription that your doctor has provided you with. Do not take Precose in smaller or larger doses than you have been instructed.

 

This medication should be taken orally.

 

The total recommended starting dosage for this drug is 75 mg. Precose should be taken in 25 mg doses, three times a day. It should always be taken with the start of your meal.

 

If you missed a dose, take it as soon as you remember. You should always take Precose with a meal. If you have been eating for over 15 minutes, you may still take Precose. It may, however, be less effective than taking it at the start of a meal. Do not take this medication between meals. You should not take extra medicine to compensate for your missed dose.

 

Do not take more than 300 mg of Precose in a day.

 

In the case of an overdose, contact your nearest medical emergency services.

 

Side Effects

 

The more common side effects that may be experienced with Precose are:

 

 Minor stomach discomfort
 Gas in the stomach and bloating
 Minor changes in bowel movement
 Irritation or bumps on the skin

 

Severe side effects may be experienced with this medication are:

 

 Acute abdominal discomfort
 Inability to have a bowel movement
 Changes in bowel movement
 Unusual bruising or discolored spots under the skin
 Abnormal bleeding
 Nausea
 Change in appetite
 Discoloration of urine
 Jaundice

 

Contact your physician immediately if you experience any of these side effects.

 

Contraindications

 

This medicine can be dangerous to fetuses. Inform your doctor if you are pregnant and have been prescribed Precose. Contact your physician if you wish to breastfeed your child.

 

Precose should not be taken with activated charcoal or any drugs that contain any digestive enzymes. There may be negative effects upon combining these medications.

 

Inform your physician if you have been prescribed pramlintide. This may produce an adverse effect if taken with Precose.

 

Medications that contain diuretics, thiazides, birth control pills, forms of estrogen, certain steroids, and isoniazid (among others) produce hyperglycemia. When such drugs are taken in combination with Precose, there may be a loss of balance in the blood glucose level. Inform your doctor if you have been prescribed with these drugs.

 

Individuals taking insulin as well as Precose should be monitored. Insulin can cause hypoglycemia and Precose may exacerbate these effects.